AIR2FOOD

Current European food production is resource-intensive, vulnerable to climate shocks, and heavily reliant on agricultural imports, posing a significant challenge to long-term food security and environmental health. While gas precision fermentation, using engineered microorganisms to turn CO₂ into nutrients, offers a breakthrough alternative independent of farmland, the sector remains in its infancy. These innovations are hindered by a fragmented ecosystem, where start-ups face immense barriers in scaling up due to limited access to shared pilot infrastructure, immature business models, and complex regulatory uncertainties.

AIR2FOOD addresses this pressing issue by establishing Europe’s first integrated Innovation Hub for gas-based precision fermentation. By leveraging cutting-edge microbial engineering, an AI-powered expert database, and semi-automated techno-economic and life-cycle assessments (TEA/LCA), AIR2FOOD aims to mitigate scaling risks and accelerate three representative demonstrators to TRL 6. Through the development of tailored Green Social Business Models and clear regulatory roadmaps, the project will lower entry barriers and enhance Europe’s competitive edge in sustainable, climate-positive food production.