Over the recent years it has become clear that an essential requisite for future growth and competitiveness in the European agro-food industry are not only the investments in global network of commodities and distribution channels but also to extend the paradigm of sustainability in the food processing from the big corporations to the SMEs. This aspect is particularly important in the energy sector: agro-food industries are among the major consumers of energy to transform, warm and cool food and it always consumes energy to store the final products. SMEs are often reluctant to change production behaviours due to limited financing and information on the most fitting technologies, as well as the knowledge gap of potential benefits without affecting the quality of their final products.

The main objective of SINERGIA is to promote the technology transfer to the SMEs in the agro-food industry in order to:

1. identify innovative processes to address energy efficiency patterns in the productive chain;

2. guarantee a wide replication of the technological solutions for energy saving and CO2 reduction in the involved MED regions and;

3. strengthen the competitiveness of the agro-food industry in Mediterranean and global markets.

SINERGIA analyses the market barriers in 7 Mediterranean regions and, following a screening on 50 SMEs, it delivers a web tools for the simulations of major energy efficiency scenarios and for the Life Cycle Cost Analysis. The technology transfer is fostered through the empowerment of local help-desks addressing eco-innovation, capacity buildings and communications measures. A final protocol proposes a macro-regional alliance for the MED area in line with the objectives of the EU Flagship initiatives for the sustainable growth to 2020 and to ultimately integrate the SINERGIA project vision in the European Technology Platform Food for Life.

For more information, please visit the project website www.sinergia-med.eu or contact Tina Buh at the Chamber of Agricultural and Food Enterprises.