Implementation of TAPE-Food Industry – Territorial Action Plan for Employment in Food Industry

Press release – Dunajská Streda

Date of publishing: 07.09.2020. / publishing immediately

The main objective of TAPE – Food Industry (SKHU1701/3.1/110) Territorial Action Plan for Employment is to enhance the employment mobility in food industry within the programming region. The project realized within the framework of Interreg V-A Slovakia-Hungary Cooperation Programme (Priority axis 3) is supported by the European Regional Development Fund.. The main objective of the project is to establish a sustainable, internationally competitive food industry on the Slovak-Hungarian border area, not only increasing the efficiency of SMEs, but also supporting job creation in the region.

The food industry is facing significant changes. Higher consumer expectations require a greater commitment from all market players in order to produce simpler, healthier and higher quality food produce. The changing global trend has to be addressed. The sector of food industry has experienced a significant decline in the past 30 years. At the same time, the number of employees and professionals employed in the sector has decreased dramatically. The food industry, mainly represented by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) faced a disadvantaged position by capital-intensive multinational companies present on the market, which employ high-skilled human capital and proved to be more productive compared to small local and regional businesses. The food industry in Hungary and Slovakia is facing significant challenges to combat the decline and reverse the unfavourable trends in the industry. Innovation can be an effective tool on the path of development, but the neighbouring countries (Slovakia, Hungary) show low level of innovation activity, the level of public and corporate R&D expenditure is low, and the SME sector alone has lack of expertise and financial resources to develop marketable products. Innovation is a complex task. Innovation in food industry has a specific feature of being technological, cultural and affecting the whole supply chain through harvesting and processing to distribution. Implementation of this project enables to establish a pool of expertise by strengthening the cooperation between the research institutions, universities and professionals in order to promote the professions in food industry again. It will also create a healthy and competitive SME environment on both sides of the border.

A unique element of project implementation is establishing a strong cooperation of researchers and entrepreneurs resulting in added value that can be applied as a good practice for SMEs. The action plan consists of three synergic projects. The total budget of TAPE-Food Industry is 2 343 334,85 €, from which the contribution of the European Regional Development Fund is 1 991 834,62 €. The period of project implementation is 1st January 2020 – 30th April 2022.

As a part of the action plan, SKHU/1802/3.1/023 Co-innovation will be implemented from 1st January 2020 to 31st December 2021. The approved project budget is 716 468, 85 €, from which the ERDF contribution accounts for 608 998,52 €. The project is realized by the National Agriculture and Food Centre and the Faculty of Agriculture and Food Sciences of the Széchenyi István University in Mosonmagyaróvár. The institutions involved in the project conduct research and experiment to produce higher quality and healthier food products. Their commitment is to produce raw materials with high nutritional value by applying environmentally friendly methods.A TOOL PARK SUPPORTING THE FOOD INDUSTRY ACTIVITY will be established in Bratislava (Slovakia), which will introduce an innovative technology contributing to production of new and healthy regional produce. A CENTRE OF QUALITY ASSURANCE AND SUPPORT will be established in Győr (Hungary). The centre will provide the measurement of nutritional value of agricultural raw materials and finished products. The centre helps the project partners of LPP in realizing their business plans. As a project output, 1 workplace will be created by the National Agriculture and Food Centre (NPPC).

SKHU/1901/3.1/003 Local Product Processing with participation of SMEs will be implemented from 1st January 2020 to 31st December 2021. The approved project budget is 1 494 225,00 €, from which the ERDF contribution is 1 270 091,25 €. The project partnership consists of 3 Slovak and 2 Hungarian SMEs. The Lead Beneficiary of the project is K.K.V. – Union s.r.o. (Lehnice), further beneficiaries include: Kősziklás Borászat Kft. (Dunaszentmiklós, Hungary), Vörös Tészta Manufaktúra (Tarján, Hungary), Mäsovinky s.r.o. (Jablonica, Slovakia), AEH spol. s.r.o. (Pezinok, Slovakia). The SMEs involved in the project will lay the foundations for the development of new and healthy regional product range, and will establish a long-term cooperation between different players of food industry by introducing innovative technology and processing locally produced raw materials. The SMSs will also function as demonstration sites. In addition to implementing innovative technological processes, they are open to provide consultation services to interested SMEs and professionals. As a project output, each SME involved in the project will create a new workplace, in case of AEH s.r.o. 2 workplaces will be created, initiated by implementation of new technologies.

The approved budget of SKHU/1802/3.1/022 Coordination and Communication Project is 132 641,00 €, from which the ERDF contribution is 112 744,85 €. The implementation period of the project started on 1st January 2020 and will finish on 30th April 2022. The RDV EGTC was established in 2011 as a non-profit organization aimed at successful cooperation of municipalities, local and regional authorities of the RDV EGTC region. The RDV EGTC based in Tatabánya involves 5 members: Trnava Self-Governing Region, Komárom-Esztergom County, Győr-Moson-Sopron County, Bratislava Self-Governing Region, Pest County. In addition to ensuring project-level communication tasks, the task of RDV EGTC in the project will be to promote the project results and achievements. This task is achieved by organizing thematic meetings for the target audience, managing the website of TAPE-Food Industry, ensuring media presence by publishing articles in local and regional newspapers, promoting the project activities in the local and regional media, preparing „TAPE movie“ about the project implementation and synergy between the projects, as well as preparing trailers about the implementation of innovative technologies in SMEs involved in the project. The main objective of RDV EGTC is to ensure the transfer of professional knowledge and introduction of innovative practices applied by project partners to a wider scope of audience.

The content of press release does not necessarily represent the official position of the European Union. (Detailed information about the programme can be found on the programme website of Interreg V-A Slovakia-Hungary Cooperation Programme: www.skhu.eu)

Please feel free to contact for further information:

Vasiová Ema, director

E-mail: director@rdvegtc.eu

Mobil: 00421 905 335074 Web: http://tape-foodindustry.eu/