Find Global connections

International network

Foodvalley NL boasts a large international network and has an enormous amount of experience in transforming the food system. Foodvalley NL has been active for almost twenty years, connecting partners, resources and facilities from all over the world. Using our global experience and international connections to accelerate innovation through collaborative projects: we are here to help you find the right business partners.

Build up your international network using our tailor-made advice and matchmaking skills. We provide a global platform for large corporations, SMEs and start-ups alike. Connect with new partners in our international network of companies and organisations: join the Foodvalley member network.

Global issues, global solutions

From an increase in lifestyle diseases to the need for sustainable food, many of today’s issues are global issues. And as the issues are global, so are the solutions. Find those international connections to help your organisation innovate faster. Improve the ecosystem with groundbreaking solutions that lead to structural changes in the food system.

Ambition

The main focus of Global connections:

• finding relevant partners
• accelerating innovation through international cooperation
• facilitating international interaction and global innovation.

Key activities

We invite international partners to join us in innovation programmes, projects and services.

• Food Innovation Hub Europe, strategic partnership with the World Economic Forum network of global food innovation hubs. The aim is to connect parties that have a need for innovation with parties that can provide solutions.
• What Design Can Do – No Waste challenge. Foodvalley connects the design sector with the food sector and continues to work on international cooperation in this field.
• Go4Export, a programme that helps Dutch companies to expand internationally.
• CO-FRESH is a multistakeholder partnership including 26 partners from 10 European countries.
• Global FOODture Global FOODture is a project designed to boost the sustainable transition of the food system worldwide through collaboration and innovation.
• Peer to peer learning for financing innovation in the food & bioeconomy. Foodvalley NL participates together with 4 other European partners in the project P2P FINBIO, to improve the access to funding for bio-based SMEs.
• Establish your company in the Netherlands. The level of both the expertise and the cooperation in the Netherlands is very high, making for an inspirational environment for innovation. Non-Dutch companies that want to settle in the Netherlands can turn to the Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency (NFIA) and OostNL for support. Contact Jeroen Wouters for guidance.

Participate now

• Put your business on a global stage
• Connect internationally, meet innovators, partners, investors
• Be the first to hear about the latest developments
• Be inspired, learn about best practice at an international scale
• Participate in collaborative innovation projects
• Global connections, participate in international activities and events

What our members say

‘After setting up a branch in the Netherlands, we became part of the Foodvalley network. By being part of Foodvalley, we can scout for innovative solutions.’

‘As an international research organisation, we joined Foodvalley to find partners to work on innovative projects.’

‘We recently obtained a facility in The Netherlands and are looking for more insights into food innovation, that is why we joined the Foodvalley network!’

‘We found an innovative ingredient for positive reformulation and joined Foodvalley to find partners for co-developement. Currently we are talking this through with another Foodvalley member!’

Contact

Want to know more about Global connections and what we can do for you? Contact Jeroen at Jeroen.Wouters@foodvalley.nl or +31 6 120 729 97.

Jeroen Wouters: experience and passion

Jeroen has earned his degree in food microbiology at Wageningen University & Research. This is where he found his true passion: to take scientific discoveries and make those available to all. He started his professional career working for NIZO, where he filled a number of international positions. His work always revolved, inevitably, around the same themes though: technology, food, taste and health. Another recurring theme was the necessity to bring together different parties and have them cooperate in order to achieve innovation and growth.

As of 2014, Jeroen is devoting his skills, experience and sizeable network to the success of Foodvalley NL. Jeroen also holds a position at the Dutch Olympic training facilities at Papendal. He is the innovation manager for sport and nutrition. This is a specific interest of Jeroen’s: the combination of sports and food. “Connecting people and organisations that truly complement each other”, that about sums up Jeroen’s daily challenge and joy. He is dedicated to putting science into practice.