SIXFOLD has spent two years strengthening the capacity of Food Tech Living Labs across Europe, connecting practitioners, breaking down barriers to innovation, and laying the groundwork for a lasting European network. Bringing together six partner organisations from Finland, Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain, Germany and Lithuania, the project has worked to demonstrate how Living Labs can serve as powerful engines for food tech innovation - helping SMEs, startups and researchers translate ideas into real, scalable solutions.
Now, as the project enters its final phase, we are inviting the wider community to join us for our closing conference: Food Tech Innovations: Connecting Europe's Living Labs, taking place on 22–23 September 2026 in the heart of the Dutch agri-food region.
This two-day event is an opportunity to reflect on what the SIXFOLD partnership has achieved, share the lessons learned across our Living Labs, and open an honest conversation about how the network we have built together can continue to grow and thrive beyond the project's lifetime. It is also a celebration - of the connections made, the barriers overcome, and the new organisations choosing to join our European community.
Day 1 at the Fletcher Hotel in Helmond brings the network together for presentations, a Living Labs gallery walk, a panel discussion on our joint action plan, and a formal welcome to the newest members joining through Memoranda of Understanding - followed by networking drinks and dinner.
Day 2 takes participants into the field, with site visits to Bodec in Helmond and the QING Food Automation Living Lab at The Chocolate Factory in Veghel - two inspiring examples of food tech innovation in action in the Brainport region.
We are expecting 60–70 participants from across Europe - Living Lab managers, food tech companies, researchers, cluster organisations and policymakers. Whether you have been with us from the start or are discovering the SIXFOLD network for the first time, this is the place to connect, learn and shape what comes next.
📅 22–23 September 2026
📍 Helmond & Veghel, the Netherlands
🔗 Register here: forms.gle/z8VZAGgVQrXZ32WK8
We look forward to welcoming you.
