What would it cost my company to access COMFOCUS tools and data?+
COMFOCUS offered transnational and virtual access to its research infrastructure through open calls, which were typically funded for external researchers during the project period (2021-2025). Now that the project has closed, access terms to the knowledge platform at comfocus.eu may vary. Contact the coordinator to discuss current access options and any associated costs.
Can this scale to cover our markets across Europe?+
The platform was specifically designed for European scale, integrating 10 key research infrastructures across 11 countries (DE, DK, ES, FI, IT, NL, NO, PT, SI, SK, UK). The harmonized protocols ensure data comparability across all these markets, so cross-border consumer insights are built into the system's design.
Who owns the intellectual property — can we license the tools?+
The consortium of 16 partners, led by Wageningen Research, holds the IP. The project operated under FAIR data principles and Responsible Research & Innovation, which generally favors open access. Licensing terms for the toolbox, analysis tools, and knowledge platform would need to be discussed with the coordinator directly.
How mature are these tools — are they ready for commercial use?+
The project delivered 58 deliverables including a functional toolbox installed on the COMFOCUS Knowledge platform, a harmonized protocol search tool, a scientific analysis and visualization tool, and a representational learning tool. These were tested with external researchers through open calls, but they were built primarily for the research community, not as commercial software products.
Does COMFOCUS comply with data protection regulations?+
The project was built on FAIR principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) and Responsible Research & Innovation guidelines. Based on available project data, GDPR compliance would have been required given the EU funding and the nature of consumer data involved, but specific compliance certifications are not detailed in the project description.
What kind of consumer data is actually available?+
The platform covers both conventional self-reported consumer data (surveys, questionnaires) and more objective emerging food consumer science methodologies (behavioral measurement, sensory analysis). The harmonized protocols ensure these different data types are collected and stored in standardized, comparable formats across all participating research labs.
How long before we could integrate this into our R&D workflow?+
The COMFOCUS Knowledge platform and toolbox are already built and were operational during the project period ending February 2025. Integration time would depend on your specific needs — accessing the online platform could be immediate, while embedding harmonized protocols into your own research processes would take longer. The project website at comfocus.eu is the starting point.
