Soil science and sustainable crop productionprimary
5 projects
Core contributor across SOILCARE, LEX4BIO, SOILGUARD, Soils4Africa, and ECOBREED — covering soil health, bio-fertilizers, organic breeding, and soil information systems.
Organization
MAGYAR AGRAR- ES ELETTUDOMANYI EGYETEM
Hungarian agricultural university strong in soil science, livestock biosecurity, organic crop breeding, and aquaculture across 14 H2020 projects.
University research groupfoodHU
H2020 projects
14
As coordinator
0
Total EC funding
€2.6M
Unique partners
238
What they do
Their core work
MATE (formerly Szent István University) is Hungary's leading agricultural university, headquartered in Gödöllő. Their H2020 work centers on sustainable crop and livestock production — from soil health and bio-based fertilizers to poultry biosecurity and pig welfare infrastructure. They also contribute significantly to aquaculture research and fish nutrition, and maintain a strong line of work in soil information systems for both European and African contexts. Their practical focus makes them a reliable partner for applied agricultural R&D with field-level relevance.
Core expertise
What they specialise in
Livestock health, welfare, and biosecurityprimary
3 projects
Active in NETPOULSAFE (poultry biosecurity), PIGWEB (pig production infrastructure), and NeoGiANT (grape-extract antimicrobials for animal treatment).
Aquaculture and fish researchsecondary
3 projects
Participated in AQUAEXCEL3.0 (aquaculture research infrastructure), iFishIENCi (intelligent fish feeding with AI/IoT), and EATFISH (aquaculture training).
Natural bioactive compounds for agricultureemerging
1 project
NeoGiANT (their largest funded project at EUR 787K) explores grape polyphenols as natural antimicrobials and antioxidants to replace antibiotics in livestock.
Food safety and consumer behaviorsecondary
2 projects
SafeConsumE focused on consumer-driven food safety, while ECOBREED addressed organic food production efficiency.
EU-Africa agricultural cooperationsecondary
2 projects
LEAP4FNSSA supported the EU-AU food security partnership, while Soils4Africa built a soil information system for the continent.
Evolution & trajectory
How they've shifted over time
Early focus
Organic crop breeding and food safety
Recent focus
Soil systems and livestock sustainability
In their early H2020 period (2016–2018), MATE focused on crop science fundamentals — organic breeding of wheat, potato, soybean, and buckwheat, along with food safety and consumer behavior research. From 2019 onward, their portfolio shifted decisively toward soil information systems (Soils4Africa, SOILGUARD), livestock production infrastructure (PIGWEB, NETPOULSAFE), and natural bioactive compounds (NeoGiANT). The evolution shows a move from plant-centric research toward integrated agricultural systems that connect soil, animal health, and sustainability.
MATE is moving toward antibiotic alternatives in animal production and soil-biodiversity linkages — both areas with growing EU policy support and funding.
Collaboration profile
How they like to work
Role: active_partnerReach: Global45 countries collaborated
MATE operates exclusively as a consortium participant, never as coordinator, which positions them as a dependable contributing partner rather than a project driver. With 238 unique partners across 45 countries, they are well-networked and comfortable in large, diverse consortia (many of their projects involve 15+ partners). Their consistent participation across multiple calls suggests they are easy to work with and bring reliable domain expertise without seeking to control project direction.
Remarkably broad network of 238 partners across 45 countries, spanning the EU and reaching into Africa through food security and soil science initiatives. Their partnerships are spread widely rather than concentrated with repeat collaborators, indicating openness to new consortium configurations.
Why partner with them
What sets them apart
MATE bridges crop science, soil science, and livestock production under one roof — a combination uncommon in a single university partner. Their NeoGiANT project (natural antimicrobials from grape extracts) sits at an unusual and commercially promising intersection of viticulture, veterinary science, and food safety. For consortium builders targeting Hungarian agricultural expertise with global reach and proven EU project experience, MATE is a strong and versatile choice.
Notable projects
Highlights from their portfolio
- NeoGiANTTheir largest H2020 grant (EUR 787K) exploring grape polyphenols as antibiotic replacements in livestock — a high-impact topic with clear commercial potential.
- Soils4AfricaBuilding a continent-wide soil information system for Africa, demonstrating MATE's capacity to contribute to large-scale international data infrastructure projects.
- PIGWEBInfrastructure project for sustainable pig production research, connecting animal welfare, environmental impact, and open science across Europe.
Cross-sector capabilities
Environment — soil biodiversity and land degradation researchBlue Growth — aquaculture infrastructure and fish nutritionDigital — IoT and AI applied to precision aquacultureHealth — natural antimicrobials as antibiotic alternatives in veterinary use
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