At a recent EIT Food Call, the ACG-RC / CoEFTL (CoE Food, Tourism & Leisure) was qualified to run for a second consecutive year the Consumer Engagement Labs (CEL) in Greece for 2023.
EIT Food CELÂ is the largest food co-creation initiative in Europe, funded by Horizon Europe framework program. In 2019-2022, the co-creation processes involved 82 consumer panels and 43 companies from 16 European countries, who worked together to design, develop and introduce to the market 22 innovative food products.
CELs are co-creation processes involving consumers and producers, based on innovative methodologies. Each Lab process engages a relatively coherent group of consumers, who jointly go through a multi-stage interactive process of ideation to develop proposals for new products that better address their specific needs. Unlike typical sensory panels and consumer surveys, the Labs do not involve testing of sample products but the creation of innovative, yet non-existing combinations of product features and benefits. This is enabled by an interactive Lab format, creativity-stimulating techniques and opportunities to redesign food products without the need to master specialist vocabulary or possess detailed knowledge concerning ingredients or manufacturing processes.
In 2023-2025, the methodology will be applied to societal challenges, linked to targeted nutrition and protein diversification. Labs in Greece will be implemented by the CoEFTL and the leading food company E. J. Papadopoulos, aiming to develop and introduce to the Greek market food products that address a specific societal challenge. The co-creation approach of the Labs will be conducted by Dr. Chrysanthi Nega and Dr. Chryssoula Karakitsou, faculty of the Deree Department of Psychology, with the support of student scholars and the scientific coordination of Dr. Toula Perrea. The Greek consortium (ACG-RC/CoEFTL & E. J Papadopoulos) are awarded the amount of € 31,250 for organizing the CELs.
