Launch of the omega-3 network

The kick-off meeting of the new ZIM network "Omega-3" took place mid-October in Central Berlin. The vision that unites the 13 current network partners is to be able to offer a wider range of products containing omega-3 fatty acids for different target groups in the future. These products range from classic foods such as baked goods, meat products, and dairy products to dietary supplements and pharmaceutical products and even animal feed and animal feed additives.

The Frankenförder Forschungsgesellschaft, a research partner for small and medium-sized enterprises, manages the network and has extensive experience in the development and implementation of cooperative networks of the Central Innovation Programme for SMEs (Zentrales Innovationsprogramm Mittelstand, ZIM). Partners with backgrounds in science and/or business use their development agenda to advocate a healthy lifestyle. "The network partners complement each other perfectly across the entire value added chain, from the farm to the fork, so to speak", says Dr. Sven Kurze, project manager at FFG, and adds, "This has been very helpful in developing initial ideas for cooperative projects."

During the initial meeting, professor Katharina Riehn of the Hamburg University of Applied Sciences (Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaften, HAW) was elected spokesperson for the network. The HAW provided the stimulus required to found the Omega-3 network and has been helping to develop it in collaboration with the Frankenförder Forschungsgesellschaft.