How can we reduce food waste, improve the dining experience, and make restaurant dining more sustainable? How can digital innovations contribute to these goals? The final event of the Dining Flow project will present and discuss the results achieved during the project.
The final event of the Dining Flow project, titled “Every Bite Counts, Every Byte Matters”, will be held at the University of Turku. The event brings together researchers, companies, and urban developers to explore how digital solutions and cross-sector collaboration can reduce food waste and enhance the sustainability of food systems.
The event takes place on Friday, 21 November 2025, from 12:00 to 17:00, at the University of Turku (Medisiina D, Alhopuro Hall (D1038-1), 1st floor). The event will be held in English.
The event concludes the broad, multi-actor Dining Flow project, which has advanced collaboration and innovation at the intersection of the food chain and the data economy.
Throughout the day, participants will hear research-based and practical perspectives on how data from food chains can serve both the dining experience and climate goals.
The Dining Flow project experimented with instrumenting a lunch restaurant with sensors and diverse information sources for diners. With rich data on dining and people’s movement, we can improve the accuracy of food consumption estimates, which leads to less waste in kitchens and more sustainable dining. As these goals are priorities also for the restaurant industry, Dining Flow got to benefit from the contributions of many active industrial collaborators.
“Building the project’s complex equipment and models relied on diverse expertise. With a project team comprising researchers in computer science and engineering, mechanical engineering, nutritional science, architecture, and service design, the Dining Flow project showcases the strength of a multidisciplinary university,” says Professor Jaakko Järvi, Dean of the Faculty of Technology, and a member of the the project’s research team.
“In restaurants, data is collected on diners’ consumption preferences, food choices, and the amount of waste generated. When this information is combined with data produced by various building systems – for example, from automatic doors, elevators, and building automation systems – we can predict restaurant visitor flows at different times. Thanks to more accurate forecasting, the amount of waste generated has been significantly reduced,” says Janne Öfversten, Head of Digital & Sustainability Innovations at KONE Innovation.
The project is part of KONE’s Veturi initiative, The Flow of Urban Life program. The Dining Flow project is coordinated by the Department of Computing at the University of Turku. Its multidisciplinary research team includes expertise from computing, mechanical engineering, the Functional Foods Forum, the Turku School of Economics, and Flavoria.
The project’s partners include seven Finnish companies – KONE, Haltian, Jamix, Smartkitchen, Safera, Metos, and SYK – as well as one international organization, Sodexo.
Programme highlights:
- Keynote speech: “Food waste in self-service restaurants – Measuring it, understanding it, reducing it”
Professor Sara Dolnicar (University of Queensland)
Dolnicar is one of the world’s leading researchers focusing on market segmentation, sustainable tourism and social marketing, with a notable emphasis on environmental behavior. In her talk, she will present research findings showing how food waste can be reduced without compromising the dining experience. - Together Towards a Climate-Positive Turku
Petra Svahn, Climate Team, City of Turku - Lessons learned in combining food data and human-centered innovation in a major industrial project
Niko Myller UTU and Jere Vuorenala, KONE - Presenting the outcomes of the Dining Flow project
(Proof of Concepts, ideas and new collaboration (see more information in the event pages) - Panel discussion: “Building a Vision to Action – Every Bite Counts, Every Byte Matters”
Panelists include Anna George (Zero Waste Project, European project of 12 million euros and 46 countries), Karoliina Hannula (Antell), and Satu Hulkkonen (FoodData Finland)., Timo Lehto (Jamix Oy), Teemu Jutila (Lounais-Suomen Jätehuolto Oy). Moderator professor Anu Hopia (University of Turku).
The event offers up-to-date outcomes and research insights on how data-driven tools can support restaurant decision makers improve the accuracy of their predictions to reduce food waste, better listen to dinners, enhance the experience of both kitchen staff and guests and finally how research, businesses, and cities can work together to build a more sustainable everyday life.
Please register by 20 November 2025.
