1. Portuguese National Technology Platform Food For Life
Rome,

2. Portuguese National Technology Platform Food For Life
Background
Portugal has a poor record of industrial spending on R&D and Innovation, this is very accentuated in the food sector.
State distributed funding, although modest, is much higher than industry own funding.
SMEs are predominant with essentially regional and national markets.
High quality R&D, training and scientific service suppliers relevant to the food sector do exist, but they are relatively few and poorly articulated with each other.
No coordinating agency exists for the food sector.
Portuguese National Technology Platform Food For Life

3. Portuguese National Technology Platform Food For Life
The food cluster in Portugal
The country has a food production in most sectors from fish and meat through to complex transformed products.
Consumer products of high added value are a relatively small proportion of the total.
Fruits and vegetables, dairy products and wines are sectors with significant exports.
Of the secondary areas the metallurgic industry, software, packaging, logistics, services and animal feeds have significant national industries whereas specialist equipment and ingredients are largely imported. 
Portuguese National Technology Platform Food For Life

4. Portuguese National Technology Platform Food For Life
State distributed funding for R&D and Innovation
Funding can be both nationally and, in the case of innovation, regionally distributed.
A specific Innovation Agency exists to distribute funds for research in and with private companies.  Many different programmes, relatively complex and beurocratic processes.
Strategic research areas are determined by official bodies and any input from the food sector is informal, unstructured and consultative.
Portuguese National Technology Platform Food For Life

5. Portuguese National Technology Platform Food For Life
Proposal for platform; current situation
FIPA is creating the conditions to launch a platform which largely follows the ETP-F4L philosophy.
Aims to:
Influence strategic research programmes relevant to competitiveness of the food cluster.
Influence training and learning initiatives relevant to competitiveness of the food cluster.
Act as the interface between the science and technology supply sector and the food sector.
Portuguese National Technology Platform Food For Life

6. Portuguese National Technology Platform Food For Life
Proposal for platform; current situation (cont.)
FIPA has contacted major universities to assist in preparation of initial documents.
ETP widely disseminated in Portugal.
1st Stakeholder meeting planned for May / June 2007
Portuguese National Technology Platform Food For Life