Swiss Food & Nutrition Valley

Imagining the Packaging of the Future: Sustainable Solutions Unwrapped 1.0
2024-06-11 09:30 - 15:00 (Europe/Zurich) | BERNEXPO AG, Mingerstrasse 6, Bern, Bern, 3000, Switzerland
The Valley’s State of Play events bring together the Swiss food innovation ecosystem to explore the opportunities related to key Impact Platform topics. This time, together with Valley partners Nestlé and Tetra Pak, we’ll be taking a deep dive into the world of sustainable materials for packaging.
The issue
Since 2015, the global population has increased by 10%, while the global economy has consumed 70% more materials than what the planet can replenish. As little as 8.6% of materials abstracted are currently repurposed. A shift from the current model – “take-make-waste” – to a circular economy is needed to tackle climate change, biodiversity loss, waste and pollution.
The opportunity
Sustainable packaging is a multifaceted opportunity for a more sustainable food system with various environmental, social, and economic dimensions. It involves knowledge sharing and collaboration among different stakeholders, including manufacturers, retailers, consumers, and policymakers, to work towards reducing the overall environmental impact of packaging materials and processes.
Why you should join us
This event will take a deep dive into the world of sustainable materials for packaging, exploring current innovations in alternatives to wood fibres for paper substrates and high-performing bio-based polymers, enabling knowledge sharing and networking, and identifying the most promising business opportunities and areas for collaboration between ecosystem actors. It will also bring together leading Swiss and EU experts and Swiss and international startups who will pitch during the event.

The Agenda
09:30 Coffee & Networking
10:00 Welcome & Desired OutcomesFood packaging, planetary boundaries and Switzerland’s roleChristina Senn-Jakobsen, CEO – Swiss Food & Nutrition Valley
10:10 State of Play of Sustainable Packaging Trends & Challenges, Q&AFelix Grünewald, Partner, McKinsey
10:50 Overview of Research & Innovation in Packaging & Sustainable Materials; Q&A
Alternative Fibres
Nanocellulose from residual biomass for food packaging applicationDr. Gilberto Siqueira, Research Scientist, Empa
Alternative high-performing bio-based polymers
Side streams of agri-food Industry as an alternative packaging materialProf. Dr. Selçuk Yildirim, ZHAW School of Life Sciences and Facility Management, Centre for Food Production and Packaging
11:20 Break: Coffee to go
11:30 The EU Policy & Regulatory Context: the “Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation” : what implications?; Q&AHazel O’Keeffe, Partner, Keller and Heckman LLP
12:10 Swiss Food & Nutrition Valley Partners: “Sustainable Packaging: the way ahead”Ingemar Jacobsson, Director Material Solutions, Development & Technology, Tetra PakRob Hoitink, R&D Packaging Lead, Nestlé
12:30 Lunch & poster session for startups & academic innovation
13:30 Focus on solutions – Introduction
Christina Senn-Jakobsen, CEO, Swiss Food & Nutrition Valley
13:35 “Modification of Polymers for High Performance Sustainable Plastics Solutions” (10’)
Prof. Holger Frauenrath, Laboratory of Macromolecular and Organic Materials (LMOM), Institute of Materials (IMX) at EPFL
13:45 “Recent advances in R&D&I to further drive the implementations toward a bioeconomy”
Prof. Tomas Anderson, Head of Key Accounts, RISE
13:55 Q&A
14:05 Pitches from start-ups
14:40 Interactive session
15:00 Open mic discussion from all groups
15:15 Final remarks, lessons learnt & next steps
Ingemar Jacobsson, Director Material Solutions, Development & Technology, Tetra Pak
Rob Hoitink, R&D Packaging Lead, Nestlé
Christina Senn-Jakobsen, CEO – Swiss Food & Nutrition Valley
15:30 End
With support from : Bern Economic Development Agency
GETTING THERE:
BERNEXPO, Entrance A
See general map of the venue and more specific details to access Entrance A and Parking
For those arriving by car : parking rates are: first hour CHF 4.00, CHF 2.00 per additional 30 minutes. daily maximum for 24 hours CHF 38.00
For those arriving by train/tramt the nearest station is Wankdorf Center (3 min walk)

Walking the Valley: Meet the Swiss Food Ecosystem - For International Startups
2024-06-12 09:30 - 13:30 | Impact Hub Lausanne, Beaulieu Circulaire, Av. Bergières 10, Lausanne, 1004, Switzerland
Swiss Food & Nutrition Valley’s (SFNV) “Walking the Valley: Meet the Swiss Food Ecosystem” is an official side event of the Hack Summit for international startups. In its third edition, our goal is to introduce the attending international startups to key actors of the Swiss Food Ecosystem that comprise the Swiss Food & Nutrition Valley. Swiss startups will also share their experience with building a business in Switzerland. To get an idea of the energy in the room, watch the highlight film by clicking the link here.
This event is for international startups that want to meet Swiss food ecosystem players from corporations like Nestlé, dsm-firmenich, Givaudan, ADM, Tetra Pak; with SMEs like Agilery and Fredag; through innovation enablers like MassChallenge and Kickstart Innovation; to governmental representatives like Canton Vaud and Canton Fribourg. You will also hear from Swiss startups about their experience in building a business in Switzerland.
REGISTER
All registrations will be reviewed and confirmations sent accordingly. This event has limited seats so we welcome a maximum of 2 persons per organisation.
Agenda
09:30 – 10:00 Coffee meet & greet
10:00 – 10:15 Welcome & overview by Christina Senn-Jakobsen, SFNV CEO & Katarzyna Winek, Head of Innovation Scaling and Global Engagement
10:15 – 10:30 In the hiking boots of Swiss startups: Q&A with Swiss startups
10:30 – 11:00 Global startups 1 min powerpitches & group picture
11:00 – 12:15 Walking the Valley: Speed dating with Swiss Ecosystem Players: Government, Large Enterprises, Investors, SME’s & Innovation Enablers
12:15 – 13:15 Innovation Lunch & Networking

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Investing in the Valley: Meet the Swiss FoodTech Startups – For Investors
2024-06-12 14:30 - 17:30 | Impact Hub Lausanne, Beaulieu Circulaire, Av. Bergières 10, Lausanne, 1004, Switzerland
Com CiSwiss Food & Nutrition Valley’s (SFNV) “Investing in the Valley” is an official side event of the Hack Summit. This year will be its first edition and the goal is to introduce investors to Swiss FoodTech startups.
REGISTER
​“Investing in the Valley” is for Investors that want to get inspired, network and meet Swiss FoodTech startups that are open for investments.
​Agenda
​14:30-15:00 Meet & greet coffee, discover startups at their booths
​15:00-15:30 Fireside chat: Investing in Swiss FoodTech
​15:30-16:30 Meet the Swiss FoodTech startups (pitches & demos):

​ALLSUPPS: Game changing supplements
​Actidot: Swiss recovery drink
​Luya: Plant-based meat from fermented okara
​KONOÏ: Nutritious products from hemp
​Nuuro: Personal AI nutritionist
​Sallea: Edible scaffolds for cultivated meat
​Emotion Food Company: Tools for people suffering from chewing disorders
​Voltiris: Solar modules for greenhouses
​Gamaya: Digital agronomy solutions
​ProSeed: Raw materials from upcycled by-products
​Kidemis: Sustainable alternative to fishmeal and fish oil
​Verto: Transparent marketplace for commodity products

​16:30-17:30 Apéro & networking
​17:30 Event ends
Don’t miss our quarterly updates of Valley startups seeking investment to scale their innovative solutions by registering here.

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