New Food Business

It takes an ecosystem: no food startup grows alone

Flanders and the Zuid-Nederland region are among Europe’s strongest food regions. At the same time, the food industry is facing major challenges. Demand for sustainable food is growing, new protein sources are gaining importance, and climate change is putting pressure on the entire food value chain. Innovative startups can play a key role in addressing these challenges, but they often face the same barriers: limited access to expertise, testing infrastructure, funding and relevant networks.

How can we, as an ecosystem, better support these entrepreneurs as they grow from idea to market? What role can companies, knowledge institutions, investors and support organisations play in helping innovative food startups scale faster and more successfully?

During this session, Marieke Sopers, Innovation Manager at Flanders' FOOD and responsible for its startup activities, will engage with participants in a conversation about the building blocks of a strong food innovation ecosystem. Discover how collaboration, knowledge sharing and targeted support can strengthen innovative entrepreneurship and contribute to the food industry of the future.

Marieke combines a strong interest in innovation with broad experience in the Belgian startup landscape. To encourage ambitious entrepreneurs to learn from one another, she launched the Flanders' FOOD F&B Startup Community and is involved in the New Food Business project, in which public and private partners work together to develop integrated support services for food startups.

More information about these services:

https://www.flandersfood.com/nl/projecten/new-food-business and https://www.flandersfood.com/nl/activiteit/2026/startup-connect-be