Fundacio Eurecat
Eurecat
Eurecat is the leading Technology Centre in Catalonia, and the second largest private research organization in Southern Europe.
ID: 233570428373-49
Lobbying Activity
Meeting with Pernille Weiss-Ehler (Cabinet of Commissioner Jessika Roswall)
30 Jun 2025 · Climate change and sociopolitical change
Response to Interim Evaluation of Digital Europe
19 Sept 2024
Fundació Eurecat (EURECAT), the leading Technology Centre in Catalonia and the second largest private research organization in Southern Europe, has a workforce of 760 professionals and an annual turnover of 62M. EURECATs research and innovation efforts focus on four key areas: Industrial, Digital, Sustainability, and Bio-Agri-Food. Reflecting on the initial years of the Digital Europe Programme, EURECAT highlights several key considerations. The current 50% funding for most calls significantly limits participation for research and technology organizations. Increasing this to 75-100% for non-profits would make involvement more feasible. Furthermore, combining national funding sources, as demonstrated by the Spanish PADIH programme's support for the Catalan eDIH (DIH4CAT), is crucial to effectively mobilize SMEs and maximize the programme's impact. EURECAT also notes that multiple parallel initiatives, such as Gaia-X and other national projects, lead to resource redundancy, suggesting the need for streamlined efforts to enhance efficiency. Additionally, they identify a gap in the European Digital Innovation Hub (EDIH) network for a hub dedicated to Quantum Computing. Implementing data spaces presents challenges, particularly in industries like agriculture and manufacturing, where companies are hesitant to share sensitive information. EURECAT emphasizes the importance of developing incentives and high-level use cases that integrate value chains without risking competitive disadvantages. In contrast, sectors such as energy and mobility show greater willingness to participate, especially when public or government data is involved. Finally, EURECAT believes the Digital Europe Programme could further its impact by investing in advanced technologies to improve digital skills training. Prioritizing the development and testing of innovative training tools would not only enhance the programs effectiveness but also better equip Europes workforce to tackle future digital challenges.
Read full response9 Apr 2021
EURECAT is a technology centre expert in new functional food ingredients and food processing technologies, personalised nutrition, microbiota interlink between nutrition and health and smart management systems to support the digital transformation of the European agri-food sector. www.eurecat.org/en
The centre collaborates with the food industry in R&I projects offering advanced scientific and technological services to develop new ingredients and foods according to preferences and consumer welfare and taking into account key factors of food production, with new models and advanced technologies that allow the improvement of agri-food products and processes.
Based on this background, we welcome the EU Transparency Regulation on risk assessment in the food chain.
Regarding the new inserted Article 5.b on Notification of studies, we propose that a distinction is made regarding the purpose of the studies to be notified.
In the research and development process of new food ingredients, different approaches can be attempted before selecting the final composition to be scaled up and industrialised.
Therefore, the obligation to notify safety studies should be applied to pre-commercial studies only. With this distinction, the R&D stage would not be hindered unnecessarily.
EURECAT is open to further contribute to assess the potential impacts on the R&I process related to the implementation of the EU Transparency Regulation on risk assessment in the food chain.
Read full responseResponse to Farm to Fork Strategy
12 Mar 2020
EURECAT is a technology centre expert in new functional food ingredients and food processing technologies, personalised nutrition, microbiota interlink between nutrition and health and smart management systems to support the digital transformation of the European agri-food sector. www.eurecat.org/en
As an RTO, a research and technology organisation, we provide R&I services to companies along the full agro-food value chain and we are active members of different national and EU-wide technology platforms in the sector.
Based on this background, we welcome the Fork to Farm strategy and we suggest the promotion of the following technology-based measures:
Healthy and sustainable diets:
Access to sustainable PERSONALISED NUTRITION requires further adaptation of current value chains and production means.
Along with the nutrition facts and clean labelling, the provision of ENVIRONMENTAL impacts (emissions, water consumption) and SOCIAL impacts, according to sLCA indicators, should be compulsory, so that citizens can take informed decisions. It should be compulsory to respond to consumer demands in terms of information, product innovation and healthier products at the same time that we meet with responsibilities and commitments at the environmental and economic sustainability level.
Supporting the PROTEIN TRANSITION towards meat alternatives for resilient production systems, zero hunger, reduced environmental impact and public health benefits.
Use of mHealth solutions, including serious games or similar engaging tools, to promote habits change and CITIZEN EMPOWERMENT on their own nutrition habits.
Promoting fully BIODEGRADABLE PACKAGING concepts for reduced environmental impact in the consumption stage. For instance, using polymers that exhibit full degradation in all kinds of natural environments within a reasonable time frame without producing toxic degradation products. This requires, amongst other measures, an R&I effort to develop processing methods of biodegradable polymers compatible with existing manufacturing equipment and with industrially competitive production rates.
Preserving the primary production:
Exploiting the potential of digitisation and data analytics based tools:
• Promoting the role of the agricultural technician as an expert user of algorithm-based prediction and recommendation tools.
• To assess the implantation of crop varieties from tropical climates in EU to avoid the need for long distance logistics.
• To plan crop production.
• High precision agriculture enhanced by automation and data analytics.
• To detect sales under production costs.
• Protective legislation with increase control on the imported products, using IoT/DLT platforms to certify good agricultural practices, improving the quality assessment of imported goods.
• Assess the impact of tax policies in proportion to the travelled distance and transport type, from farm to fork, to promote proximity and quality.
The digitisation outcomes rely on the creation of an open data space enabling different data science applications to achieve the Fork to Farm strategy objectives.
Reducing food waste:
Industrial sub-products VALORISATION into new food ingredients or to be re-used in different food chains.
Promoting Smart technologies and Digitisation tools for food TRACEABILITY, such as:
• Smart Packaging to monitor REAL FOOD EXPIRATION dates
• Data analytics of unsold and expired food to improve DEMAND PREDICTION in the production, distribution and retail stages.
EURECAT is open to further contribute to the Fork to Farm strategy and how to make it happen through an R&I policy that addresses the main challenges and knowledge gaps to generate an added value at EU level.
Read full responseResponse to Gender equality in the EU
13 Feb 2020
This feedback addresses gender aspects in transport, provided from the H2020 DIAMOND project (EC GA No 824326) https://diamond-project.eu/ , coordinated by EURECAT.
As part of the project, a literature review of the most relevant scientific contributions on the women’s needs as users of urban railway transport infrastructures was recently executed through several academic databases. It focused on identifying a series of CFCs–Clusters of Fairness Characteristics (Level 1) and FCs – Fairness Characteristics (Level 2) linked to the experience of women as users of the transport infrastructures, considering also the role of future technologies.
1. CFC - Accessibility of the Service:
(a) FC - Service availability and efficiency;
(b) FC - Travel and wayfinding information;
(c) FC - Ticketing option and fares;
(d) FC - Travel purpose.
2. CFC - Design of the Infrastructure:
(a) FC - Universal design;
(b) FC - Cleanliness and maintenance of the transport facility;
(c) FC - Furniture and facilities.
3. CFC - Safety and Security:
(a) FC - Sexual harassment and pickpocketing;
(b) FC - Overcrowding and emergency situations.
These are the findings of the literature review:
The first CFC on “accessibility of the service” is focused on the operational details and quality of service in response to women’s perception. The FC “service availability and efficiency” is of vital importance, especially in suburbs, as stations are connected with other modes of transport to reach different places: residence, work, childcare facilities and shops (Duchène,2011). The FC “travel and wayfinding information provision” includes the effective provision of real-time information regarding the operation of the service and information for easy wayfinding (Network Rail, 2011). Economic factors such as “ticketing options and fares” (e.g.,tariff policies, flexible tickets and discount fares) and different “travel purpose” were found to significantly influence the choice of women for using public transport (APTA, 2013).
The second CFC “design of the infrastructure” is firstly focused on the FC “universal design”. This refers to a series of design and architectural indicators determining the level of accessibility of urban railway infrastructures for all people regardless of their age, size, ability or disability. This factor encompasses facilities such as the presence of lifts, escalators and some other items that facilitate the movement to all the people but, especially for disable people and those who are carrying things(Transport for London,2015). The FC “furniture and other facilities” refers to the provision of furniture and facilities which accommodate the needs of women and the other persons they accompany, e.g.,seats to pregnant women, parents with young children and elderly, baby changing and breastfeeding facilities(Soltani et al.,2012). The FC “cleanliness and maintenance” refers to the cleanliness of toilets, but also on keeping in good condition the infrastructure avoiding graffiti and vandalism or having recycling waste baskets (Suman&Bolia,2019).
The CFC “safety and security” is firstly focused on the FC “harassment and pickpocketing” that is, the need of women to adjust their travel patterns to avoid physical victimization, harassment, stalking or sexual assault when using transport services (Loukaitou-ideris,2014,ITF,2018). Increasing the presence of police and security personnel or boosting the number of CCTV systems could be a measure to encourage them to use public transport. The FC “Overcrowding and emergency situations” will also reduce women’s perception of personal safety and security (Thompson et al.2012). Offering more personal space and improving the ventilation will encourage their use of public transport service.
DIAMOND consortium is open to further contribute with the project outcomes to the Gender Equality strategy in Transport to provide the list of cited references to the interested parties.
Read full responseResponse to Climate Law
6 Feb 2020
Policies should address the transition towards climate neutrality pursuing two main lines of action, each one being currently responsible for 50% approx. of the greenhouse emissions:
• Energy: regarding clean energy supply and use efficiency.
• Circular economy: including the use of primary and secondary raw materials, water and new business models.
During the transition to a climate neutrality, a global monitoring of all environmental aspects is needed to prevent that, for instance, measures implemented to reduce greenhouse gas emissions generate other environmentally-harmful effects. A systematic implementation of Life Cycle Assessment methodologies including considerations of economic and social impacts is recommended.
Although a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions should be related to an improved overall efficiency, there can be a huge dispersion between sectors and products. In some cases, there can be a cost increase as a side effect, acting as a barrier. Therefore, climate-neutrality oriented policies should consider measures to manage these potential scenarios in which climate friendly EU-products may compete with climate un-friendly products made somewhere else.
The irreversibility of the climate neutrality can be secured when consumers include the environmental impact as a key criterion in their purchase decision-making and when cost-effectiveness comes along a neutral environmental impact. This cost-effectiveness requires huge R&I efforts, underpinned by a favourable regulatory framework, to obtain the best possible solutions within the technological limits in energy efficiency and circular economy.
Dedicated R&I programmes are needed to enable the transformation of the different economy sectors: industry and its 4.0 paradigm, transport and logistics, farming, etc. The mere implementation of the existing best available technologies will not be enough to achieve climate neutrality by 2050.
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