8 million SEK investment in sustainable and healthy food at GoCo Health Innovation City

Chalmers and RISE are the leading actors in this project of establishing the food sector at GoCo Health Innovation City. This is achieved by leveraging two ongoing projects involving multiple stakeholders in the food sector. The first project, SWITCH, is an EU-funded initiative bringing together 21 partners from eight different countries to establish six food hubs over Europe, one of which will be located at GoCo Health Innovation City in Västra Götaland. SWITCH aims to promote a more sustainable and healthy diet among citizens. The second project is the national collaboration project called Fullkornsfrämjandet, which seeks to increase whole grain consumption among the country's residents.

- We have the opportunity to quickly get started by leveraging synergies between the EU-funded project SWITCH and the national Fullkornsfrämjandet, along with the many food sector actors involved. This regional initiative will both open up the environment at GoCo to more food sector actors and contribute to strengthening research focused on food and nutrition, says Rikard Landberg, Professor of Food Science at Chalmers.

GoCo Health Innovation City is a neighborhood integrating laboratories, research facilities, offices, residences, and elderly care with a focus on health innovation. Already, there are over 70 different life science actors present, including surgical clinics, diagnostic centers, and companies in bio- and medical technology. Additionally, the establishment of a new initiative with laboratories for advanced therapies and a center for physical activity, GoCo Active Lab, has recently commenced.

- This investment in sustainable and healthy food is incredibly important for both the region and us at GoCo Health Innovation City. We have long been looking at how to incorporate the food sector into our life science cluster, and this project aligns perfectly with the collaborative work we and all companies at GoCo are engaged in, says Marie Uddenmyr, Director of Corporate Relations at GoCo Health Innovation City.

- This is a crucial piece in the innovation environment being developed at GoCo, where the established life science cluster is strengthened through this initiative on health and food. With preventive health work, there are significant benefits in contributing to a well-being population and reducing society's healthcare costs caused by diet-related diseases, adds Madeleine Jonsson, Chairperson of the Environment and Regional Development Committee, VGR.

Given that dietary habits and health are strongly linked to socioeconomic factors, part of the project's efforts will focus on addressing inequalities in access to and opportunities for a healthy diet. Through co-financing from VGR, companies will have the opportunity to test and evaluate specific products and concepts for different societal groups.

- We hope to become a natural entry point for more food sector actors wishing to establish themselves in the GoCo environment. This initiative is a first step in strengthening collaboration between the life science and food sectors related to health innovations, preventive health, nutrition, and healthcare, says Maria Björklund Helgesson, researcher and project manager at RISE.

In conclusion, the investment in sustainable and healthy food at GoCo Health Innovation City marks an important step towards promoting collaboration between different sectors and contributing to a more sustainable and healthy future for the Västra Götaland Region and Sweden as a whole.