Meeting on: Monday the 10 June 13:00 15:00 Building 1431, Room 015, Ndr. Ringgade, Aarhus. AU FOOD PLATFORM Steering Group Meeting

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1 Meeting on: Monday the 10 June 13:00 15:00 Building 1431, Room 015, Ndr. Ringgade, Aarhus MINUTES AU FOOD PLATFORM Steering Group Meeting Participants: Steen Brock (SB), ARTS; Bjørn Richelsen (BR), Health; Kim Overvad (KO), Health; Erik Steen Kristensen (ESK), AGRO; Klaus Lønne Ingvartsen (KLI) ANIS, Michelle Williams (MW), FOOD; Erik Østergård Jensen (EØJ), MBG; Henning Klarlund (HK), Forskning og Talent ; Niels Halberg (NH), DCA; Aase K. Sørensen (AKS), FOOD. Absent: Klaus G. Grunert (KG), MAPP, BSS Agenda 1) Approval of minutes /Additional items for agenda 2) Update on communication and website 3) Additional activities and updated links to AU FOOD PLATFORM a) Food Cluster (see appendix), (Michelle Williams) b) Food KIC (Henning Klarlund) 4) Priority discussion items IC FN&H (see appendix), (Kim Overvad) 5) Discussion of action plan for delivering on TOR (see appendix) 6) Actions to be taken prior to and at the next meeting 7) Other matters Date: 110. juni 2013 Page 1/5 1. Approval of minutes/additional items for agenda Remarks to the minutes: NH contacted Søren Frandsen concerning Vækstteam for Fødevarer, and at this time Søren Frandsen does not know whether he needs further input from the Steering Group. Food Universe: DCA has offered co-financing to support the initiative on behalf of AU. Additional items for the agenda: HK will update the Steering Group on Food KIC under item 3b. 2. Update on communication and website Key staff provided text to the research subjects mentioned on the front page, still some input is needed. The initiatives are updated, and new initiatives are added. It is the intention to include links from the website to the websites of the involved industrial collaborators and departments, and they are encouraged to link

2 to the Platform website. Aarhus Kommune is interested in knowing when the website will be ready to be launched. When the website is ready for launching, a press release will be made and sent to e.g. Aarhus Kommune and Region Midtjylland. Side 2/5 Communication: The Q1 report was sent to Forskningsbåndet, but no feedback has been received. It was discussed how to get AU leadership more closely connected to the Platform, and it was agreed to invite Søren Frandsen to the meetings in the autumn. AU is interested in forming a strong platform, and a closer connection between the platform and AU leadership will support this. 3. Additional activities and updated links to AU FOOD PLATFORM The various activities linked to the platform will be visible on the website. 3a. Food Cluster A meeting on the Danish Food Cluster was held on 22 May with participation from small and large companies, Region Midtjylland, Agro Food Park, FFI and AU. AU was represented by FOOD, ANIS, DCA, MAPP and Ole Olsen. The workshop was to present the analysis of the food area in Region Midtjylland and discuss the potential of a food cluster to position the region and the food activities in Denmark in preparation for Horizon Region Midtjylland has invested in the cluster and will establish a secretariat headed by a cluster manager in Skejby to lead and profile the region, to attract funding, coordinate the interests of both small and large companies in the cluster and to support innovation. The report and the viability of the initiative were discussed. The report has a strong industrial focus, and it was agreed that more emphasis was needed on the health aspect and education. It was agreed that it is important AU is actively involved and is able to influence, support the initiative and set the agenda, e.g. by influencing the political system. The report showed that the region has a very strong food environment, and all the elements of a cluster already present. The Danish Government has made it clear that Region Midtjylland is a food environment stronghold, but the cluster will benefit from taking a Danish food cluster approach. The food cluster can from a good basis for the work in the Food KIC BOAs as they both aim at innovation. 2

3 Conclusion and action: MW advises Søren Madsen (Agro Food Park) that the AU FOOD PLATFORM and DCA will make a joint response to the report. MW/NH contacts Søren Frandsen to ask him to endorse the response from AU, to ensure there is an alignment in the position of AU and the Danish Food Cluster is acknowledged by the university management. The response will include a recommendation to establish a steering group with representation from AU to ensure focus on research, education and collaboration between industry and research. This will ensure it is an industry-driven initiative but with clear perspectives for AU. Input in bullet points with feedback on recommendations in the report (comments, gaps, positioning AU to contribute/strengthen the research, education and innovation contribution). Input to NH/MW no later than 20 June. MW will coordinate between Agro Food Park and DCA (NH). Side 3/5 3b. Food KIC After activities in the Food KIC for 1-2 years, the university management will focus on those of the 18 BOAs (Business Opportunity Areas) where AU has special capabilities and can play a major role. An AU Task Force has been established with the following members: Søren Frandsen, Henning Klarlund, Michelle Williams, Jan Ifversen (Arts), Niels Halberg, Klaus Grunert, Ole Steen Nielsen (Health). The KIC stands on three legs: Education, Innovation and Research, which fits nicely with the Food Cluster, etc. TTO will be involved regarding SME collaboration. Flemming K. Finck (AU Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation) and MW are much involved in the BOA work and content. It is a strength for AU that the AU effort is coordinated at a university level rather than at a faculty level. HK is developing a memorandum which will be dynamic. It will be uploaded to the AU FOOD PLATFORM website, and sent to the AU leadership. There are six regions in the FOOD KIC covering 12 countries in Europe, and one of them covers Denmark and Sweden (the Øresund Region). Bent Claudi Lassen is chairman of the ambassador corps for that region, and he is presently evaluating the industry commitment to the BOAs, and it has been quite positive. HK expects to have a clear picture of the key players in the DK/SE consortium by the end of June. It is possible that future activities will be divided between the regions based on capability and industry commitment. 3

4 EU also places a lot of emphasis on collaboration between the KICs. Side 4/5 The AU Taskforce will map AU education activities in relation to food and describe AU strengths and what we wish to strengthen. The education mapping can be used by the AU FOOD PLATFORM and to profile AU within food education. Efforts are made to establish a Bachelor programme in food, which will benefit the Master programme in food. Entrepreneurship is also asked for in the education programmes, and AU needs to focus on that. Industry collaboration depends on whether AU can provide the solutions they ask for. The KIC application deadline will be about 6 months after the call comes out, and successful applications will receive funding by the beginning of Then the next KIC round will begin for implementation 2017/18. Now is time for consolidation, positioning and seeking strategic partnerships. More information about KIC can be found on the AU FOOD PLATFORM website. 4. Priority discussion items IC FN&H KO presented the status for the description of Interdisciplinary Centre for Food, Nutrition and Health. The writing group members are Steen Brock, Klaus Grunert, Jette Feveile Young and Kim Overvad. It is unclear if the University leadership is revising the requirements for establishing Interdisciplinary Centres, but until further notice the writing group will follow the present guidelines. The starting point was the paper that existed when the AU FOOD PLATFORM was established. The writing group found that the Centre will live up to the required characteristics, e.g. synergy, interdisciplinarity, ability to attract large scale funding, etc. and suggested a virtual Centre. The next steps are to clarify procedure and timeline. The Steering Group discussed the description: The document starts out very broad and general, but gets very specific and detailed a balance is needed, suggest refocusing of the introduction. Is primary production part of this Centre, or should it have a Centre of its own? Does the leader of the Centre define the span of the Centre or vice versa? Can we help AU leadership define the requirements for future Interdisciplinary Centres by being pioneers? Maybe describe 2-3 subjects with synergy effects across AU Describe the output 4

5 KO and SB will present the feedback from the Steering Group to the writing group. They will draft a revised version for the next meeting on 11 September, after which time the Steering Group can give input before it is sent to the University leadership. Side 5/5 5. Discussion of action plan for delivering on TOR This item was not discussed. 6. Actions to be taken prior to and at the next meeting The next meeting is held on 11 September. Food KIC and Horizon 2020 will be fixed items on future agendas. 7. Other matters There were no other matters to discuss. 5