TheFSM · Project

Digital Data Platform That Makes Food Safety Certification Faster and Smarter

foodPilotedTRL 7

Imagine every food company that needs a safety certificate has to deal with mountains of paperwork, scattered records, and inspectors who rely on manual checks. TheFSM built an online marketplace where food businesses, labs, and certification bodies can share safety data in one place — like a LinkedIn for food safety information. It was tested with TÜV AUSTRIA, one of Europe's biggest inspection companies operating in over 40 countries, to prove it works at real industrial scale.

By the numbers

40+

Countries where TÜV AUSTRIA GROUP operates (piloting partner)

210 M€

Annual turnover of TÜV AUSTRIA GROUP (piloting partner)

1,700+

Employees at TÜV AUSTRIA GROUP

Consortium partners from across Europe

Countries represented in the consortium

86%

Industry ratio in the consortium

Total project deliverables

The business problem

What needed solving

Food certification in Europe is slow, fragmented, and paper-heavy. Inspection bodies, food companies, and labs all generate safety data but have no efficient way to share it digitally. This means duplicated audits, delayed certifications, and higher compliance costs across the entire food supply chain.

The solution

What was built

The project built an industrial data platform — a digital marketplace for food safety data. Concrete deliverables include data services for exchanging certification information between food safety actors, and annual deployment releases of the full platform with its software components (18 deliverables total, including 2 demo deliverables).

Audience

Who needs this

Food certification and inspection companies (like TÜV, SGS, Bureau Veritas)Food manufacturers managing multiple safety certificationsRetail chains verifying supplier food safety complianceFood safety laboratories sharing test results with clientsICT companies building digital tools for the food industry

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Food Certification & Inspection

enterprise

Target: Certification bodies and inspection service providers

If you are a food inspection company dealing with slow, paper-based audit processes — this project developed an industrial data platform that connects food safety actors in one digital environment. With piloting done through TÜV AUSTRIA GROUP subsidiaries operating in more than 40 countries, the platform is designed to digitize inspection workflows and enable data-driven certification services.

Food Manufacturing

any

Target: Food producers and processors needing certification

If you are a food manufacturer struggling to manage compliance documents across multiple certification schemes — this project built a collaborative data platform where you can share and access safety-critical information with your certification partners. The platform was validated with 14 consortium partners across 10 countries, including 6 SMEs from the food and ICT sectors.

Food Retail & Supply Chain

mid-size

Target: Retailers and distributors requiring supplier safety verification

If you are a food retailer or distributor needing to verify safety credentials across a complex supply chain — this project created data services that connect different food safety actors and their records digitally. Built by a consortium with 86% industry participation, the platform facilitates the exchange of certification data between buyers, suppliers, and auditors.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to use or license this platform?

Based on available project data, specific pricing or licensing models are not disclosed. The platform was built by a consortium led by AGROKNOW IKE (an SME) with heavy industry involvement (86% industry partners), suggesting a commercial product path. Contact the coordinator to discuss access and pricing.

Can this work at industrial scale across multiple countries?

Yes. The platform was extensively piloted with subsidiaries of TÜV AUSTRIA GROUP, which has a presence in more than 40 countries, annual turnover of almost 210 million euros, and over 1,700 employees. This is strong evidence of enterprise-grade scalability.

Who owns the intellectual property and can I license it?

Based on available project data, the consortium of 14 partners across 10 countries developed the platform jointly. AGROKNOW IKE coordinated the project and likely holds key IP as an ICT SME. Licensing arrangements would need to be discussed directly with the coordinator.

Does this comply with European food safety regulations?

The platform was designed specifically for the European food certification market and piloted with TÜV AUSTRIA GROUP, one of Europe's leading inspection and certification providers. This suggests alignment with EU food safety regulatory requirements, though specific certifications should be confirmed with the project team.

How long would it take to integrate this into our existing systems?

The project delivered annual platform releases and dedicated data services over its 3-year duration (2020-2023). The platform is designed as an open and collaborative environment, which suggests integration capabilities. Specific timelines depend on your existing IT infrastructure and should be discussed with the project team.

Is there ongoing support and development after the EU project ended?

The project ended in January 2023. AGROKNOW IKE, the coordinating SME, maintains a project website at foodsafetymarket.eu. As an SME with a commercial interest, they are likely continuing development, but current status should be verified directly.

What data services are included in the platform?

The project delivered dedicated data services for the platform as well as annual deployment releases of the full data platform and its software components. These were designed to facilitate the exchange and connection of data between food safety actors involved in certification.

Consortium

Who built it

This is a heavily industry-driven consortium: 12 out of 14 partners are from industry, giving an 86% industry ratio — one of the highest you'll see in EU projects. The consortium spans 10 countries (AT, BG, CY, EL, HR, IT, NL, RO, RS, SI) with 6 SMEs contributing specialized ICT capabilities. The key validation partner is TÜV AUSTRIA GROUP, a certification heavyweight with 210 million euros in annual turnover and operations in 40+ countries, which provided real-world piloting environments. AGROKNOW IKE, the Greek SME coordinator, brings agri-food data expertise. This mix of ICT innovators and a major certification enterprise makes the results directly relevant to the food safety industry.

AGROKNOW IKECoordinator · EL
PROSPEH DOOparticipant · SI
UNIVERSITAT WIENparticipant · AT
GIOUMPITEK MELETI SCHEDIASMOS YLOPOIISI KAI POLISI ERGON PLIROFORIKIS ETAIREIA PERIORISMENIS EFTHYNISparticipant · EL
TUV AUSTRIA ROMANIA SRLparticipant · RO
VALORITALIA SOCIETA PER LA CERTIFICAZIONE DELLE QUALITA'E DELLE PRODUZIONI VITIVINICOLE ITALIANE SRLparticipant · IT
PROSPEH BGD DOO BEOGRAD-ZVEZDARAthirdparty · RS
ONTOTEXT ADparticipant · BG
STICHTING WAGENINGEN RESEARCHparticipant · NL

How to reach the team

AGROKNOW IKE (Greece) — search for their team on the project website or LinkedIn to find the right contact

Order a report on this consortium See AGROKNOW IKE profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want an introduction to the TheFSM team? SciTransfer can connect you with the coordinator to discuss platform access, licensing, or partnership opportunities.

Order a report on this topic More in Food & Agriculture