EIT Food’s 7th Anniversary
An interview with Dr. Maarten van der Kamp on past achievements and future aspirations
As EIT Food celebrates its 7th anniversary, Dr. Maarten van der Kamp, Director of Education, shares his thoughts on the progress made over the past seven years and his vision for the future.
Discover his insights on the evolution of EIT Food Education, the challenges ahead, the role of strategic partnerships and the importance of lasting impact.
Maarten, could you share a bit about your background, and what led you to join EIT Food?
‘I've been the Director of Education at EIT Food since early 2018. My career has spanned various sectors, starting in the medical field, where I worked on developing devices in multidisciplinary teams. However, sustainability has been the true thread running through my professional life over the past 25 years. I've always been interested in how entrepreneurial skills can be mobilised to promote sustainability. Before joining EIT Food, I taught sustainable and social entrepreneurship, conducted doctoral research on sustainability, and managed a network of entrepreneurship centres at UK universities. This passion for teaching and developing skills naturally led me to my current role at EIT Food.’
‘As Director of Education, I'm focused on creating and implementing educational programmes that resonate across Europe. My goal is to ensure high-quality, impactful education that prepares individuals to drive the transformation of the food system. This role has allowed me to think creatively about investments, programme types, and partnerships to achieve our mission. We need to foster a culture of practical, long-lasting skills development, grounded in real-world challenges, to bring about the change that we seek in the food system. We also must foster collaboration across the siloes in the food system because that is the only way we will see change happen at scale.’
How has the food industry evolved over the past 7 years? What changes have you observed in the skills required for students, professionals, and companies?
‘One of the significant shifts in the market has been the increased emphasis on leadership, entrepreneurship, and technical skills. While there's growing recognition of the importance of these skills, we still face challenges in getting employers to invest in training. Many companies rely on on-the-job learning, which limits the depth of skills their workforce can develop. This is concerning, given that around 40% of the workforce will need to radically transform their skillsets in the coming years.’
‘One of our ambitions at EIT Food is to bridge this gap by providing tools and resources that make it easier for employers to invest in their workforce. The food industry, in particular, faces narrow margins, which often makes companies hesitant to allocate resources to education. However, the costs of not investing in skills—such as hiring new employees or losing productivity—are substantial. We aim to make these costs clear and demonstrate the value of our programmes, which are essential for fostering innovation, new business models, and sustainable practices across the industry.’’
‘On the other hand, we are now starting to see a real shift in the careers that graduates choose. Entrepreneurship and venture creation are becoming serious career prospects, either as a founder or by joining an early stage startup. And in research we see more focus on technology commercialisation where the researcher remains involved in how their research impacts society. This is a significant change where PhD students and postdocs use their agency as innovators. From a skills perspective this means we need to equip individuals with the capabilities to drive ventures and spin-outs.’
Can you describe how EIT Food Education’s positioning and offerings have evolved since its founding in 2017?
‘We began with a small portfolio of experimental programmes, learning through trial and error which approaches were most effective. Over the years, we've streamlined our efforts, moving away from working with multiple consortia on similar projects, and instead concentrating on centralised rollouts with strong partner involvement. Entrepreneurship and innovation have become core competencies in all our programmes, reflecting our commitment and demonstrating our impact to drive change in the food system.’
‘Another significant shift has been our structured approach to the skills we aim to develop. Our competency framework, which now underpins everything we do, is designed to cultivate the mindset and capabilities necessary for a sustainable food system. We're also expanding our reach by opening up our platform to third-party training providers, ensuring that our impact continues to grow across Europe. While we're still working to increase our market share, our reputation has strengthened, and we're increasingly being invited to participate in projects funded by other organisations.’
‘Meanwhile, our team has expanded significantly and now includes approximately 25 members, with expertise in programme design and management, entrepreneurship education, marketing, alumni relations, and quality assurance. I'm incredibly proud of the work we've accomplished together, and the enthusiasm and support that our team brings to EIT Food Education.’
‘What hasn’t changed is our focus on what we call the Knowledge Triangle: the interaction between science, industry and education to make sure the learning we foster is challenge-based and leads to real innovations that drive change in the food system. This means that we work intensively with industry, startups and universities—and that won’t ever change.
Who are the key players in EIT Food’s educational ecosystem?
‘We have a core group of partners who are deeply committed to our vision and collaborate closely with us on both our current programmes and future plans. These strategic partners are essential for the inspiration and insight they provide, helping us guide our learners through their educational journeys.’
‘In addition to our core partners, we work with a broader network of passionate collaborators who contribute to the energy and success of our programmes. They provide valuable perspectives on market opportunities and innovation, collaborate on projects and engage with learners. For instance, we engage with food safety regulators to ensure our students are informed about the latest legislation, such as regulations on new ingredients. This dynamic ecosystem of partners is one of the reasons we have a Net Promoter Score of 77%, which is exceptionally high and speaks to the quality of our collaborations.’
‘In total, our ecosystem of partners includes over 280 organisations across Europe, including universities, research organisations, industry, startups, NGOs, policy makers and ministries. And it’s the people within those organisations who make the work really happen—they have the passion, energy and expertise to codesign and deliver our programmes.’
“What are your 7 highlights of EIT Food Education over the past 7 years?‘There are so many highlights I don’t think I can limit myself to only 7! Over the past 7 years we have run over 200 programmes, here are the real highlights that stand out...see below...”
1. Master in Food Systems (MFS)
This unique programme offers students an incredible journey with excellent career opportunities.
The moment when the first cohort graduated in 2021 was very special indeed as it was the final validation of the experimental design of the programme.
And it was the first face-to-face moment with students and faculty after the Covid pandemic broke out.
2. Global Food Venture Programme (GFVP) Doctoral Degree
This programme helps PhD students think about the impact of their research and gives them the skills to commercialise their research.
Each cohort has notable startups, with success stories like Orbem, which secured investment from the European Investment Council.
3. Professional Development Framework
Our competency framework, which began as a sketch on a plane, is now a robust tool used across our course catalogue.
It has been adopted by HR managers in recruitment processes and has a reach beyond the EIT Food partnership as other organisations are working with it as well.
Moreover, we can certify learners against this framework, thereby helping their employability.
4. WE Lead Food
This programme is special as it challenges the systems that maintain the gender gap at decision-making levels.
It creates enabling environments where women leaders thrive and can be inspired by other women leaders.
The result is a highly active network of now over 500 women who are making waves in their organisations and beyond.
5. MOOCs - Online Courses
Our online courses have reached a broad audience of over 230,000 enrolled individuals.
They focus on different topics and make learning very accessible, supporting consumers, citizens and professionals to explore core concepts in food system transformation.
I was part of the global team designing a course on nutrition, health and sustainability for healthcare professionals to enhance their learning.
The experience gave me a real insight into how fully online courses need to be designed to be effective and to retain learners.
6. Career Builders
Programmes like Inspire and Food Solutions provide students with hands-on experience in innovation and entrepreneurship, building business models and product prototypes.
Each year, these initiatives result in the creation of more startups, such as Holiroots, emerging from these initiatives.
What stands out to me is the enthusiasm and spark evident in the students as they present their ideas, showcasing the future leaders of the sector.
7. Public Sector Representatives Programme
This programme engages policymakers in a dialogue about transforming the food system and provides an international network for learning and collaboration.
This approach is truly novel and has already led to several international collaborations!
8. Skills for the Future
This programme focuses on youth aged 16 to 18, aiming to develop their entrepreneurial skills and highlight career opportunities in the food sector.
Our main focus has been the South of Italy, where participants tackle real-world challenges and often achieve impressive results like winning national awards for their innovative ideas.
9. Supporting Farmers
Farmers play a key role in the food system transition.
Since 2018, we have been working to support them so that technological advancements, regenerative practices and novel business models can help their work.
Our ambition is to create a competence centre providing farmers with new skills and guidance on regenerative agriculture.
This is where learning is probably the most tangible, with virtual farm walks and intense discussions between delegates resulting in all sorts of experiments and trials.
10. HEI Initiative
Since 2021, we have worked closely with the other Knowledge Innovation Communities under the European Institute of Innovation and Technology.
Our aim is to help universities transform by aligning their research with commercial opportunities and providing training on entrepreneurship.
With thousands of learners benefiting from this programme each year, it has significantly contributed to building a more innovative and entrepreneurial academic environment. ‘
How do you see the needs and expectations of students, professionals, and companies evolving?
‘In the coming years, I expect that the demand for skills in leadership, entrepreneurship, and innovation will continue to grow.
The food system is undergoing a radical transformation, and with it, the skills required by the workforce.
Companies will need to invest more in developing these skills, not just to stay competitive but to drive the sustainable changes necessary for the future.
We at EIT Food are committed to staying at the forefront of this transformation, providing the education and resources needed to equip the next generation of leaders in the agrifood sector.’
‘It is important to realise that it takes a long time for talented and skilled individuals to filter into the workforce and to be effective in driving change.
This means we need to plant the seeds now for the future workforce, who will be facing challenges that we cannot even start to imagine.
It is clear that resilience and dealing with uncertainty must be combined with a creative and collaborative mindset for these individuals to succeed.’
How is EIT Food Education preparing for the future?
‘Our goal for the coming 7 years is to significantly expand our impact within the food system, by focusing on key topics and skills that could drive broader systemic change.
To achieve this, we will intensify our efforts to build synergies and partnerships, scaling our approach to reach more people and create a substantial shift in the industry.’
What advice would you give to individual learners and companies to prepare for the future of skills and professional development?
‘For companies, it's crucial to anticipate sector changes and invest in the necessary skills and competencies to support future growth. Proactively identifying trends and potential skill gaps will prevent being left behind.
For individual learners, focusing on skills and mindset is essential, as knowledge alone can become obsolete quickly. Aim to make a meaningful impact and seek opportunities where you can truly excel.
For both companies and learners, maintaining curiosity and taking responsibility for driving change are key to staying ahead in an evolving industry.
In short: learning to transform the food system.’