About – MEDACORNET

Context

The MEDACORNET aims to promote adherence to the Mediterranean diet by introducing innovative acorn-based products and digital platforms that encompass the entire production chain. With a focus on raising public awareness and establishing a new value chain for nutritious food innovations, the project caters to diverse groups, including individuals with coeliac disease, gluten-related disorders, vegans/vegetarians, and health-conscious individuals. In addition to providing essential nutrients, the innovative approach, incorporating gluten-free elements like acorns, helps mitigate risks associated with weight issues such as overweight and obesity.

In response to changing consumer habits driven by environmental and health consciousness, the initiative prioritises deepening knowledge about food, highlighting the benefits of bioactive compounds, and carefully assessing the environmental impact of its value chain. The exploration and optimisation of acorn transformation by-products in sectors such as nutraceuticals and biomedicine contribute to sustainable development while preserving the unique landscape of the Mediterranean and its living oak ecosystems. In the current socio-economic context, MEDACORNET stands out by advocating for short Forest-to-Fork value chains, providing regional markets with a consistent supply of locally sourced food ingredients and offering a fundamental solution to critical challenges in food sovereignty.

Tasks

Survey and collection of acorns from the Mediterranean region

Development of innovative methods to produce novel acorn-based food

Biochemical, nutritional and functional characterisation of acorns and acorn flour/granulate from different species

Design of an acorn transformation line into edible gluten-free granulate

Study of storage and conservation conditions of acorn flour

Preliminary assessment of the acorn processing by-products for broader industrial application

Consortium

GEOAI ANALYTICS S. L. (GEOAI)

GEOAI ANALYTICS S. L. (GEOAI), Madrid-Spain, is a technology company that develops comprehensive and sustainable solutions for the digital transformation of various industries and institutions, applying geospatial technology, Artificial Intelligence, predictive analytics, computer vision, and state-of-the-art algorithms. Our experience in the development of agribusiness projects at the international level allows us to anticipate the needs of an evolving market and become a reliable partner facing new challenges to increase productivity with efficient management of resources, sustainable development with the use of new geospatial technologies, classification of crops, crop plans, generation of vegetative indices, detection, and monitoring of pests. The combination of multiple data generated by multispectral satellite imagery, drones, IoT technology, and meteorological data at different phenological moments of the plants, allows the calculation of more than 30 biochemical and biophysical indices.

LandraTech (LT)

Landratech (LT), Portugal, is a high-tech start-up company, managed by a young team with a strong scientific background and an innovation-driven vision, that works on the valorization of acorns from European endemic forests. It has a pilot acorn processing unit, capable of processing tannin-rich acorns using a proprietary process. LT has privileged access to stakeholders in the agri-food and forestry sectors, having already launched two acorn-based products in the Portuguese market. LT’s long-term mission is to connect acorn value chain stakeholders aiming to reduce its fragmentation and to support building a sustainable future of oak forests.

MECACOMP

Founded in 1989, the University of Tlemcen currently has more than 40,000 students mainly trained in 3 levels (Bachelor, Master and PhD). The university has 8 faculties located in 5 university centers. The pole of Technology is one of them. The faculty of technology made a tangible contribution to the promotion of scientific research with the launch of several research projects including the creation of twelve research laboratories. The Computational Mechanics research laboratory (MECACOMP) is made up of dynamic permanent researchers. The research themes developed by the different teams of the laboratory related to the development of tools for simulating complex problems; particularly in the field of renewable energies; heat transfer and fluid mechanics. The main action concerns the development of processes concerning solar drying.

MOREColab (MORE)

The More Collaborative Lab (MORE) is a private non-profit association that aims to be a link between the scientific knowledge produced in academic and scientific institutions and the business community. MORE prioritizes the transfer of knowledge and technology from research and innovation centers in mountain areas to companies to create economic, social, and cultural value in the regions involved. MORE focuses on the enhancement of by-products of the agro-industry; Sustainable agriculture and forestry; Preservation of cultural heritage and territorial enhancement; Clean, efficient energy and intelligent technology. More is currently establishing strategic partnerships with industrial partners focusing on closing the gap between research results and companies.

Polytechnic Institute of Bragança

The Polytechnic Institute of Bragança (IPB) is a Portuguese HEI with the mission of creating, transmitting, and diffusing technical, scientific, and professional knowledge through the articulation of study, applied research, and experimental development. According to the SIR World Ranking 2021, elaborated by the SCImago Research Group, IPB is the Portuguese higher education institution with the best-normalised impact, excellence rates, and technological impact. The IPB’s team members are researchers integrated into the IPB-based Mountain Research Centre (CIMO), a national-funded research center whose objectives include the valorization of ecosystem services in mountain areas, the optimization of agroecosystems efficiency, and the valorization of regional products based on quality, safety, and authenticity. Currently, IPB-CIMO researchers are committed as WP leaders of 3 EU-funded ERA-NET projects, 2 H2020 projects, 6 inter-regional projects (INTERREG) and 34 national-funded projects.

Polytechnic of Leiria

The Polytechnic of Leiria (IPLeiria) supports its activities in four main interconnected activities, namely, education, research, innovative services to society (added value and sharing knowledge), and internationalizationNational Science. IPLeiria has 5 faculties, accommodating more than 13000 students and more than 1600 staff. IPLeiria is the leading HEI of the RUN-EU European University (www.run-eu.eu), which has a strong focus on societal development through education, research, and innovation in a multicultural campus environment. IPLeiria is at the core of a Research and Innovation Regional and Global Ecosystem that includes: a) 15 research centers supported by the national science and Technology Foundation; b) a unique start-up ecosystem composed of four incubators and one start-up accelerator; IPLeiria is the Vice-President of the regional Entrepreneurial Association (1200 SME’s); c) a regional ecosystem that promotes societal engagement, including two scientific infrastructures located at the “heart” of two industrial parks, as well the occurrence of more than 2500 internships/year with SME’s and other regional stakeholders; d) the Portuguese HEI that lead in the last 10 years the co-creation projects with SME supported by the Portuguese National Innovation; e) national and international R&D experience in financed projects, including FP7 and H2020.

University Abdelmalek Essaadi (UAE)

University Abdelmalek Essaadi (UAE) is a public institution under the Ministry of National Education, Professional Training, Higher Education, Scientific Research, and Executive Training. The UAE provides training, and research and develops high-standard innovation missions in direct dialogue with its socio-economic and cultural environment, to support regional, national, and international dynamics and development. Research within the UAE is conducted by multidisciplinary and/or transdisciplinary structures working in six research poles: 1-Sciences and Technologies of the Engineer; 2-Agri-food, Biology, and Health; 3- Energy and Materials Science; 4- Environment and Development of Natural Resources; 5-Legal, Economic and Management Sciences; 6- Human and Social Sciences. The Polydisciplinary Faculty of Larache (FPL) is an institution of the UAE that is based in the City of Larache and which brings together teachers from different disciplines.

University Istanbul Technical

University Istanbul Technical, which is approaching its 250th anniversary, is one of the oldest technical universities in the world and was established with the name of “Mühendishane-i Bahr-i Hümayun” by Sultan Mustafa the Third. ITU, the first technical university in Turkey, is identified with its engineering and architectural education.

University of Bari Aldo Moro

The University of Bari Aldo Moro (UBA) is one of the biggest University Institutions in South Italy, well recognized both nationally and internationally from the point of view of research and teaching. It’s made up of several Research Departments among which the Department of Soil Plant and Food Sciences (DISSPA) will be the one taking part in the MEDACORNET project. DISSPA is a complex structure whose activities are oriented to the qualitative-quantitative improvement of primary agricultural production and the related transformed products, and the preservation of the agroforestry systems. DISSPA is made up of seven sub-units among which the Food Science and Technology Unit (FSTU) will be the one specifically involved in the Project. The FSTU is composed of five professors, three researchers, and three technicians, plus numerous research fellows and Ph.D. students, and has solid expertise in the development of innovative food products, in the whole characterization of food, in the chemistry and analysis of food.

University of Osijek (UO)

The J.J. Strossmayer University of Osijek, Faculty of Food Technology Osijek (UO) is a modern institution of higher education that conducts various scientific and professional activities and provides eight different university courses. Besides teaching students in undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate studies, the major activity of the Faculty is scientific research, primarily in the field of biotechnical, technical, and natural sciences. The mission of the faculty is to develop and systematically improve a dynamic and multidisciplinary research environment in which research potential is maximized new knowledge is constantly created and existing knowledge is improved. This research environment provides an excellent learning process and provides our students with up-to-date knowledge and skills that enable them to become leading experts in the fields of food technology, biotechnology, and nutrition, and to apply new knowledge in daily production practice. The faculty, with its research environment, training of professionals, and continuous development of skills needed for lifelong education, serves the community and contributes to the development of society as a whole.

UTM

The Lab of Microorganisms and Bioactive Molecules LMBA, UTM focuses on (a) Food and Probiotic Microbiology (Lactic acid bacteria, spoilage germs and pathogens; microbiological quality of food) (b) Diversity and adaptation of microorganisms in extreme ecosystems, enhancement of microbial biomolecules and plant bacteria interactions (c) study of bacteria resistant to antibiotics (d) Study of the intestinal microbiota and its role in neurodegenerative, metabolic and cancerous diseases.