NutriEV project at the EIC Pathfinder Precision Nutrition Challenge portfolio meeting in Brussels
In February 2025, members of the NutriEV Project team —Seppo Vainio (University of Oulu), Gabriella Pocsfalvi (Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche – CNR), and Michael Hust (Technische Universität Braunschweig)— attended the first face-to-face EIC Pathfinder portfolio meeting for the Precision Nutrition Challenge in Brussels.
The meeting brought together eight research consortia selected under the 2023 EIC Pathfinder challenge call, Precision Nutrition. It was organized and led by EIC Programme Manager for Food Chain Technologies & Novel Sustainable Food, Ivan Stefanic, along with Johannes Bünz, Project Officer in the Programme Managers’ Office.
The goal was to foster collaboration, facilitate data sharing, and create value by strengthening synergies among the participating teams—with a strong emphasis on entrepreneurship.
The portfolio approach will integrate all teams, with EU funding in place to enhance cooperation, drive innovation, and increase impact. A key focus is translating research outcomes into real-world applications for society and the market. The European Commission (EC) also offers additional support for start-ups through initiatives such as the EIC Accelerator.
The EIC Pathfinder Challenge, a funding initiative by the European Innovation Council (EIC), supports multidisciplinary research to tackle global health challenges. In the field of Precision Nutrition, the initiative seeks to refine dietary guidelines by incorporating research on nutrition, the human gut microbiome, and glycans. Current dietary recommendations often overlook factors like age, gender, genetics, and predisposition to food-related health conditions. By studying the interactions between diet, the microbiome, and glycans, researchers aim to develop personalized dietary recommendations to support health and prevent disease. NutriEV is one of the projects contributing to this effort.
The event provided a platform to exchange knowledge, collaborate, and discuss advancements in precision nutrition technologies and strategies. It also emphasized the role of entrepreneurship and innovation in bringing research to market, either through start-ups or by integrating new technologies into existing companies, some of which are direct project partners.
NutriEV is eager to collaborate with other projects in the Precision Nutrition Challenge Portfolio, including Bugs4Urate, DiBaN, FIBRE-MATCH, GLUCOTYPES, InteractHoMiG, MENTORING, and NUTRIMMUNE. These partnerships aim to enhance food quality, promote healthy nutrition, address chronic health conditions, and support economic growth through innovative solutions.
During the meeting, the portfolio governance structure was established. NutriEV will be represented by Seppo Vainio in the portfolio steering committee, and four working groups were formed: Technological Synergies, Regulatory Activities & Clinical Trials, Business Development, and Communication & Dissemination, with delegates from each Precision Nutrition project.
Insights from the meeting will guide the next phases of NutriEV’s research. The discussions and collaborations fostered during the event will help shape more personalized dietary recommendations. Moving forward, NutriEV and its partners will continue exploring ways to improve nutrition strategies, ultimately contributing to better health outcomes. The work under the EIC Pathfinder Precision Nutrition Challenge is expected to advance the understanding of diet’s role in health and chronic disease management.
