On 19 January 2026, the second meeting of the Food4CE Transnational Innovation Hub took place online, bringing together the five Regional Innovation Hubs across Central Europe to explore digitalisation as a key enabler for Alternative Food Networks (AFNs).
Building on the kick-off meeting that officially launched the Hub, this second event provided a valuable opportunity to share knowledge, reflect on lessons learned and exchange experiences related to the use of digital tools and solutions supporting Alternative Food Systems. The discussion addressed the current state of play, key challenges and emerging best practices, drawing on inputs from Food4CE partners as well as relevant external experiences.
The meeting was opened by Riccardo Maratini (OpenENLoCC) and Maršenka Marksel (University of Maribor – Lead Partner of the Food4CE Project), who highlighted the role of the Transnational Innovation Hub as a collaborative space for cross-border knowledge exchange and innovation within Alternative Food Networks in Central Europe.
Session focus: Digitalisation for AFNs
The session introduced the topic of digitalisation for AFNs, framing it as a strategic yet still evolving dimension for the development of AFNs. At the same time, the discussion underlined how digitalisation in AFNs shows high potential and a remarkable room for improvement, while still facing significant difficulties in adoption. These challenges are linked to limited digital skills, fragmented tools, and the need for solutions better tailored to the specific characteristics of local and alternative food systems.
Building on this reflection, the meeting moved on to map the current level of digitalisation within Food4CE AFNs, identifying common challenges, territorial differences and priority needs emerging from the Regional Innovation Hubs.
This part of the session was highly interactive and was conducted using the MIRO collaborative tool, which enabled participants, in particular representatives of the local Innovation Hubs involved in the project, to actively engage in discussions. Participants exchanged views on the main challenges related to the digitalisation of AFNs, shared their experiences concerning the lack of specific and adequate digital tools, and identified the aspects that require the most improvement, as well as possible approaches to address these gaps.
An open and interactive discussion followed, enabling participants to share best practices, tools, and digital solutions already tested or under development, both within the Food4CE project and in external initiatives.
Tomasz Dowgielewicz from shiponline.io and Steve Corens from VIL presented their experiences, offering concrete examples of digital solutions and innovative approaches that can support logistics, coordination and efficiency in food supply chains, with potential relevance for Alternative Food Networks.
The meeting concluded with a summary of the key takeaways and an outlook on the next steps of the Transnational Innovation Hub, confirming the importance of continued dialogue on strategic topics for the development of Alternative Food Networks in Central Europe.
For further insights on these topics and to explore collaboration opportunities, visit the Food4CE platforms: Knowledge Transfer Platform – Matchmaking Platform
Save the date: the third Transnational Innovation Hub meeting will take place on 5 February 2026, from 9:30 to 11:00 (CET), and will focus on the topic of Last mile delivery for AFNs. Further details will be shared soon.
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