The month of November began with a bang for FoodTech: FoodUseTech, France’s first FoodTech and AgTech trade event took place in Dijon on November 2nd and 3rd. What were the takeaways from this event? First of all, a sense of the French FoodTech scene, supported by industry and authorities. What other news did we glean from the web this month? Blockchain, e-commerce, AgTech and startup advicfe… An overview of the FoodTech web that you will find below to prepare you for AcceleRise call for applications that begins on November 27th. (And on this subject, AcceleRise has another surprise up its sleeve.. stay tuned on November 24th to find out more).

 

 

 

FoodUseTech, taking place last November 2-3 made quite a splash. A satisfying glimpse of the dynamic of FoodTech startups seeking support and leadership in Europe. Several of our startups, members of Vitagora or candidates of AcceleRise were showcased. 
A winning bet for the first edition of  Food Use Tech! (in French) 

 

 

 

FoodTech also includes the areas of production, especially food manufacturing 4.0. What does that mean, According to Emmanuel Duchesne, ATOL BEDI digital project leader, it is a factory “where the various organs are connected by digital technologies.” (interview to read here, in French). First advantage? Blockchain, a technology that will allow us to follow in real time each step in the life of a product, from agricultural production to the supermarket shelf. An emerging concept with enormous potential for the food sector.

 

 

 

The speakers at FoodUseTech, in particular Leon Dreimann, CEO of Greystone Brands, returned several times to the question of RetailTech: what can FoodTech offer the area of traditional food retail? For Leon Dreimann, we are only at the beginning of a long and profound transformation of the retail sector, that is not caused only by E-commerce but also by an upending of the value chain, from the growth of local retailers etc. However, despite the boom of retail tech, the unresolved issues of the ‘final kilometer’ that plagues the food sector constrains even the most high-performance e-retailers to suspend their delivery services. 

 

 

 

“Digital is opening new considerabl new possibilities, such as how mechanisation revolutionised agriculture in the 1950s.” According to Hervé Pillaud, interviewed on a French website, farmers need to integrate new technologies: not only in order to stay competitive, but also as an open for the enormous opportunities of data collection and analysis. If some AgTech success stories remain at an anecdotal level, the momentum appears to be growing to use these technologies to make agriculture more sustainable and productive.

 

 

 

Start-uppers, don’t leave without reading this section. Your questions and daily challenges are the subject of various online answers that we have collated for you. Take a step back from the grindstone and take in some light reading (or for any other questions, contact me by email: claire.maugras@vitagora.com or sign up for our newsletter) :