Researchers at Chalmers and RISE have received 8 million SEK from the Environment and Regional Development Board in the Västra Götaland Region (VGR) to establish food in the emerging life science environment at GoCo Health Innovation City in Mölndal.
"By gathering different actors within food at GoCo and creating a shared and concrete vision around the dietary changes that need to be implemented, we are one step closer to sustainable and healthy eating habits within the region," says Rikard Landberg, Professor of Food and Nutrition Science at Chalmers.
The project that receives funding from VGR is linked to a large European research project, SWITCH, where Chalmers, together with RISE, has built a collaborative Food hub – which now will be located at GoCo.
Within SWITCH, researchers are defining a common European sustainable and healthy diet and creating clear goals for necessary changes in consumption based on regional conditions. Together with the Swedish Food Hub's 60 different actors, Chalmers and RISE develops activities to achieve the goals. Chalmers will perform a large dietary intervention study to evaluate how the new “SWITCH diet” affects health and sustainability in different socioeconomic groups.
"This is a new and exciting way of working where we add a mission-driven approach in addition to research, innovation and education," says Malin Barman, senior researcher and project manager for SWITCH at Chalmers.
To achieve the goals of healthy and sustainable consumption, the project focuses on three essential food groups: whole grains, sustainable seafood, and plant-based food. One example of collaboration within the food hub that the VGR-funded project will boost is the close collaboration with Fullkornsfrämjandet, a public-private partnership with authorities, NGOs, universities, and food companies.
Read more about SWITCH at RISE's website
Read the pressrelease from VGR (in Swedish).
Contact
- Senior Researcher, Food and Nutrition Science, Life Sciences
- Full Professor, Food and Nutrition Science, Life Sciences