Effium (Netherlands), the foodtech startup specializing in the design and manufacture of high-performance frying pans for gas stoves, with a focus on innovation and sustainability, has been named the winner of the second stop of Culinary Action! On The Road, held in Rotterdam. This international entrepreneurship program for foodtech startups was organized in partnership with local partner, together with the local partner Cambridge Innovation Center (CIC) through its headquarters in Rotterdam.

Asier Alea, Director of Global Development at Basque Culinary Center, and Joyce Kornet-Vreugdenhil, General Manager at CIC Rotterdam, opened the event. "The On The Road competition was established with the goal of connecting and engaging with entrepreneurs and experts from various ecosystems. Throughout these four editions, we have successfully built a community that fosters the exchange of ideas, mutual support, and collaboration among professionals, driving innovation and growth in the foodtech sector" Alea remarked.

“What you grow matters”, stated Thomas Uljee, co-founder of Tomasu, an artisanal soy sauce startup, during his presentation titled 'Food Tech Scene in Rotterdam.' Uljee shared with the audience the origins and evolution of his project, as well as the challenges and key factors contributing to Tomasu's success.

Next, Raquel Martin, project manager at GOe–Gastronomy Open Ecosystem, detailed the key components of the Basque Culinary Center's strategic project: a unique open ecosystem that serves as an innovation hub accessible to the public, fostering collaboration among students, entrepreneurs, researchers, businesses, and the community.

Renate Jacobs from Unilever, Maria Tapia, Managing Partner at Earthstar Investments, Martijn van Vliet, chef responsible for the Culinary Community at Sodexo, and Moayad Abushokhedim, CEO of Fooditive Group, participated in a roundtable discussion titled 'Sustainability in FoodTech.' During this session, they explored topics such as generating synergies and connections among industry professionals to strengthen the community and shape the future.

The event attracted a diverse mix of industry professionals, ranging from entrepreneurs and investors to agritech specialists. The participating startups—–Effium, MUCHgroup, Agriknow and Ingredy–—presented their projects to a panel of experts, which included Asier Alea, Director of Global Development at the Basque Culinary Center; Leslie Vreugdenhil, Director of Giraffe Coffee Roasters; Martijn van Vliet, Head Chef of Sodexo’s Culinary Community; and Yasmina Khababi, Director of Freshtable.

“It is often said that cooking does not begin when the fire is lit, but when the producer plants the seed; and this is already changing with the advent of artificial intelligence,” began Eneko Axpe, a physicist PhD and collaborator at Basque Culinary Center, during his presentation titled “AI, from Farm to Fork” Axpe explained that artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing gastronomy by enabling detailed mapping of various regions, which facilitates crop optimization. Furthermore, AI enhances the genetics of certain foods, making them more resistant to pests and climate change. A particularly innovative aspect of this technology is its application in the kitchen, where chefs utilize it to create cutting-edge dishes. In this way, AI not only influences the design of flavors and textures but also optimizes food distribution, redefining our relationship with gastronomy

Lastly, Oihane González, a project technician at Hazi Fundazioa, delivered a presentation on the Basque Country's foodtech ecosystem, titled "Basque Country Ecosystem." She highlighted the region's food value chain and emphasized its well-coordinated ecosystem, which offers numerous opportunities for companies participating in the "Culinary On The Road!" program that are looking to establish themselves in the area. These opportunities include support programs, access to specialized talent, and a strong commitment to reinforcing Euskadi’s position as a leading Culinary Nation.

The next competitions will take place on November 6 in Tokyo, November 19 in Bahrain, February 2025 in London, and at the end of March 2025 in Boston. The startups winning at each local event will have the opportunity to work on research and innovation projects for 20 hours at BCC Innovation, the gastronomic technology center of Basque Culinary Center. Additionally, during this time, startups will have access to the network of experts and mentors within Basque Culinary Center and GOe ecosystem and will receive support in various areas, such as access to the center's investor network, local networking, and landing support in the local ecosystem.

Finally, the six local finalist startups will compete in a grand final to be held in April 2025 in Donostia-San Sebastián, where the overall winner of the fourth edition of "On The Road" will be chosen. The winner will receive six months of residence in the startup incubator and an additional voucher for 25 hours for research and innovation projects at the gastronomic technology center.