EXCEL4PRO: Strengthening the Capacity of Excellence Hubs of Türkiye, Greece, and Ukraine to Support Innovation Ecosystem of Novel Foods Based on Plant Proteins

Excel4Pro is an innovative EU-funded project with a four-year duration that aims to transform the agri-food sector through cross-border collaboration and scientific excellence across Türkiye, Greece and Ukraine. By strategically leveraging the region’s scale and geographic advantage in protein–rich crop production and processing, Excel4Pro will create a single, interconnected Excellence Hub. This cross-border ecosystem fosters innovation, strengthens the plant-based protein value chain, and delivers sustainable food solutions. Additionally, Excel4Pro enhances research, knowledge exchange, and innovative R&I strategies, aiming to bridge knowledge gaps, attract investments, and upskill researchers and entrepreneurs. 

Key Objectives and Vision

Excel4Pro is committed to supporting the transition toward sustainable food systems, addressing a range of pressing challenges. A key issue is meeting the rising global demand for protein while tackling both malnutrition and overconsumption. Reducing the environmental footprint of animal-based proteins, enhancing the nutritional value of plant-based alternatives, and optimising plant protein processing techniques are critical objectives. However, progress is hindered by the limited dissemination of innovations and unequal levels of investment and governmental support for plant protein research.

Excel4Pro’s vision is to become a leading cross-border Excellence Hub dedicated to developing sustainable, plant-based food systems that meet the growing global demand for protein. The project envisions a future where plant-based proteins play a central role in promoting healthier, more balanced diets, reducing environmental impacts, and reshaping the agri-food sector for a sustainable future. 

What Sets Excel4Pro Apart

Excel4Pro stands out through its cross-border approach that unites academia, industry, public authorities, and civil society to transform the plant-based protein landscape. Its strength lies in fostering collaboration across Türkiye, Greece, and Ukraine to build a connected Excellence Hub, ensuring that plant protein solutions are not only research-driven but also commercially scalable and widely accepted. 

How will it do it

To turn its vision into action, Excel4Pro will: 

• Develop joint strategies at both the Hub and national levels to guide long-term collaboration. 

• Co-create policies and investment plans that support plant protein initiatives tailored to regional needs. 

• Offer mentoring and funding programmes to empower researchers, entrepreneurs, and start-ups. 

• Provide business support for demonstrators to accelerate market readiness. 

• Identify suitable crops and conduct pilot studies for scalable production models. 

• Develop plant protein-based ingredients and products based on scientific and market insights. 

• Conduct life-cycle assessments (LCAs) to evaluate environmental performance and sustainability. 

• Communicate results openly and share data through open science platforms. 

• Promote continuous impact assessment to ensure relevance, transparency, and adaptability. 

White Research’s Role in Excel4Pro

As the leading partner for Dissemination, Communication, Exploitation and Stakeholder Engagement, White Research plays a central role in ensuring that Excel4Pro achieves visibility, impact, and long-term value across Europe and beyond. 

We are responsible for designing and executing comprehensive dissemination and communication activities, tailored to engage key stakeholder groups including academia, industry, policymakers, civil society, and the broader public. In parallel, we focus on building synergies with other EU-funded research and innovation initiatives, strengthening the project’s position within the broader ecosystem of sustainable food systems and plant-based protein innovation. Additionally, we are responsible for the project’s Intellectual Property (IP) Management Strategy, ensuring that exploitable results are identified, protected, and leveraged for real-world application. 

As always, White Research ensures that project results have a real-world impact, while remaining committed to strong stakeholder engagement and effective knowledge sharing.