The partnership between the COVERE² consortium and EIT Food is an inspiring success story that illustrates the power of collaboration and the value of a high-quality innovation network.

The story began in spring 2023, within the “Collaboration with the EIT” work package of the EIT HEI project 4InnoPipe, coordinated by the University of Helsinki. It was there that the EIT Food Innovation Call was first introduced to the consortium partners. What started as an initial exchange of ideas quickly became a catalyst for co-creation, laying the foundations for what would soon become the COVERE² project.

ELEKS visiting the University of Helsinki in Spring 2023

Building on this momentum, the University of Helsinki and ELEKS played a central role in shaping the project concept and bringing together complementary organisations. Their shared vision and combined expertise transformed an early idea into a strong, multi-partner consortium ready to address key challenges in sustainable agriculture.

Since then, the collaboration between the University of Helsinki and ELEKS has continued to grow, alongside ELEKS’ expanding engagement within the EIT Food ecosystem. This engagement has evolved into a diverse and complementary portfolio of four EIT Food–enabled projects: COVERE², THRIVE, 4InnoPipe2, and PATH2CC, a Collaborative Impact Funding Framework project coordinated by ELEKS. Each of these initiatives builds on shared knowledge, networks, and ambitions, reinforcing the long-term value of the partnership.

Crucially, these consortia were made possible through EIT Food’s networking platforms and matchmaking events. For example, ELEKS connected with Juntos Farm during an online Participants Café and with Queen’s University Belfast at a CLC West event in Edinburgh, connections that directly translated into project collaborations.

ELEKS hosted a stakeholder event at its London office, bringing together EIT Food and its partners, including the University of Reading and the University of Helsinki.

Beyond partnerships, this ecosystem-driven collaboration has delivered tangible outcomes. These include new pilots within existing projects, such as the Power Flow Tracing pilot at Juntos Farm under COVERE², co-hosted events like workshops at the EU Carbon Farming Summit in Dublin in 2025, joint publications for public dissemination, and ongoing knowledge sharing across organisations.

ELEKS team visiting Valio, a long-time partner of the University of Helsinki in conjunction with a consortium meeting in 2024.

The COVERE² and EIT Food partnership ultimately demonstrates the transformative power of collaboration. Driven by a shared ambition to close critical gaps in sustainable agriculture, it brings together complementary capabilities to create meaningful, lasting impact, showcasing how innovation ecosystems like EIT Food can turn connections into real-world solutions.

Here’s to many more connections and innovative ideas!