8 March 2024 | Münster
On February 19th, 2024, the DigiFABS (Digital Change Agents for Food and Beverage SMEs) project was inaugurated during a two-day event held in Münster, Germany. This initiative, funded by the European Commission under the Call "Alliances for Innovation", is spearheaded by Dominik Lappenküper and Judith Helmer from the S2BMRC team at FH Münster University of Applied Sciences, Germany. The project aims to revolutionize the European food and beverage sector (F&B), a vital contributor to the EU economy, by fostering digital, resilience, and innovation skills among change agents for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
Over the next three years, the DigiFABS consortium, comprising 14 higher education institutions, research centres, training institutions, SMEs, and business network organisations with complementing competences will collaborate to investigate digital transformation in the F&B sector and optimize resources and training concepts to prepare students, educators as well as F&B SMEs for the digital transformation in this sector. The project aims at:
- raising awareness for the key skill set needed for a successful and sustainable digital change process in the F&B sector
- fostering research on and contributing to the relevance and improved understanding of digital skills as well as green and resilience skills supporting the innovativeness, resilience, and sustainability of the regional and European economy
- developing a new, innovative, and multidisciplinary teaching and learning method which introduces a unique, effective, and efficient training system based on entrepreneurial and engaged universities, problem-based learning with real problems, and action learning.
- Establishing a sense of initiative and entrepreneurial mindset not only in students as future change agents but also in educators and SMEs
- Connecting students, educators, and SMEs in a sectoral European hub to network, collaborate, co-create, and share knowledge to guarantee sustainability beyond the project's lifetime.
Therefore, the consortium partners will research, conceptualise, develop, pilot, and optimize a holistic multidisciplinary training programme for the main stakeholders - students, educators, and businesses. The programme will comprise interactive and challenge-based materials to teach them the needed skills as "responsible dynamic digital change agents" who are enabled to lead future digital transformation in the F&B sector.
Through this, the project seeks to impart principles of digital transformation and sectoral knowledge essential for navigating the rapidly evolving industry landscape.
To kick-start this project, representatives from the consortium partners came to Münster to discuss in person the road ahead. Next to FH Münster as lead partner, these are:
- Consorci de la Ribera (Spain)
- Stichting Hogeschool van Amsterdam (The Netherlands)
- WESt Wirtschaftsförderungs- und Entwicklungsgesellschaft Steinfurt (Germany)
- Slovak University of Agriculture (Slovakia)
- University of Szczecin (Poland)
- National University of Ireland Maynooth (Ireland)
- Preneurz (The Netherlands)
- University-Industry Innovation Network (The Netherlands)
- European Centre for Emerging Competencies and Technologies (Cyprus)
- Stowarzyszenie Wspierania Techniki Polskiej (Poland)
- BIA Innovator Campus (Ireland)
- Momentum Marketing Services (Ireland)
- New Edu (Slovakia)
During the launch event, participants from the consortium scrutinized and endorsed the project's goals, methodology, and activities. Each of the nine work package leaders presented the objectives, strategies, and activities ahead as well as the expected outcomes. Further notable transversal work packages presented include project management, communications, quality management, and the establishment of a sustainability strategy. Dynamic presentations and interactive discussions fostered collaboration among partners, laying the groundwork for collective action.
Stay tuned for the launch of the project website providing more information in the upcoming weeks, marking another milestone in the journey of DigiFABS towards empowering digital transformation in the F&B SME sector!