The main objective of ST(R)E(A)M IT is to initiate change about the persisting gender inequalities in STEM education, research, and innovation to contribute to the implementation of the ‘The European Manifesto for gender-inclusive STE(A)M education and careers.’ The envisioned aim of the project will be achieved by 1) empowering underrepresented groups in STEM, 2) piloting and fostering the integration of STEAM approaches in STEM education by synthesising previous knowledge and networks, 3) promoting gender-inclusive career paths and increasing the talent pipeline in the STEM fields together with the attractiveness of STEM careers, 4) supporting STEM education providers through knowledge sharing, capacity building to remove gender-based barriers including gender stereotypes in STEM education. By encouraging sustainable collaboration of STEM-oriented businesses, secondary and higher education institutions, research organisations, as well as informal science education establishments, NGOs, and civil society organisations, ST(R)E(A)M IT provides several tools for closing the existing gender gap in STEM education and career.

Sustain-a-bite has the ambition to develop innovative, affordable, energy and water efficient minimal processing solutions for plant-based ingredient and food production. The produced food prototypes will ensure maximal nutritional quality and health benefits, taking into account consumer perspectives. Our approach is to combine bioprocesses and non-thermal treatments that enable reduction of >30% energy and >50% water consumption, compared to highly processed plant-protein isolates. The technology concepts developed will reduce the consumer prices of plant-based foods by 25% compared to the commodity meat and dairy products making them more affordable. This novel co-(bio)processing concept will make a paradigm shift by disrupting the traditional plant ingredient processes, which generate substantial side-streams during production of highly refined isolates or concentrates. Sustain-a-bite food prototypes aim to diversify the use of plant ingredients in various forms, including liquids, semi-solids, and solids. This goes beyond addressing just the "protein challenge," as it utilizes the entire plant matrix to provide not only protein but also dietary fibre, essential minerals, antioxidants, and vitamins. This approach maximizes nutritional quality and offers associated health benefits. The minimal processing solutions developed in Sustain-a-bite will aim at tailoring the structural architecture of the raw materials towards reduced anti-nutritional factors, enhanced satiety, nutrient bio-accessibility, and sensory quality. We will evaluate the effect of processing on macro- and micronutrient bioavailability, protein, and starch digestibility as well as gut microbiome by developing improved realistic predictive in vitro models. Sustainability, health and economic impacts of minimal processing will be assessed both at the product and system scales.

The current food system is unsustainable and underperforming, having high environmental and socio-economic costs, while still failing to ensure food and nutrition equity for all. Dietary shifts towards novel foods based on alternative protein sources (NFAP; proteins derived from insect, fungi, bacteria, micro and macro algae and agriculture and aquaculture by-products), provide a unique opportunity to reduce consumption of animal-based proteins potentially minimizing the impact of the Food Systems. However, knowledge regarding the environmental, economic and social impact of the widespread production, provision and consumption of NFAP is very limited and not integrated into a holistic vision of the food system able to identify trade-offs, interaction between food system actors and second and third order impacts. The goal of EPIC-SHIFT is to provide an unprecedented, independent, solid knowledge base on the sustainability (env., eco. and soc.) aspects of NFAP as options for protein diversification for human consumption. Considering that the contribution of each NFAP types to reorganize the food systems may differ, EPIC-SHIFT applies a quadruple helix innovation model in its multi-actor approach to roadmap the sustainable development of NFAP for Planetary Health Diets. Designed as a think-tank and adopting Food Systems Thinking approach, EPIC-SHIFT will provide a multidimensional impact assessment of 7 NFAP (from protein type to product level) at scale complemented with the necessary recommendations for food environments, marketing, regulatory approval, infrastructure and investment needed to support long-term market growth. EPIC-SHIFT integrated scenario analysis will further result in decision support tools that will inform policy and decision-making about the trajectories to achieve the sustainable integration of NFAP in the EU diets ensuring resource efficiency, food security and nutrition within a framework of just transition for all food system actors.

The current food system is insufficient and unsustainable, generating 17% of the total GHG emissions for animal farming while only supplying 18% of the global calories and 37% of the global proteins. The cultured meat (CM) and cultured seafood (CSF) industry is emerging to meet the growing demand of protein with promises of lower environmental footprint. However, the current knowledge on the impact of this sector is limited, based on developments that have not happened yet and lacking important considerations such as its social impact or its adaptability to current and future demand. Current race-to-market pressures, fueled by recent market approvals overseas, highlight the need to define a roadmap that can develop the sector in an ethical, sustainable and cost-competitive way. This is a unique opportunity for an effective reorganisation of the food system to establish resilient value chains in the EU. Gathering a large set of independent food system actors, FEASTS will provide an unprecedented, unbiased and robust knowledge base for the assessment of the sustainability aspects of the CM/CSF sector by actively promoting multistakeholder engagement and co-creation activities grounded on transparent dialogue and open science practices. It will explore different production methods, product types, supply and value chains as well as business models to provide balanced solutions that are not only sustainable by design and cost-efficient, but also ethically responsible, safe and nutritious, fair and inclusive. FEASTS, designed as a think-tank, adopts a Food Systems Thinking approach and a multidimensional impact assessment including not only LCA, TEA and SLCA of CM/CSF products and their comparison to conventional counterparts but also systems dynamic modelling and integrated scenario analysis that will provide a decision support tool for informed policy- and decision-making in the EU.