In the FINAL EDITION of our three-part blog series on collaboration, SecureFood partners outline their visions for the ambitious project

IRIS

At IRIS Technology Solutions, in the frame of the SECUREFOOD project we are leading the development of a Digital Twin (DT), a dynamic platform designed to strengthen resilience across complex food supply chains. Unlike traditional monitoring tools, the DT does not rely on unified real-world data — a major challenge in the food sector due to the large number of stakeholders, fragmented sources, and the lack of an end-to-end tracking system. Available data are often heterogeneous, non-standardized, and vary widely in format and scope, making integration and predictive analysis particularly complex. To overcome this, the DT leverages existing sector indicators — such as consumption indexes, product prices, meteorological data, and incident reports (among others) — to develop predictive models that assess vulnerabilities, evaluate risks, and simulate “what-if” scenarios.

Developing a DT for the food supply chain is particularly challenging due to the complexity and fragmentation of the sector. However, through close collaboration with other SecureFood partners, we are integrating advanced analytics, risk assessment models, and machine learning-based disruption prediction into a single, cohesive digital system. By combining available data in innovative ways, we aim to anticipate disruptions, optimize response strategies, and actively contribute to achieving SecureFood’s goals.

By fostering collaboration and leveraging cutting-edge digital technologies, the SecureFood digital ecosystem is paving the way for a more resilient, transparent, and secure global food supply chain.

INNOV

Within the SecureFood project, INNOV is developing a trustworthy digital platform to enhance structured communication and collaboration among key food system actors. This Information Exchange Platform serves as a secure mechanism for sharing knowledge, best practices, and critical updates related to food security. Going beyond traditional information-sharing tools, it facilitates structured stock reporting, allowing food actors to input and access data on commodity availability. This information is shared not only among (inter)dependent stakeholders within the food supply chain, but also with governmental bodies and competent authorities, providing them with a clear, up-to-date overview of essential food commodities at both national and European levels.

A critical component of the platform is its incident reporting functionality, which empowers food operators to notify public authorities and relevant parties about incidents—such as contamination, cyberattacks, or supply disruptions—that may threaten food security. Built on a standards-based architecture using the Web3js library and blockchain technology, the platform implements a Proof-of-Authority (PoA) consensus model. This ensures that only authorized nodes can exchange data, thereby reinforcing trust, data integrity, accountability, and confidentiality. By fostering trusted relationships across the food sector, the platform plays a foundational role in supporting the resilience, traceability, and coordinated crisis response at the core of the SecureFood project.

CARR

At Carr Communications, we believe that communication shouldn’t just be an add-on to research, but a core driver of real-world impact for the project. As leaders of Work Package 8, our role in SecureFood is to ensure that the project’s insights, innovations, and tools don’t stay within research silos, but reach the people who can use them: policymakers, farmers, food businesses, educators, the public, and more.

With SecureFood, we are working to bring together storytelling, strategy, and stakeholder engagement to translate complex research into action and the implementation of a dynamic multi-channel dissemination strategy that is tailored to diverse audiences across Europe. We’re supporting everything from social media and media outreach to stakeholder liaison, clustering activities, educational outreach, and event planning.

Looking ahead, our hope is that SecureFood becomes a model of what effective, accessible science communication looks like in the food resilience space. We want this project to resonate beyond the consortium; to spark dialogue, inform decision-making, and build momentum for stronger, smarter, more connected food systems in Europe and beyond.

BUILDING TOMORROW’S FOOD SECURITY TODAY

As the work of SecureFood progresses in its second year, these complementary innovations – the predictive Digital Twin, the secure Information Exchange Platform, and the strategic communication approach – represent the project’s holistic vision for European food security.

In SecureFood, an integrated ecosystem is implemented where data becomes insight, insight becomes action, and action builds resilience. By connecting stakeholders across the entire food supply chain through both technological solutions and meaningful engagement, SecureFood isn’t just researching food security challenges, but actively building the collaborative infrastructure needed to address them.

The true measure of our success will ultimately be a more robust, responsive, and resilient European food system capable of withstanding future disruptions while ensuring safe, sustainable food for all.