New EIT Food Country Representatives selected to boost regional innovation ecosystems
The role, previously known as EIT Food Hubs, has evolved to reflect a stronger strategic focus on regional connectivity and impact.
EIT Food has appointed a new cohort of Country Representatives for the 2026–2028 term, selecting organisations across 15 countries to support the development of innovation ecosystems in the agrifood sector.
The organisations were chosen through a competitive open call process, with successful applicants demonstrating sector expertise, operational capacity, and a clear approach to fostering innovation at national level. The selected representatives include a mix of universities, innovation centres, and business support organisations, many operating in consortium structures.
Over the next three years, the EIT Food Country Representatives, operating as part of the EIT Community Hubs, will serve as key contact points between national stakeholders, including startups, researchers, industry actors, and public institutions, and the broader EIT Food network. In this role, they will facilitate access to funding opportunities, programmes, and cross-border partnerships, while contributing to the strengthening of national innovation ecosystems. They will also play a central role in addressing local needs, supporting capacity building, promoting early-stage innovation, and accelerating the transfer and application of new technologies in line with EIT Food’s mission.
The newly appointed representatives are:
- Bosnia & Herzegovina (Consortium): Smart Village Knežica & Virtuo (STARTER)
- Croatia (Consortium): SMION & University of Zagreb, Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology
- Cyprus: SocialTech Lab
- Czechia (Consortium): University of Chemistry and Technology, Prague & DEX Innovation Centre
- Estonia: Tartu BT Park OÜ
- Greece (Consortium): Democritus University of Thrace (DUTH) & Mantis Business Innovation
- Hungary (Consortium): Campden BRI Hungary & Pannon Pro Innovations Ltd.
- Latvia (Consortium): Biocatalyst Foundation & Riga Technical University
- Lithuania: AgriFood Lithuania DIH
- Portugal: BGI Sustainable Ventures
- Romania: Impact Hub Bucharest
- Serbia: National Alliance for Local Economic Development (NALED)
- Slovakia: Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra
- Türkiye (Consortium): Impact Hub Istanbul & Yaşar University
- Ukraine (Consortium): Radar Tech-Corporate Accelerators & Civitta
About EIT Food Country Representatives
EIT Food Country Representatives are independent organisations appointed to connect national agrifood ecosystems in Southern and Eastern Europe with EIT Food’s ecosystem, activities, and opportunities. A central part of their role is to build strong pipelines of agrifood startups for EIT Food’s entrepreneurship programmes by scouting promising ventures, engaging incubators and accelerators, and providing handson support during application processes.
They also attract learners to EIT Food’s education initiatives, including the EIT Food Master in Food Systems and the EU Skills Academies in Biotechnology and Resilient Agriculture. In addition, EIT Food Country Representatives help strengthen national innovation networks by facilitating collaboration, sharing information about relevant opportunities, and delivering activities that build innovation and entrepreneurship capacity within the agrifood sector.
This appointment is part of the EIT Regional Innovation Scheme (EIT RIS), one of EIT’s key measures to broaden participation in the EIT Community and address regional disparities in innovation capacity.