Increased collaboration between universities and research institutes results in a new course, the first of its kind in Iceland.
Five universities have been collaborating with the Iceland Innovation Center and Matís for some time now and are offering the first courses of their kind in Iceland. The course is called "Eco-friendly food innovation" and brings students from different fields of study and different universities together and guides them through all the aspects of the process from shaping a cost-effective product idea to developing a fully-fledged eco-friendly product and bringing it to domestic and foreign market.
Innovation is talked about as a promising and effective opportunity to create growth and profits, both within individual companies and whole economies. There is every reason to educate and train Icelandic university students in the innovation processes that promote the creation, marketing and sale of new product ideas. The University of Iceland, the University of Akureyri, the Agricultural University, the Academy of the Arts and the University of Hólar have therefore joined forces in collaboration with the Iceland Innovation Center and Matís and offer courses where students create new product ideas and develop sophisticated and marketable products in collaboration with the business community. and students from other specialties and schools so that expertise from different sources is utilized in the overall process. Success in product development is based, among other things, on such collaboration and collaboration between parties with different professional knowledge and experience, and the sustainable use of resources and the impact of production, processing and distribution methods on the environment have also begun to have a major impact on food industry innovation.
Parties from agriculture, food companies, research institutes and university professors in relevant fields are called in to ensure that the innovative ideas that emerge are based on Icelandic raw materials, Icelandic expertise and Icelandic interests. Teams of students are formed across the universities and across the relevant disciplines so that each person's expertise is utilized. There is a lot to work on, but the product idea that wins the competition for the most promising and eco-friendly innovation idea in the field of food, which will be held at the end of the course, can take part in the Eco-Trophelia competition, where eco-friendly food ideas will compete with each other.
The competition in Iceland will be held in connection with the Design March and students will compete with their ideas and products behind closed doors on March 23. Results will then be announced with pomp and splendor on Saturday 24 March.
The winning group will receive a prestigious award and its members will represent Iceland in the EcoTrophelia European competition.
For further information, contact Fanney Frisbæk at Nýsköpunarmiðstöð, fanney@nmi.is, 522-9144.