“Join us in the fight against food loss and waste based on quality data!”

This sums up the idea and the spirit behind the ZeroW project in its efforts find new ways to reduce FLW through real-life systemic innovation labs.

And the same spirit was evident when ZeroW partners met up in Brussels on 26 and 27 June to share results and progress in the project.

• The project is in great shape and surpassing expectations by meeting contractual requirements ahead of schedule. 
   
• The project has made an immense progress in the development of the FLW macro-economic model.
   
• The first version of our 0FLW dataspace, aligned with other EU dataspace initiatives, has been launched and is operational a staggering 4 months earlier than planned.
   
• The project's big data infrastructural services are up and running and are actively used.
   
• The software applications, machine learning algorithms, and AI services development are on schedule, developed in collaboration with ZeroW Systemic innovations living labs.
   
• Living labs have been established and are currently running the first tests in our evaluation round 1 (out of 3). 
   
• A methodology for the impact assessment of SILLs work has been developed, and baseline data has been collected. 
   
• The execution of the first steps of the plan for scaling up the innovative solutions developed in the SILLs has begun.
   
• We are well on our way to developing a "just" transition pathway towards zero FLW, with established working groups focusing on Policy, Innovation, and Consumer topics.
   
• Active exchange of best practices and lessons learned with ZeroW sister projects and relevant initiatives continues, as we maintain a strong relationship with EC services and participate in the #GreenDeal Support Office (GD-SO) initiatives and activities.
   
• The project is diligently working on sustainable exploitation of the innovations, conducting detailed market analyses and developing successful business models, including intellectual property rights protection.
   
• The Dissemination and Communication plan is on track, and progress and successes are shared far and wide.

For many of the partners, this was the first opportunity to meet in person after working together for almost 18 months.

Participants were excited to meet off-screen and to continue the cooperation on data-driven innovation to reduce food loss and waste.

See pictures from the partner meeting below.