FFoQSI takes off with new research programme!

Review: FFoQSI COMET-Kick-Off

15 May 2025: The COMET Centre ‘Austrian Competence Centre Feed and Food Quality, Safety and Innovation’ (FFoQSI) is celebrating the launch of its new research programme today.

FFoQSI (pronounced ‘Foxi’) celebrates the start of its new research period with a successful kick-off event. In 2024, the expert jury of the Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG) approved a total volume of € 19.4 million for a four-year research programme in the field of feed and food as part of the COMET competence centres programme. € 10.2 million of this is public funding provided by the federal government (via the FFG) and the federal states of Lower Austria, Upper Austria and Vienna.

FFoQSI stands for excellent research and development for future food systems. To this end, the expertise of renowned Austrian research institutions and international experts is combined with the know-how of technology-oriented companies from Austria and abroad.

Innovative approaches to tackling the pressing challenges in the area of feed and food production are being developed through in-house development or joint utilisation of the latest technologies. ‘The pressure to adapt our food system is high. We are working on innovative technologies to prevent crop failures and spoilage in crop production, but also to improve livestock health. We increase the crisis safety of food companies through improved food hygiene and combine this with aspects of sustainability and the circular economy,’ says Prof Dr Martin Wagner, Scientific Director of FFoQSI.

‘We are particularly proud of the opening of our new research area ‘Digital Transformations of Food Supply Chains’. Our aim here is to optimise data flows and decisions in order to respond to disruptions, mitigate potential damage, exploit opportunities and manage the consequences of change,’ adds Dr Jürgen Marchart, Managing Director of FFoQSI.

FFoQSI partners and employees met at today's kick-off ceremony to ring in the new period. The Mayor of Tulln, Peter Eisenschenk, commented on this occasion in his opening words: ‘The founding of the Technopark has succeeded in establishing a lively research community in Tulln, from which not only companies and universities, but also consumers benefit. The ‘food’ research focus was also established in Tulln, which is of great importance to us all.’

Funding Information:

The COMET-K1 competence centre FFoQSI is funded by the Austrian federal ministries BMK, BMDW and the Austrian provinces Lower Austria, Upper Austria and Vienna within the scope of COMET - Competence Centers for Excellent Technologies. The Programme COMET is handled by the Austrian Research Promotion Agency FFG. The strategic objectives of COMET are: developing new expertise by initiating and supporting long-term research co-operations between science and industry in toplevel research, and establishing and securing the technological leadership of companies. By advancing and bundling existing strengths and by integrating international research expertise Austria is to be strengthened as a research location for the long term.

Fotos: Robert Harson