RIS Consumer Engagement Labs – EIT Food

Duration: 01/01/2021 – 31/12/2021

Education Project

Coordinator: University of Warsaw

RIS Consumer Engagement Labs are pre-competitive co-creation sessions based on innovative methodology, developed and piloted as physical sessions in 4 RIS countries by a consortium of scientific and industrial partners in 2019 and rolled out to 6 further RIS countries in 2020 as online sessions. The Labs engage a relatively coherent group of consumers (senior consumers with impaired purchasing power), who jointly go through an interactive process of ideation to develop concepts of new products/services that be that better address their preferences. Unlike typical sensory panels and consumer surveys, the Labs do not involve testing of sample products but creation of innovative, yet non-existing combinations of product features and benefits. This is enabled by an interactive Labs format, creativity-stimulating techniques and opportunities to redesign food products without the need to master specialist vocabulary or possess detailed knowledge concerning ingredients or manufacturing processes. In 2021, products resulting from Labs sessions will be introduced to the markets, and follow-up Labs sessions will be organised in RIS countries, with the involvement of local knowledge triangles of: scientific organisations, food retailers/producers and startups, selected in an open call open. Members of local consortia will also benefit from international networking, and lessons learned will be disseminated to encourage further development of food products targeting elderly consumers in Europe.