On 17-18 December 2025, partners from the VISION4FOOD project met in Valladolid, Spain, for the Semester Consortium Meeting, marking the end of the project’s first year. The meeting was a great opportunity for everyone to get informed of what has been achieved so far, align on what’s coming next, and strengthen collaboration to achive the project’s goal: To help drive food system transformation across Europe.

The first day focused on updates and coordination across the main Work Packages. Partners shared progress on mapping food system transformation through open innovation and Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) approaches (WP1). Discussions covered regional R&I agendas, value chain analysis, stakeholder mapping, and how these activities link with RRI principles.

There was also a strong focus on the development of VISION4FOOD’s governance model and acceleration frameworks (WP2), as well as regional stakeholder engagement through multi-actor innovation hubs (WP3). Partners exchanged experiences on how to better support regional actors and co-create acceleration agendas that reflect local food innovation ecosystems.

In the afternoon, attention shifted to dissemination, exploitation, and synergies (WP6). This session highlighted current communication activities, innovation management efforts, and collaboration with related initiatives. The day wrapped up with a training session on integrating RRI principles into project work, followed by an interactive workshop with pilot partners on the governance model framework.

The second day included a regional activity organised by JCYL, featuring a visit to a local winery. This hands-on experience helped link project discussions to real regional food systems and gave partners the chance to continue conversations in a more informal setting.

Overall, the Valladolid meeting was an important milestone for VISION4FOOD, helping align partners and set clear priorities for the next phase of the project.