The kick-off meeting for APRISE (Alternative Protein Research and Innovation Skills Enhancement) recently took place in Ankara, launching an ambitious research project backed by nearly €3 million from the European Union’s Horizon Europe programme. Among the 18 partners from 11 European countries, the Arezzo-based research centre OpenCom holds a strategic role, coordinating the professional skills development and career advancement strand of the project.
APRISE tackles one of our era’s most pressing challenges: feeding a growing global population while reducing the environmental footprint of food production, including alternative proteins derived from plants, insects, and cultivated meat. Offer a promising solution, capable of dramatically cutting greenhouse gas emissions and natural resource consumption compared with traditional protein sources. The Middle East Technical University in Ankara leads the project, which brings together universities, research centres, and companies from Turkey, Poland, Greece, Malta, North Macedonia, Germany, Spain, the United Kingdom, Denmark, Sweden, and Italy. The initiative aims to strengthen research and innovation capabilities in the so-called “Widening Countries”, nations with fewer opportunities in the European research landscape.
OpenCom’s contribution to the consortium proves particularly significant. The Arezzo-based centre leads the entire professional training section of the project, coordinating over 20 training sessions for more than 40 researchers and professionals. These sessions cover skills crucial for innovation in the food sector, including entrepreneurship, business management, digital competencies, artificial intelligence, project management, open science, and personalised career mentorship. “We’re not simply transferring technical skills,” explain OpenCom’s researchers. “We’re creating a comprehensive professional support ecosystem that guides talent between the academic and industrial worlds in both directions, with particular attention to gender balance and inclusivity.”
International mobility is a distinctive element of the project, with over 200 research placements at partner institutions providing researchers with practical experience in various contexts, including many located in Arezzo itself. OpenCom will coordinate this dimension within its area of responsibility, ensuring each participant develops a personalised Professional Development Plan to support their long-term career growth. The project also includes creating alum networks, organising entrepreneurial networking events, and establishing collaborations with government bodies to develop policies that support the alternative protein sector.
OpenCom’s participation in APRISE strengthens Arezzo’s and Tuscany’s position within the European research and innovation network. OpenCom brings to the project its established expertise in innovation management, sustainability, and gender equality, areas where it has developed internationally recognised competencies. Running for 48 months, the project sets measurable and ambitious targets: at least 10 scientific publications, two policy documents to guide European government decisions, and crucially, the goal that 80% of participants secure qualified employment in the alternative protein sector within three years of completing their training. This achievement could significantly advance a strategic sector for Europe’s sustainable food future.