Imagine having a personal nutrition coach in your pocket that actually knows your body, your habits, and what you like to eat. PROTEIN built a complete digital system — mobile apps, a gamified experience, and a cloud platform — that collects data about what you eat, how active you are, and your health profile, then creates a daily meal plan tailored just for you. Think of it like a GPS for food: instead of giving everyone the same generic "eat more vegetables" advice, it maps out a route based on where you actually are. The goal is to help prevent diseases like diabetes, heart problems, and obesity before they start, by making healthy eating easy and even fun.
By the numbers
24
consortium partners from academia and industry
11
countries represented in the consortium
12
industry partners in the consortium
5
SMEs contributing to development
50%
industry ratio in the consortium
39
total project deliverables produced
8
demo deliverables including platform and mobile apps
The business problem
What needed solving
Chronic diseases like diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and obesity cost healthcare systems and employers billions, yet most nutrition guidance remains generic and ineffective. People ignore one-size-fits-all dietary advice because it doesn't account for their individual health conditions, food preferences, or daily routines. Companies in wellness, insurance, and food retail need personalized nutrition tools that actually engage users and drive measurable health outcomes.
The solution
What was built
PROTEIN delivered a complete personalized nutrition ecosystem: an integrated cloud platform (with final version and software manual), personalized mobile applications for food shopping, home cooking, and restaurant dining, a gamification and game suite with rewards and competition features, and a full mobile application suite. In total, the project produced 39 deliverables including 8 demonstrated software components.
Audience
Who needs this
Corporate wellness platform providers looking to boost employee health program engagementHealth insurers seeking preventive tools to reduce non-communicable disease claimsGrocery chains and meal kit companies wanting AI-driven personalized product recommendationsDigital health startups building nutrition coaching appsHospital and clinic networks offering outpatient dietary management programs
Business applications
Who can put this to work
Corporate Wellness & Employee Benefits
enterprise
Target: Corporate wellness platform providers or large employers with wellness programs
If you are a corporate wellness provider struggling with low employee engagement in nutrition programs — this project developed a gamified personalized nutrition platform with mobile apps for food shopping, home cooking, and restaurant dining. The system uses individual health data and preferences to generate daily meal plans, which could dramatically improve program adoption over generic one-size-fits-all advice. The platform was built by 24 partners including 12 industry players across 11 countries.
Health Insurance & Digital Health
any
Target: Health insurance companies or digital health startups offering preventive care services
If you are a health insurer looking to reduce claims from non-communicable diseases like diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and obesity — this project created a tested end-to-end personalized nutrition ecosystem. The platform collects dietary behavior patterns, physical activity data, and individual health parameters to deliver actionable daily nutrition guidance. With 5 SMEs and 50% industry ratio in the consortium, the technology was designed with commercialization in mind.
Food Retail & Meal Kit Services
mid-size
Target: Grocery chains, meal kit companies, or food delivery platforms
If you are a food retailer or meal kit company wanting to offer personalized product recommendations beyond simple preference filters — this project built dedicated mobile applications for food shopping, home cooking, and restaurant scenarios. The system understands individual nutritional needs, allergies, and health conditions to suggest specific foods and meals. The gamification suite with rewards and competition features could boost customer retention and repeat purchases.
Frequently asked
Quick answers
What would it cost to license or integrate this nutrition platform?+
The project data does not include specific licensing costs or pricing models. The consortium includes 12 industry partners and 5 SMEs, suggesting commercial pathways were considered. Contact the coordinator at ETHNIKO KENTRO EREVNAS KAI TECHNOLOGIKIS ANAPTYXIS (CERTH) in Greece to discuss licensing terms.
Can this platform scale to serve thousands or millions of users?+
The platform was designed as a cloud-based system with anonymized data storage and processing, which supports scalability. Final versions of the integrated platform, mobile application suite, and gamification tools were delivered. Based on available project data, the architecture was built for multi-user deployment but specific load-testing figures are not published.
Who owns the intellectual property and can we license it?+
IP is likely shared among the 24 consortium partners under the Horizon 2020 grant agreement. The coordinator CERTH in Greece would be the first point of contact for licensing discussions. With 12 industry partners involved, some components may already have commercial licensing arrangements in place.
Does this comply with health data regulations like GDPR?+
The project objective explicitly addresses privacy protection, stating that user data is anonymized and securely stored in the cloud. Given the consortium includes partners from 11 EU/associated countries and the project ran from 2018-2022, GDPR compliance was a design requirement from the start.
How long would it take to integrate this into our existing systems?+
The project delivered a complete integrated platform with documented software manuals, plus separate mobile applications for food shopping, home cooking, and restaurant use. Based on available project data, the modular architecture with distinct app components suggests integration could be done incrementally rather than requiring a full system overhaul.
What health conditions does the system actually address?+
Based on the project data, the system targets cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, allergies, obesity, elevated blood pressure, blood cholesterol, and insulin resistance. These are classified as non-communicable diseases (NCDs) that are directly linked to dietary habits and nutritional status.
Is this system already being used anywhere?+
The project delivered final versions of all major components — the integrated platform, mobile application suite, personalized mobile applications, and gamification suite. As an Innovation Action with 50% industry ratio, the technology was developed for near-market deployment. Based on available project data, specific commercial deployments post-project are not confirmed.
Consortium
Who built it
The PROTEIN consortium is unusually large at 24 partners across 11 countries, with a 50-50 split between industry (12 partners) and academia/research (9 partners plus 3 other organizations). This balanced composition signals that the technology was developed with real commercial input, not just in a lab. Five SMEs participated, bringing agility and market focus. The coordinator, CERTH in Greece, is a major national research center — credible but not a commercial entity, so a licensing or spin-off partner would likely be needed for market rollout. The geographic spread across Belgium, Germany, Greece, Spain, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Serbia, and the UK gives the platform exposure to diverse European dietary cultures and regulatory environments, which strengthens its adaptability for pan-European deployment.
ETHNIKO KENTRO EREVNAS KAI TECHNOLOGIKIS ANAPTYXIS (CERTH) in Greece — search for the PROTEIN project coordinator on the CERTH website or ResearchGate for direct contact details.
Want to explore licensing this personalized nutrition platform or integrating its components into your product? SciTransfer can connect you directly with the right people in the consortium — contact us for a matchmaking introduction.
