EV-ILVO: Presentation and role in the project

EV-ILVO  was created within the Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Research (ILVO) and it is experienced in scientific research. ILVO is an internal independent agency from the Flemish Government, located in the vicinity of Ghent in Belgium. ILVO and EV-ILVO are 2 separate legal entities, but operate in practice as 1 institute (ILVO), with the same director and same address. The institute employs around 600 people, of which 50 % are researchers. EV-ILVO performs multidisciplinary, innovative and independent research aimed at economically, ecologically and socially sustainable agriculture and fisheries in a from farm to fork approach. Through this research, EV-ILVO accumulates fundamental and applied knowledge which is vital for the improvement of products and production methods, for quality control and the safety of end products, and for the improvement of policy instruments as a foundation for sector development and agricultural policy for rural areas.

The Food Pilot (www.foodpilot.be) is embedded in this research institute and is a living lab in the context of research and service activities. These activities consist out of pilot tests on semi-industrial scale, laboratory analysis and individual support based on our specific expertise. Co-creations are performed with real-life experimentations in cooperation with universities, other research institutes, SME’s and multinationals during innovation projects in different subsectors of the food industry. With our Food Pilot we are currently active in 49 running projects at regional (VLAIO), national (FWO, FOD) & international level (EFRO, H2020, ERA-NETs, JPIs, Interreg…) and perform yearly about 23.000 analysis, 350 pilot tests and more than 100 advisory actions.