The DEFENSEFOOD project was proudly showcased at the sixth edition of Food 4 Future – Expo FoodTech, held in Bilbao on 27-28 May 2026. The project reached a wide range of stakeholders from across the food and beverage ecosystem, contributing to ongoing discussions on food security, resilience, and innovation in Europe.
As one of Europe’s leading events for food industry innovation and digital transformation, Food 4 Future once again brought together key actors shaping the future of the agri-food sector. This year’s edition welcomed more than 7,000 professionals, 261 exhibiting companies, and 329 international speakers, creating a unique platform for knowledge exchange, networking, and collaboration.
Throughout the event, DEFENSEFOOD project was presented alongside other European research and innovation initiatives at the FIAB and Food for Life-Spain, the Spanish Technology Platform. Visitors had the opportunity to learn about the project’s objectives, ongoing activities, and expected outcomes, particularly its contribution to strengthening the resilience of food systems in the face of emerging risks and crises.
The topics addressed during Food 4 Future strongly resonated with DEFENSEFOOD’s mission. Sustainability, food security, supply chain resilience, technological innovation, digitalisation, and the future competitiveness of food production were among the key topics discussed across the exhibition, conference sessions, and roundtables. In addition, several sessions explored the growing relationship between defence, critical infrastructure protection, and food security, highlighting the importance of preparedness and resilience in an increasingly uncertain global environment.
These discussions reinforced the relevance of DEFENSEFOOD’s work. As Europe faces complex challenges ranging from climate-related disruptions and geopolitical tensions to supply chain vulnerabilities, collaborative projects that foster innovation and preparedness are becoming increasingly important. DEFENSEFOOD contributes to this effort by supporting the development of solutions that can help strengthen the capacity of food systems to anticipate, respond to, and recover from crises.
Beyond dissemination activities, the event also provided valuable opportunities for stakeholder engagement. Representatives from industry, research organisations, technology providers, public authorities, and innovation networks visited the stand and exchanged views with project partners. These interactions helped raise awareness of the project while opening new avenues for future collaboration, knowledge sharing, and participation in upcoming project activities.
Stakeholder engagement remains a central pillar of DEFENSEFOOD. Building strong connections with actors across the food value chain is essential to ensure that project results respond to real sector needs and can generate tangible impact. The conversations initiated during Food 4 Future, together with the outreach activities supported by FIAB and Food for Life-Spain, will contribute to shaping future dissemination, exploitation, and stakeholder involvement activities throughout the lifetime of the project.
By participating in Food 4 Future 2026, DEFENSEFOOD further strengthened its visibility within the European food innovation community and demonstrated the value of research and innovation in supporting more resilient and secure food systems. The project looks forward to continuing these exchanges and expanding its network of stakeholders as it progresses towards its objectives.
Looking Ahead
The discussions held during Food 4 Future confirmed that resilience, preparedness and food security are becoming increasingly important priorities for the European agri-food sector. The visibility gained by DEFENSEFOOD at the event contributes to positioning the project within these ongoing discussions and to building a stronger community of stakeholders around its objectives.
