Since the very start, the R&I Department has collaborated with numerous start-ups, in particular of foodtech and agritech, especially based in Europe and Israel, but also in North America and worldwide. The first form of structured collaboration saw Cereal Docks as a founding member, along with Amadori, Finiper and Digital Magics, of the Food Tech Accelerator coordinated by Deloitte Officine Innovazione. Nowadays, collaboration with startups takes place through the internal investment fund, called Corporate Venture Capital (CVC): Grey Silo Ventures. The scientific/technical and managerial expertise of the R&I Department is fully integrated with the Board of Grey Silo Ventures.
Academic and industrial research collaborations
The scientific research activity is based on the creation of collaboration networks with several Italian players in the academic and industrial areas. Over the years, collaborations with Universities and the research centres have increased, also thanks to taking part in several research tenders.
PhD for Innovation
Project coordinated by the Italian institute of high PhD training, SISSA, together with Sant’Anna di Pisa and IUSS Pavia. PhD for Innovation envisaged collaboration with multidisciplinary teams of PhD students who worked at a “challenge” on a subject of interest to the company, considering sustainability and product enhancement.
Fondazione Cariverona Tender
Tender financed by Fondazione Cariverona, that Cereal Docks took part in with the project “Renewable proteins from by-products of the processing of oilseeds” to add value to soy seed and rapeseed, in collaboration with the Libera Università of Bolzano.
POR F.A.&A.F. Tender
Together with several academic and industrial structures, Cereal Docks took part in the regional tender POR FESR 2014-2020 “Agriculture of the future and functional foods: a challenge for research and revitalization of the Venetian territory”, in the partnership promoted by the innovative regional network RIBES-Nest.
Contamination Lab
The Contamination Lab involves university students, new graduates and those attending or who have just finished a research PhD at Padua University. Participants, divided into multidisciplinary teams, collaborate with teachers and experts during the six-month project, to respond to a company challenge.
Innovative Regional Network RIBES-Nest
Cereal Docks is a member of RIBES-Nest, one of the main innovative regional networks active in the Veneto region. It includes 46 companies in the agrifood, agroindustry, diagnostics/prevention and health/wellness sectors; 5 research bodies and a business school. Altogether, the network companies have a turnover of more than 8.5 billion with more than 12,000 operators.