INTERNATIONAL LIFE SCIENCES INSTITUTE EUROPEAN BRANCH AISBL

Their core work

ILSI Europe is a Brussels-based non-profit scientific organization that bridges industry, academia, and public authorities on food safety, nutrition, and risk assessment issues. They convene expert panels and multi-stakeholder dialogues to build scientific consensus on topics like sweetener safety, food nutrition security, and responsible research practices. Their core value lies in translating complex food science into actionable policy recommendations and facilitating trust-building between food industry players and regulators. They operate as a neutral platform where competing interests can align around evidence-based food safety standards.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In their early H2020 period (2015–2018), ILSI Europe focused on broad food system transformation — sustainable food and nutrition security metrics (SUSFANS), FOOD 2030 policy integration, and multi-stakeholder dialogue platforms. From 2019 onward, their work shifted markedly toward consumer-facing dimensions: risk communication, transparency, consumer perceptions of food products (SWEET), and digital platforms for food safety (FOODSAFETY4EU, FNS-Cloud). This reflects a clear move from policy architecture toward public engagement and trust-building in the food system.

ILSI Europe is increasingly focused on how food science is communicated to the public and how consumer perceptions shape food safety policy — making them a strong partner for projects needing public engagement and science communication expertise.

How they like to work

ILSI Europe consistently joins as a participant rather than leading consortia, which fits their role as a neutral convening organization that brings industry and scientific perspectives into larger research efforts. With 117 unique partners across 26 countries in just 6 projects, they operate in very large consortia (averaging ~20 partners per project). This broad network and non-competitive positioning makes them easy to work with — they complement rather than compete with academic and industrial partners.

Remarkably well-connected for their project count: 117 unique consortium partners across 26 countries, indicating participation in large pan-European consortia. Their Brussels base and neutral non-profit status makes them a natural connector between Western European food industry players and research institutions across the continent.

What sets them apart

ILSI Europe occupies a rare niche as a non-profit, industry-adjacent organization that is trusted by both regulators and food companies to facilitate evidence-based dialogue. Unlike universities that produce research or companies that develop products, ILSI Europe specializes in convening, translating, and building consensus — a function that many EU consortia need but few organizations can credibly provide. Their ability to bridge the gap between food science evidence and public/consumer understanding is particularly valuable in an era of declining trust in food systems.

Highlights from their portfolio

• SUSFANS
  Largest single EC contribution (EUR 247,500) — developing metrics and foresight models for European food and nutrition security, a foundational policy tool.
• FOODSAFETY4EU
  Most recent project building a pan-European multi-stakeholder food safety platform, directly aligned with ILSI Europe's core convening mission.
• FNS-Cloud
  Represents ILSI Europe's move into digital infrastructure for food/nutrition security data, spanning both Food & Agriculture and Digital sectors.