Applicants for financial support in S3FOOD must have ideas that fit into at least one out of four thematic priorities, to be considered. The themes are listed below with a description of that each theme involve.

1: Sensors to monitor real time critical control parameters

In the food industry, there are still not suitable sensor systems commercially available for all quality characteristics within food processing. That is why, it is crucially important to develop new sensors that can ensure real time monitoring, to thus make sure the food producers are able to deliver the highest possible quality of food products during processing.

2: Sensor integration and implementation

To create optimal integrated solutions for the food industry, technology providers and digital solution providers should collaborate to develop smart systems based on demands from the food companies. These systems should be implemented in the production chain of food companies with the technology and solution providers actively involved to understand working conditions in the end market. Moreover, accreditation and certification are necessary together with a seamless transfer of data to and from the production- and quality monitoring system.

3: Smart data management – from data to information to action

Only by ordering, analysing, measuring, and adding context, data can be made into information and it is important to understand patterns in information to obtain knowledge. Knowledge differs from information as new knowledge can be created from existing knowledge by using logical inference. The knowledge can be used to make machines and processes ‘smart’, and implementation of big data and digitalisation can lead to systematic learning processes.

4: Connectivity in food companies and in the food value chain

The monitored and captured data from a machine or system is much more interesting when aggregated, compared or used with data from other different machines or plants. To exchange information and connect different data, the food processing industry needs to implement smart systems. On the other hand, digital solution providers need to spend time and resources on implementing security solutions and gain trust from companies in the food value chain to fill the current hole in data security in Cloud based systems.