Excel4Pro
Strengthening the Capacity of Excellence Hubs of Türkiye, Greece, and Ukraine to Support Innovation Ecosystem of Novel Foods Based on Plant Proteins.
Excel4Pro is a four-year project designed to address challenges and leverage opportunities arising from the increasing demand for plant-based diets. This demand is fuelled by population growth, the critical role of proteins in human health, and growing awareness of the environmental impact of livestock farming. While the market for plant-based alternatives is expanding, current offerings require advancements in processing techniques and a deeper understanding of plant protein functionality.
Excel4Pro: A Regional Innovation Hub
Excel4Pro aims to address these gaps by fostering a dynamic plant-based innovation ecosystem in Türkiye, Greece, and Ukraine. Strengthening national Excellence Hubs with research, knowledge exchange, and strategic partnerships will create a foundation for novel plant-based food economies.
Connecting and Scaling Innovation Ecosystems
This initiative will serve as a critical bridge, connecting strategically selected plant-based protein ecosystems into a unified, cross-border Excellence Hub. This Hub is dedicated to driving transformative change in the agri-food sector by developing innovative, market-ready food products based on plant-based proteins.
| Funding program | Horizon Europe |
|---|---|
| Call | HORIZON-WIDERA-2023-ACCESS-07 |
| GA No. | 101186662 |
| Duration | 2025 - 2028 |
| EC Funding | € 5,946,368.75 |
| Website | excel4pro.eu |
| # Sectors | alternativeproteins, farm2fork |
Empowering Innovation Through Collaboration and Investment
Excel4Pro will implement collaborative R&I strategies, mentoring programs, and actionable investment plans to foster a vibrant innovation environment. Targeted upskilling activities for researchers and entrepreneurs will bridge knowledge gaps and accelerate the development of sustainable, commercially viable food systems.
A Powerful Consortium Driving Impact
The Excel4Pro consortium comprises 17 partners, including leading academic institutions, innovative businesses, forward-thinking public authorities, and engaged societal organizations. This Quadruple Helix approach ensures a well-rounded perspective and maximizes the impact of the project’s six work packages. Over four years, Excel4Pro will leverage this diverse expertise to develop solutions aligned with the EU Green Deal and the Farm to Fork strategy, contributing to a more sustainable, healthy, and resilient food future.
Excellence Hubs | Plant Proteins | Advanced Foods
- 3 Countries
- 17 Partners
- > 2 new food product prototypes developed through pilots
- 360,000€ financial support to SMEs & start-ups
- 9 innovative projects to be funded
- > 4 Public reports on investment strategies at regional and national level
- 1 Joint Research & Innovation Agenda
- > 10 Trainings to support strategies and pilot cases
- 2 business models for each product developed in pilots
reframe.food, as a leader of WP4, will provide comprehensive business support by developing business models for newly developed products through the project. reframe.food will oversee the guidance and mentoring actions and activities on promising innovations in the food technology area and financially support new ventures in the sector.
reframe.food will be responsible for:
- Drafting Joint Research and Innovation Strategies to facilitate the sustainability of the Hubs
- Creating Business Models for innovative plant-based protein food products and ingredients
- Providing Financial Support to SMEs and start-ups through Open Calls