BCCI is interested in cooperating in the following areas within the call topic “Towards diverse, sustainable and circular food processing systems”:

-Valorisation of by-products and side-streams

-Identification of by-product sources in Bursa’s processed and packaged food sectors (fruit & vegetable, dairy, bakery, etc.).

-SME pilots for transforming side-streams into value-added ingredients, functional components, or new product lines.

-Sustainable and circular processing models for SMEs

-Co-development and demonstration of circular business models (waste minimisation, reuse, resource efficiency) with UR-GE project companies.

-Benchmarking and transfer of good practices to food SMEs in Bursa and other regions.

-Innovative, eco-friendly packaging solutions

-Collaboration with packaging producers and machinery firms to test recyclable, biodegradable, or reduced-plastic packaging options.

-Joint projects on improving shelf-life, food safety, and logistics performance through advanced packaging.

-Product reformulation for diverse consumer groups

-Use of BTSO Mutfak Akademi’s facilities to support R&D on healthier formulations and special dietary products (children, elderly, athletes, specific health needs).

-Sensory tests, prototype development, and training for SMEs on adapting products to evolving consumer expectations.

-Skills development, training and capacity building

Design and delivery of training programs (via BTSO Mutfak Akademi) on sustainable processing, hygiene, food safety, and circular economy practices.

-Upskilling of technical staff, managers, and entrepreneurs in participating companies. Living lab / pilot demonstration environment

-Providing a regional “testbed” through BCCI’s member network and BTSO Mutfak Akademi for piloting new technologies, processes, and packaging concepts.

-Organising demonstration days and feedback workshops with industry stakeholders.

-Leading or supporting communication, dissemination, and clustering activities toward food companies in Bursa and at national/international level.

-Organising B2B events, info meetings, and brokerage activities to connect project partners with relevant SMEs and institutions

Bursa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) is a leading chamber in Turkey, representing 60,000 member companies including a strong and diverse food and food-processing industry cluster. Bursa has a long-standing industrial tradition and is a national hub for processed foods, packaged foods, cold-chain logistics, food machinery, and export-oriented SMEs.

BCCI acts as a strategic facilitator between industry, academia, and public authorities—leading initiatives that strengthen competitiveness, encourage innovation, and support international collaboration. BCCI has coordinated multiple UR-GE projects funded by the Turkish Ministry of Trade for companies in the processed food and packaged food sectors. These projects aim to improve export capacity of SMEs, support technology adoption and product development and provide needs analysis, training, and consultancy for companies involved in innovative food production and packaging. Through these initiatives, BCCI has built strong networks among food producers, packaging companies, machinery suppliers, and logistics providers—creating an ecosystem ready for collaborative R&D and sustainability-focused transformation.

BCCI can mobilize its extensive member network to support pilot projects on:

Valorisation of by-products from fruit & vegetable processing, dairy, bakery, and packaged foods
Integration of circular economy models, including waste minimisation and repurposing strategies
Adoption of resource-efficient technologies, energy-saving methods, and sustainable packaging solutions
Through its UR-GE groups, BCCI can identify participating SMEs ready to implement circular business models and test innovative solutions.

BCCI’s affiliated entity, BTSO Kitchen Academy, is a state-of-the-art training and innovation center supporting regional talent development and food ecosystem capacity building. Its mission is to train qualified professionals for the food industry, to promote innovative, hygienic, and sustainable food preparation and processing practices and to support industry–academia collaboration and pilot testing environments. The Academy has Capacity for pilot-scale processing trials, demonstrations, and workforce upskilling.