Danish SME consultancy translating EU agri-food and bioeconomy research into viable business models and rural value chains.
IFAU (Institute for Food Studies & Agroindustrial Development) is a Danish private consultancy specializing in food systems innovation, agroindustrial value chains, and market uptake of research-based food and bio-based products. They bridge the gap between agricultural research and commercial application, helping EU projects translate findings on legumes, aquaculture, grass-based bioeconomy, and lignocellulose biorefineries into viable business models. Their work spans feasibility studies, market analysis, and rural business development across European agri-food sectors.
Core contributor in TRUE (legume systems), RUBIZMO (rural business models), and GO-GRASS (grass-based circular business models), all focused on translating agri-food research into commercial pathways.
Involved in GO-GRASS (grass-based circular value chains) and FRACTION (lignocellulose fractionation for lignin and hemicellulose valorization).
TRUE project addressed legumes, novel foods, and nutrition; NewTechAqua covered microalgae, new aquaculture species, and feed innovation.
Third-party contributor to NewTechAqua, working on new species, feed, and AI-driven aquaculture technologies.
RUBIZMO focused on replicable rural business models; GO-GRASS addressed rural agri-food value chains for grass-based products.
IFAU's early H2020 work (2017–2018) centered on food security fundamentals — legume-based food systems, novel foods, nutrition, and hydroponics. From 2019 onward, the focus shifted decisively toward circular bioeconomy, rural business model development, and industrial biorefining (grass valorization, lignocellulose fractionation). This evolution shows a move from "what can we grow and eat?" toward "how do we build profitable, circular value chains from agricultural biomass?"
IFAU is moving toward industrial biorefinery and biomass valorization, suggesting future interest in green chemistry, bio-based materials, and circular rural economies.
IFAU consistently joins as a partner or third party — never as coordinator — suggesting they provide specialized consultancy services within larger consortia rather than leading project design. With 95 unique partners across 22 countries from just 5 projects, they operate in large, diverse consortia (averaging 19+ partners per project). This makes them an accessible, low-risk collaboration partner experienced in fitting into complex multi-country teams.
Despite being a small Danish SME, IFAU has built a remarkably wide network of 95 partners across 22 countries, almost entirely through large RIA and IA consortia. Their geographic reach spans most of Europe with no obvious regional concentration beyond Scandinavia.
IFAU occupies a niche that few SMEs fill: they are a private-sector food and agroindustrial consultancy with deep experience in turning EU-funded agricultural research into market-ready business cases. Unlike universities that generate knowledge or large companies that absorb it, IFAU specializes in the translation layer — feasibility, business modeling, and market uptake. For consortium builders, they bring commercial pragmatism to research-heavy projects without the overhead of a large corporate partner.
