Our center is involved in several different research and development projects related to food, nutrition, health, sustainable development, and food chain development. Read more about the projects below!
The scientific and societal goal of the BIODIFUL consortium is to support and enable a shift towards leadership that respects biodiversity at individual, organizational, and societal levels. The project specifically focuses on the food system and the recreational use of nature.
Developing the use of underutilized fish species and creating more sustainable, versatile, and extensive product lines using domestic fish for food products, as well as creating value chains for producing high-value products from domestic fish raw materials.
In the Dining Flow project, the aim is to enhance the experiences of diners and service providers, and increase sustainability in Self-Service Restaurants (SSRs). Concrete data-driven decision support tools and solutions are provided to service providers, combining research on the activities and experiences of diners with data from stakeholders, hardware, and the environment (i.e., buildings and their users).
In the Food and Exercise Testbed Services (FOODEX) project, we will integrate the testbed services offered by Flavoria® and the Paavo Nurmi Center (University of Turku), along with those provided by the Sports Lab and Health Tech Lab (Turku University of Applied Sciences), to cater to the requirements of product development companies. Through the service, companies can ensure the safety, quality, and effectiveness of their products, thereby speeding up the introduction of new solutions to the market. The service will be integrated as a part of research, development and testbed service platform TERTTU coordinated by Health Campus Turku.
The "Food Capital" theme is part of Seinäjoki's urban strategy. The project aims to develop local food culture and culinary tourism, constructing a city food strategy for Seinäjoki. Within the food sector, opportunities for growth are explored, focusing on food exports, sustainable food solutions, and fostering collaboration between large and small food companies.
The project raises awareness of local food entrepreneurs and preserves traditional foods among citizens. The University of Turku collects and archives food traditions and the region's culinary culture.
A training program focused on sustainable food systems for secondary education institutions. The project aims to enhance vocational education teachers' capabilities to teach about food from the perspective of green values and sustainable development, covering lifestyle changes, consumption, and production. The project tests and creates training modules and materials openly available for vocational education, aiming to increase awareness, for example, about food waste among the general public.
In the Hiililounas (Carbon lunch) project, carbon footprint information is calculated for domestic plant-based proteins, and nutritionally balanced lunch dishes with a smaller carbon footprint are developed for mass catering.
The project calculates biodiversity footprints for key domestic food ingredients. Additionally, guidance tools for food industry professionals are developed for planning biodiversity-friendly meals, along with ready-made model meal recipes for food services.
The project aims to enhance the capability of stakeholders in the South Ostrobothnia food chain to address the challenges of the food transition, with a particular focus on the role and opportunities of the food chain in preventing biodiversity loss.
Me, My Health & My Food investigates and develops individualized nutrition advice and solutions to promote healthy eating habits. By studying and analyzing personalized factors and data related to consumers, the goal is to support consumers in choosing products and services tailored to their well-being.
The goal of the Early Nutrition and Health research group is to provide a scientific basis for the relationship between diet and health, including mechanistic studies, focusing on the effects of maternal nutrition, metabolism and gut microbiome on both maternal and child health.
The project investigates how olfactory phenomena impact people's daily lives and manifest in various physical environments and media. Special attention is given to the role of smells in constructing cultural identities. Methodologically, the project complements cultural studies that combine various senses, focusing specifically on olfactory communication and meaningfulness.
An international food innovation, education, and cultural project drawing from local food traditions. The project focuses on developing foods for societal and nutritional needs based on the best culinary and traditional practices, ingredients, and dishes.
The project explores the possibilities of virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) as part of the food experience. The project is carried out in collaboration with the University of Copenhagen.
The purpose of the WiseFood project is to strengthen the market for resource-wise food products in the Turku region. In order to strengthen the circular economy in the food chain in the Turku region, circular measures must be promoted and the market for resource-wise raw materials and products must be further developed in a targeted manner. The target groups of the project are food chain companies (from a food, service and technology perspective), educational institutions, research, development and innovation actors and networks.
Work Packages
- Innovation Activities of Resource Wise Food Chains
- Business Co-operation Model for Food Education
- Circular Economy Solutions in Food Chains – Case Turku Market Hall
Duration
September 1, 2023 – November 11, 2025
Participants
Main Project: City of Turku
Sub Project: University of Turku
Funding
Total Budget: 522.000 €
EU Funding: 313.000 €
The project is co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).
(Innovation and Skills in Finland 2021−2027, EU regional and structural policy programme)