KOMPETENZZENTRUM OBSTBAU BODENSEE

Their core work

KOB is a specialized applied research center for fruit growing in the Lake Constance region of Germany, one of Central Europe's most productive orticultural zones. Their work sits at the intersection of practical farming advice and applied science — they translate research findings directly to fruit growers and food producers, which is what makes them valuable in multi-actor EU projects. In H2020, they contributed horticultural expertise to two distinct challenges: on-farm minimal food processing using mobile units, and improving plant health through soil biodiversity and biological inputs. They function as a practitioner bridge between academic research and real orchard and farm operations.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Both projects started in 2019, so there is no meaningful before/after timeline — KOB entered H2020 in a single year with two simultaneous projects. That said, the two projects point in different directions: FOX was oriented toward consumer-facing innovation (minimal processing, mobile food units, technology transfer), while EXCALIBUR is rooted in farm-level biology (soil microbiomes, bio-effectors, plant health). This suggests KOB covers the full chain from soil biology to food product innovation. The longer duration of EXCALIBUR (running to 2025 vs FOX's 2023 close) hints that the biological inputs and soil biodiversity thread may be where their deeper ongoing commitment lies.

KOB appears to be deepening its engagement with biological farming inputs and soil health, which aligns with EU Farm-to-Fork priorities — making them a likely partner for future projects on reduced pesticide use and sustainable horticulture.

How they like to work

KOB joins consortia as a participant rather than leading them — they have not coordinated any H2020 project. With 43 unique partners across 12 countries from just 2 projects, they operate in notably large, diverse research networks, suggesting their value is as a practitioner node that gives consortia credibility with real farming operations. This profile — specialized regional center embedded in large multi-actor projects — makes them easier to bring into a consortium than to build one around.

KOB has connected with 43 distinct partners across 12 countries through only 2 projects, which is unusually broad for such a small portfolio and reflects the large consortium structure of both RIA projects they joined. Their network is European in scope but likely anchored in German-speaking Central Europe given their regional mandate.

What sets them apart

KOB occupies a rare position as a regionally embedded competence center for fruit growing in one of Germany's most productive horticultural regions — the Lake Constance area — giving them direct access to active growers and practical field conditions that purely academic institutions cannot replicate. For consortium builders, this means real farm trial sites, established grower networks, and credible knowledge transfer channels into the farming community. Their dual engagement in both food processing innovation and biological soil health makes them one of the few organizations that can bridge pre-farm (soil, plant health) and post-harvest (processing, consumer) concerns within a single partnership.

Highlights from their portfolio

• EXCALIBUR
  Running until 2025, this project is KOB's longest active engagement and tackles the commercially significant challenge of replacing chemical inputs with biological alternatives in horticulture — a high-priority topic under EU sustainability policy.
• FOX
  The largest single grant KOB received (EUR 298,969), FOX explored mobile and modular food processing units — a concept with direct commercial applications for small producers and rural food entrepreneurs.