Four universities, several research institutes and various companies from the food industry and trade work together towards one goal: to develop options and strategies that enable people to eat healthier at different stages of life. Since 2015, this Enable Cluster Funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). The cluster is now in its second funding phase, which runs until 2021. Food startups can also receive support here. We asked how exactly.
Please introduce yourselves briefly.
The Enable Cluster is one of four nutritional research clusters in Germany. Its goal is to enable healthy nutrition at all stages of life and to make convenience products healthier. From digital nutritionists, 3D-printed food for seniors, and fiber-enriched meatloaf rolls to research into marketing, stress, and metabotypes in infants and adults—there's something for every age.
To this end, a large interdisciplinary research network is collaborating with representatives from the food industry, trade, and retail. They are supported by the Enable office. There, we are a small but excellent team consisting of four powerful women who provide organizational and conceptual support to the cluster.
We offer startups in the fields of nutrition and health the opportunity to use the expertise of our researchers to further develop their products and ideas through the Enable innovation vouchers.
Building bridges between research and development
Specifically, this means that the startup cooperates with a scientific institution within the cluster and can benefit from its expertise. This could, for example, be a laboratory experiment, a target group analysis, or a digital solution.
What do you focus on when working with startups?
We want to build a bridge between research and development. Therefore, our focus is on scientific support for startups through the Enable innovation vouchers. We also offer regular seminars for startups on specific topics in the innovation field, such as health claims or Patents to.
To be successful, a food startup must…
… have a nose for the trends in the food scene, take your time when developing and prototyping the product, have strong partners at your side, understand the needs of the consumer and must not be afraid of failure.
Development of healthy products is a trend
What is the biggest mistake a food startup can make?
Bringing a product onto the market that is not scientifically based and therefore does not contribute to a healthier diet.
The trend of the year is…!
… and remains: (Back to the roots) – Healthy and at the same time delicious food.
What characteristics make the Munich startup scene so special?
Your diversity in terms of food startups: Many focus on developing healthy products, which we particularly like.
Last but not least: Who do startups approach when they want to talk to you?
Katharina Prummer heads the innovation office at Enable and looks forward to hearing from you.
