On 19–20 February 2026, Madrid brought together the eight European research consortia that form the EIC Pathfinder Precision Nutrition Portfolio, providing an opportunity for the participating teams to exchange knowledge, explore synergies and strengthen connections between research, innovation and industry. The meeting was hosted by IMDEA Nutrition, coordinator of Mentoring for Health, one of the projects within the portfolio.
Among the organisers was Ivan Stefanic, Programme Manager at the European Innovation Council (EIC), who joined the meeting to share his perspective on the Pathfinder programme and the value of collaboration across the portfolio.
From bold ideas to future technologies
The EIC Pathfinder supports early-stage research and bold technological ideas, helping promising concepts progress towards further development through other EIC instruments such as Transition and Accelerator.
According to Ivan Stefanic, one of the key strengths of the EIC approach is its portfolio model. By bringing together projects working towards a common mission but with different expertise, technologies and resources, collaboration can generate value beyond what individual projects could achieve alone.
Why Precision Nutrition?
For Ivan Stefanic, Precision Nutrition is becoming increasingly important in the face of major global health challenges, including obesity and chronic diseases. Food is much more than a source of calories: it provides the building blocks for our bodies and can influence biological processes in highly individual ways.
Understanding factors such as age, sex, metabolism and the gut microbiome is therefore essential to developing more personalised nutritional strategies.
The eight projects in the portfolio are addressing this challenge from different perspectives, from microbiome and functional ingredients to metabolic health, biomarkers, artificial intelligence and personalised interventions.
A shared mission
The Madrid meeting highlighted the potential of bringing these complementary approaches together. As Ivan Stefanic noted, the participating teams are not only developing individual solutions but also working towards integrating them into broader systems and creating greater value for society and future users.
Watch the full interview to learn more about the EIC Pathfinder, the Precision Nutrition Portfolio and the future of European innovation.
