Spanish technology centre sniffs out trends from Japan, USA

By Jess Halliday

- Last updated on GMT

Related tags Food Innovation Japan

Four European research centres have launched a joint project to scope out global food trends and stimulate open innovation within the global food industry.

Marine and foodstuff research centre AZTI-Tecnalia Technology Centre has teamed up with Mondragon Innovation and Knowledge to carry out competitive monitoring of trends around the globe, supported by the Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology and with the collaboration of the IRTA technology centre and the Basque Culinary Center.

The project involves sending a ‘Food Trend Trotter’ to different countries to draw up a protocol for monitoring trends at street level, which will be used by AZTI-Technalia, a not-for-profit technology centre in Spain, to generate ideas and information that can be used to generate new food and beverage product concepts.

Trends on the radar include shopping habits, food preparation and consumption, cultural, social and demographic aspects that influence consumption; food packaging; and ingredients for food and drinks products. In addition the project will study innovative aspects at sales outlets, marketing and the advertising of food products.

Japan and USA first

The first food trend trotter was already embarked on his first voyage. Engineer Asier Lopez is spending two months in Japan and the USA, carrying out systematic and organised tasks of observation, and gathering, analysis, dissemination and retrieval of relevant information. His brief is to bring back knowledge on: food and health, food safety, sustainability, and new technologies applied to the food industry.

His findings will be made public on social networking sites such as Facebook and YouTube, and also on the website www.foodtrendtrotters.com​.

The centre decided to send Lopez to Japan and the USA first as these two countries are regarded as some of the most dynamic. Japan is renowned as the birthplace of trends that slowly make their way to the Western market over a matter of years, whereas the USA is a highly consumerist and multicultural society.

More destinations are planned, especially in pioneering or emerging regions that are leading the way in food innovation.

Related topics Market Trends

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