Deliverable: 6.3 Title: First update Dissemination, Communication and Exploitation Plan

D6.3. First update DCE Plan I page 1 of 53 Deliverable: 6.3 Title: First update Dissemination, Communication and Exploitation Plan Project information Project Title Networking for excellence in the development of innovative, consumer-oriented horticultural food products using the Living Lab approach Acronym: HortiFoodTrends Grant agreement: 101159293 Topic HORIZON-WIDERA-2023-ACCESS-02-01 - Twinning Bottom-Up Type of action Horizon - Coordination and Support Action Granting authority European Research Executive Agency Start date of the project 1 June 2024 Duration 36 months Project Coordinator Monika Mieszczakowska-Frąc Project Website www.hortifoodtrends.eu D6.3. First update DCE Plan I page 2 of 53 Deliverable information Deliverable title First update Dissemination, Communication and Exploitation Plan Deliverable number 6.3 Deliverable version 1.0 Work Package WP6, Dissemination, Communication and Exploitation Contractual date of delivery M17 - 31/10/2025 Actual date of delivery M17 - 30/10/2025 Deliverable type: R – Document, report Responsible Partner InHort Authoring & Approval Authors Katarzyna Hołownicka, Natalia Popłonikowska, Adam Kaźmierczak Reviewers Monika Mieszczakowska-Frąc, Michael Bom Frøst, Ronan Symoneaux, Agnès Giboreau Approved for submission Monika Mieszczakowska-Frąc Dissemination level PU Public, fully open, e.g. web (Deliverables flagged as public will be automatically published in CORDIS project’s page) X SEN Sensitive, limited under the conditions of the Grant Agreement Classified R-UE/EU-R EU RESTRICTED under the Commission Decision No2015/444 Classified C-UE/EU-C EU CONFIDENTIAL under the Commission Decision No2015/444 Classified S-UE/EU-S UE/EU-S – EU SECRET under the Commission Decision No2015/444 Document History Version Date Description of Change V0.1 05/10/2025 First draft V0.2 10/10/2025 Second draft version incorporating review comments V0.3 30/10/2025 Final draft send to Coo V1.0 30/10/2025 Final version submitted to EC by the Coo Disclaimer This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe Innovation programme under grant agreement No 101159293. Disclaimer: This report only reflects the views of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official opinion of the European Union. The European Commission is not liable for any use that may be made of the information contained therein. Configuration Management: Document Location The latest version of this controlled document is stored in D6.3 First update Dissemination, Communication and Exploitation Plan. D6.3. First update DCE Plan I page 3 of 53 TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................................................................. 5 TABLE OF ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS ............................................................................................ 6 1. INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................................... 7 1.1. Changes provided to the DCE Plan after 17 months of the project implementation. ............................. 8 2. TARGET GROUP AND KEY MESSAGES ................................................................................................... 8 3. DISSEMINATION STRATEGY AND PLAN ............................................................................................... 14 3.1. Dissemination objectives ....................................................................................................................... 14 3.2. Dissemination channels ......................................................................................................................... 14 3.2.1. Scientific articles ........................................................................................................................ 14 3.2.2. Events participation ................................................................................................................... 16 3.2.3. Conference organisation ........................................................................................................... 18 3.2.4. Round Table, Winter School, Training, Workshops organisation .............................................. 19 3.3. Synergies with relevant existing networks/projects .............................................................................. 19 3.4. Official EU Key Tools............................................................................................................................... 20 3.5. Open Science .......................................................................................................................................... 20 3.6. Dissemination Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) ................................................................................. 21 4. COMMUNICATION STRATEGY AND PLAN ........................................................................................... 22 4.1. Communication objectives ..................................................................................................................... 22 4.2. Communication tools and channels ....................................................................................................... 22 4.2.1. Project Website ......................................................................................................................... 22 4.2.2. Social Media channels ............................................................................................................... 23 4.2.3. Project Newsletter and Press Releases ..................................................................................... 25 4.2.4. Promotion materials .................................................................................................................. 28 4.3. Communication Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) .............................................................................. 28 4.4. Visual Identity ........................................................................................................................................ 29 4.5. Funding Statements ............................................................................................................................... 30 4.6. European General Data Protection Regulations .................................................................................... 30 5. EXPLOITATION STRATEGY AND PLAN ................................................................................................. 32 5.1. Obligation and definitions ...................................................................................................................... 32 5.2. Potential exploitation routes ................................................................................................................. 32 5.3. The context of project activities that generate results .......................................................................... 33 5.4. Exploitable results .................................................................................................................................. 36 5.5. Exploitation activities ............................................................................................................................. 37 5.6. Intellectual Property (IP) Management within the project .................................................................... 40 6. COMMUNICATION AND DISSEMINATION MANAGEMENT STRUCTURE .............................................. 40 6.1. Partners’ responsibilities ........................................................................................................................ 40 6.2. Minimum communication actions for every project partner ................................................................ 41 6.3. Procedures and monitoring ................................................................................................................... 41 7. COMMUNICATION AND DISSEMINATION ACTIVITIES SCHEDULE ........................................................ 42 D6.3. First update DCE Plan I page 4 of 53 8. OVERVIEW OF DISSEMINATION AND COMMUNICATION ACTIVITIES IN MONTHS M1-M17 (1/06/2024 – 31/10/2025) ............................................................................................................................... 44 9. CONCLUSIONS .................................................................................................................................... 50 ANNEX 1 HORTIFOODTRENDS - PROMOTIONAL MATERIAL.................................................................... 51 D6.3. First update DCE Plan I page 5 of 53 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ‘Dissemination, Communication and Exploitation Plan’ aims to design the strategy, plan, and activities to be implemented under the HortiFoodTrends project, to maximise the project’s visibility and impact. This is a living document that will be updated and adjusted on M17 and at the end of the project (M36). This deliverable, “First update DCE Plan”, includes updated information on communication and dissemination messages, publication and conference proceedings, events relevant to dissemination and communication strategy, a list of other projects, initiatives and international societies for project dissemination, the structure of the project website, changes to social media channels, the actual values of dissemination and communication Key Performance Indicators, and an overview of dissemination and communication activities conducted from June 2024 to October 2025. With the overall project aim of strengthening the scientific excellence and innovation capacity of InHort in the field of novel food product development, considering the needs of the end user, by establishing a longlasting, interdisciplinary collaboration network, the activities described here focus on: • creating visibility and raising awareness among all target audiences during the project; • sharing knowledge and findings developed within the project; • identifying exploitable results from HortiFoodTrends and working on their utilisation after the project. D6.3. First update DCE Plan I page 6 of 53 TABLE OF ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS Abbreviation Meaning CA Consortium Agreement CPPO HortiFood Processing Centre CSR Corporate Social Responsibility DCE Dissemination, Communication, Exploitation ESR Early Stage Researchers GA The General Assembly GDPR The General Data Protection Regulation IP Intellectual property IPR Intellectual property rights KER Key Exploitable Results KPIs Key Performance Indicators NCPs National Contact Points R&I Research and Innovation REA European Research Executive Agency ROI Return on Investment SME Small and medium enterprises TL Task leader WP Work Package WPL Work Package Leader WPLG Work Package Leaders Group D6.3. First update DCE Plan I page 7 of 53 1. INTRODUCTION The present deliverable details the Dissemination, Communication and Exploitation (DCE) Plan for HortiFoodTrends. Its main objective is to provide partners with a set of guidelines, responsibilities, and timelines for effectively disseminating the project in a strategic and targeted manner. DCE Plan lists all planned dissemination and communication activities, tools, and channels. It matches them with target stakeholder categories and key performance indicators (KPIs) that will be used to evaluate the planned activities. The exploitation chapter explains the project’s approach and strategy to make the best use of the project results, further maximise its impact, and ensure the sustainability of its major activities, outcomes, and developed tools, even after its end. This plan was developed during the first six months of the project and is part of WP6 – Dissemination, communication and exploitation. It is a living document that will be regularly updated. The implementation, management and support of the DCE Plan will be coordinated by the leader of WP6 - InHort, with the active participation of all partners. According to the grant agreement, beneficiaries of Horizon Europe projects have a legal obligation to engage in dissemination, exploitation, and communication activities to disseminate research results and maximise the impact of their projects. According to the Grant Agreement, the beneficiaries of the Horizon Europe projects have a legal obligation to engage in dissemination, exploitation, and communication activities. The general concept of these activities is described in Table 1. Table 1: Definitions of Communication, Dissemination and Exploitation in Horizon Europe COMMUNICATION Inform, promote and communicate activities and results DISSEMINATION Make knowledge and results publicly available free-ofcharge EXPLOITATION Make concrete use of results for commercial, societal and political purposes For Whom Citizens, stakeholders and the media For Whom For those who can learn and benefit from the results, such as: scientist, industry, public authorities, policymakers, civil society For Whom For those who can take the results forward or invest in them, such as: researchers, stakeholders, industry (also SMEs), public authorities, policymakers, civil society How ✓ Having a well-designed strategy ✓ Conveying clear message ✓ Using the right channels How Public results in: ✓ Scientific magazines ✓ Scientific and/or targeted conferences ✓ Databases How ✓ Creating roadmaps, prototypes, software ✓ Sharing knowledge, skills, data When ✓ From the start until the end of action When ✓ Anytime, as soon as results become available ✓ Up to four years after the end of the project When ✓ Towards the end of the action and beyond, as soon as exploitable results are available D6.3. First update DCE Plan I page 8 of 53 ✓ Up to four years after the end of the project Why ✓ Engage with stakeholder ✓ Attract the best expert ✓ Raise awareness of how public money is spend ✓ Show the success of the European collaborations Why ✓ Maximise the impact of the action ✓ Allow other researchers to go a step forward ✓ Contribute to the advancements of world class knowledge ✓ Make scientific results a common good Why ✓ Lead to new legislation or recommendations ✓ For the benefit of innovation, the economy and society ✓ Help to tackle a problem and respond to an existing demand It is a legal obligation! Article 17 of GA It is a legal obligation! Article 17 of GA It is a legal obligation! Annex 5: Specific Rules and Article 16 of GA Source: https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/58ad3394-0a63-11ee-b12e-01aa75ed71a1/language-en. 1.1. Changes provided to the DCE Plan after 17 months of the project implementation. • Minor changes in communication and dissemination messages. • New positions in Table 2: Publication in international peer-reviewed journals and conference proceedings. • New positions in Table 3: Events relevant to dissemination and communication strategy (Preliminary map). • New positions in Table 4: List of other projects, initiatives and international societies for project dissemination • New theme of newsletter no.3 in Table 8: Newsletter planning and e.g. themes • The project website's structure was updated. In February 2025, minor new features and improvements were added, enhancing its effectiveness as a tool to raise awareness of the project's objectives and outcomes, and to increase the project's visibility among target audiences. • Changes to social media channels. Initially, the project established an account on Platform X. However, because only a few target group representatives were searching for information about the project on that platform, the consortium chose to focus its increased outreach efforts on LinkedIn and Facebook. • Actual values of dissemination and communication Key Performance Indicators. • An overview of dissemination and communication activities conducted from June 2024 to October 2025. 2. TARGET GROUP AND KEY MESSAGES Stakeholder mapping is key to developing an effective dissemination and engagement strategy and supporting a viable exploitation plan. Before undertaking any dissemination/communication activities, it is crucial to consider specific target groups to tailor messages to their needs. Understanding their needs and priorities allows for effective planning of DC activities, reach, and involve the right external players in the execution of the project and its post-action planning. In particular, for effective dissemination/communication, it is necessary to analyse each target group, taking into account their different concerns, capacities, and interests (Who are they? What interests them about our project? What are they thinking now? What do we want them to think?). PROJECT PARTNERS The direct beneficiaries of the project will be the staff of the project partners directly involved in the activities, followed by the entire community of partner institutions and the institutions themselves. D6.3. First update DCE Plan I page 9 of 53 What do we want to achieve by reaching this target group? InHort: • improve research, administrative and management capabilities of InHort staff to conduct excellent research and generate innovation for the benefit of society and the economy. Developing research capacity will ensure career advancement and enhance the fulfilment of academic goals. • strengthen InHort's international position as a leading European centre for research and innovation in the agri-food sector. InHort will gain status as a world-class excellence research centre to apply the research results in the field of novel HortiFood products development, considering the needs of the end-users by using the Living Lab approach. • contribute to specific scientific advances, across and within disciplines of science of agriculture and horticulture as well as nutrition and food technology, including the use of models, algorithms and other state-of-the-art techniques in the sensory evaluation of food products and consumer research. • expand research network connected with increased mobility in an international arena. All project partners: • make use of joint publications and projects, jointly develop new innovative products or services; enrich PhD project (ESR, InHort), sharing PhD student projects (all); • identify a current HortiFoodTrends: end-user expectation and response towards novel HortiFood products; • provide access to semi-industrial equipment at the HortiFood Processing Centre, fostering innovation, and provide access to diversified InHort raw material resources; • stimulate common research, commercial opportunities, and knowledge exchange by establishing a long-lasting collaboration; • possess an additional source of science funding. Key message: Creating opportunities to acquire the skills of a top-class researcher; building a successful network in the field of designing and commercialising innovative, end-user-oriented HortiFood products with the potential to increase F&V consumption. Communication message: “Join the HortiFoodTrends project to improve your research skills, broaden your network, and further your career as a PhD student or young researcher. We provide comprehensive training and support to help you succeed in your field. “Collaborate with fellow researchers in our capacity-building project and elevate your work. Join a vibrant community of scholars to share knowledge, develop skills, and produce impactful research. Our project provides a unique opportunity to strengthen connections and address complex challenges together.” “Join us in enhancing research management skills! Be part of our collaborative capacity-building project and help shape the future of research administration. Get involved today!” DC activities and tools: All, in particular: Project website, Newsletter, Social Media, Project Conference, Events organisations. D6.3. First update DCE Plan I page 16 of 53 Project foresees: • 4 peer-reviewed scientific articles resulting from the Programme. According to the Grant Agreement, articles in peer-reviewed journals will be put in Open access (see par. 3.5 Open Science). 3.2.2. Events participation Target audience: citizens, consumers, researchers and admin staff at InHort, partner institutions and other relevant Research Centres and Universities, local, regional, ministries (agriculture, economy), governmental organisations and agencies responsible for agri-food, bioeconomy, innovative production of food, food quality evaluation, innovative technologies for food preservation, Companies interested in innovative product development, sensory and consumer research, farming associations, smart farming companies, producers, technology providers. Objectives: • To present and discuss the project's research findings and innovations with a broad audience; • To build and strengthen networks with other researchers, industry professionals, policy makers, and the general public; • To promote the HortiFoodTrends project and its objectives, encouraging participation and collaboration. Participation in well-known, high-quality international and national conferences is important for disseminating the project's results to a broader scientific audience and industrial experts. The project will promote oral and poster presentations at scientific conferences targeting relevant domains for the project. Seminars, fairs, festivals, and other significant events are appropriate opportunities to disseminate project results, share insights with wider communities, and promote the project. By attending these events, HortiFoodTrends can effectively network with key stakeholders and foster collaboration within the sensory/food/horticulture community. The main events relevant to the project's dissemination and communication strategy are reported in Table 3. Table 3: Events relevant to dissemination and communication strategy (Preliminary map). Event Date Place Aim Importance for the project 16th Pangborn Sensory Science Symposium. August 17 – 21, 2025 Philadelphia, USA; Presentation of project progress and results from research It is the largest sensory and consumer science conference in the world. It brings together leading academic scientists, researchers and research scholars to exchange and share their experiences and research results on all aspects of sensory and consumer science The International Conference on Horticulture (MDPI) May, 2729, 2025 Online Presentation of project progress and results from research It brings together leading academic scientists, researchers and research scholars to exchange and D6.3. First update DCE Plan I page 17 of 53 share their experiences and research results on horticulture and fruit & vegetables processing science Eurosense September 8-11, 2026 Oslo, Norway Presentation of project progress and results from research It is the largest sensory and consumer science conference in Europe. It is regarded as the conference with the highest scientific level in the field of sensory and consumer science Sensometrics 2026 Tbd The Sensometric Society - Sensometrics 2024 Applied statistics research International Conference on Food Oral Processing May 12-15 2025 Valencia, Spain 7th International Conference on Food Oral Processing Physics, Physiology and Psychology of Eating - Home Texture research European Chemoreception Research Organization September 15-18 2025 Bilbao, Spain ISOT2024 - Home Flavour research FoodFakty Summit Food4tomorrow November 5-6 2025 Łódź, Poland Presentation of project progress and results from research, networking The most important event in Poland, uniquely connecting the worlds of science, business, and administration, offering extensive knowledge related to the food industry. An excellent place to learn about the latest trends and an opportunity to network with processors and investors. The Fruit and Vegetable Industry Fair TSW January 2026/2027 Warsaw Poland Presentation of project progress and results from research The largest and most important industry fair in Poland and in this part of Europe, visited by professionals and producers of fruit and vegetables, engineers, food processors and the academic community. E3S Symposium 2026 March 2026 Zurich, Switzerland Presentation of project progress and results from research, networking Symposium organised by Food Sensory Science Group (IG Sensorik) in collaboration with the European Sensory Science Society. D6.3. First update DCE Plan I page 18 of 53 The Festival of Flower, Fruits and Vegetables in Skierniewice September 2024/2025 /2026 Skierniewice, Poland Present the project, networking The event brings together various stakeholders related to horticulture, fruit and vegetable processing, consumer. Dissemination of project results among the community. ICPH & ICoFF 2026 (The 12th International Conference on Polyphenols and Health and the 9th International Conference on Food Factors, ICoFF) October 2026 Yokohama/ Japan Presentation of results from research One of the largest international events dedicated to food and the importance of healthpromoting compounds in food. It covers a general approach to nutrition and food. International Conference BACIF (Biologically Active Compounds in Food) 2026 or 2027 Łódż/Poland Presentation of results from research International conference gathers scientific communities in the field of bioactive compounds of natural origin, such as phenolic compounds, including anthocyanins. 3.2.3. Conference organisation Target audience: a wide range of stakeholders, including horticultural researchers, specialists in sensory and consumer research, market and product developers active in the food industry, industry representatives, academia and stakeholder representatives from other relevant projects, policy makers, investors, and the general public. Objectives: • To present the main outcomes and innovations developed during the HortiFoodTrends project; • To facilitate networking and knowledge exchange among stakeholders; • To highlight the benefits and impact of the interdisciplinary collaboration established through the project; • To make it possible for interested actors to use/exploit part of the results in their own respective work areas; • To promote further cooperation, develop synergies, and foster research and innovation networks. This event aims to disseminate and present the project's research results, developed innovations, and good practices of stakeholders related to innovative products and processes in the food sector. The first results in terms of new ideas for products and services, as emerged from the Living Lab/CPPO will be presented. Roadmap and avenues for future research/Scientific Strategy will be officially presented. The event will involve a variety of participants, including stakeholders, project partners, industry experts, institutional representatives, and other interested parties. It serves as an opportunity to share knowledge, promote the project's visibility, and establish connections with other professionals or organisations that may be interested in the project's outcomes. Moreover, this will be an opportunity to discuss next steps, including potential practical applications of the project's outcomes, as well as further research and related D6.3. First update DCE Plan I page 19 of 53 developments. Academia and stakeholder representatives from other relevant projects, R&I networks, etc., will be invited to share research, experience, and best practices in related fields to foster joint synergies and future cooperation. 3.2.4. Round Table, Winter School, Training, Workshops organisation Target audience: project partners, local authorities, NGOs, key experts or decision-makers (such as ministers or their deputies), and representatives of food production SMEs. Objectives: • To involve regional actors in the R&I process; • To promote further cooperation, develop synergies, research and innovation networks; • To make it possible for interested actors to use/exploit part of the results in their own respective work areas; • To facilitate knowledge exchange and skill enhancement. To actively engage stakeholders in the innovation process, there will be organised Round Tables, Winter School, and Workshops. Organising face-to-face events has a much greater impact and allows the establishment of long-term relationships with future partners, customers, or providers, as well as the acquisition of valuable insights into the field. Representatives of the quadruple helix network will be invited to take part in the Round Table. During the meeting, the project's research results will be presented. They will cover topics essential to enhancing knowledge transfer of the novel HortiFood, designed in the Living-Lab formula, as well as possible channels and forms of dialogue regarding potential life-cycle scenarios for the implemented innovations. In addition, case studies with consumers will be conducted to explore their level of acceptance of new products. Expert interviews will be conducted on the decisions of human, social, and material aspects of responsible innovation. The results will be taken into account in the development of the DCE and the preparation of activities to raise public awareness of new foods with health-promoting properties. Through the organisation of the Winter School and Training, participants will have the opportunity to learn from leading experts, engage in discussions, and explore collaboration opportunities in the evolving field. To share the knowledge and good practices gained during visits to project partners, two workshops per year will be organised for the InHort community. During these workshops, administrators and researchers will exchange the knowledge they have acquired. 3.3. Synergies with relevant existing networks/projects To increase the project's visibility within the stakeholder community, HortiFoodTrends will establish links, interactions, and synergies with European networks, societies, partnerships, and funded projects, as well as with other relevant stakeholders, e.g., Ministries and Operational Groups working on related topics. This could take the form of: • joint dissemination (disseminating materials within their organisation), participation and coorganisation of events, social media support - mutual promotion of news; • exchange knowledge, experience, and best practices. Projects under the same call often share goals and target similar audiences. By connecting and clustering with like-minded beneficiaries — for example, by following their account, retweeting or replying to their D6.3. First update DCE Plan I page 20 of 53 posts or tagging them — you can attract each other’s followers and fans, enlarging your community of interested individuals and organisations. Table 4: List of other projects, initiatives and international societies for project dissemination Other projects, initiatives, societies Relevance for the project SEASONED Project (GA: 101079003) A Widera project with a similar purpose to HortiFoodTrends. To strengthen communication about the importance of sensory research for consumers in Poland and other European countries European Sensory Network To strengthen communication about the importance of sensory research for consumers European Sensory Science Society Section of Food Sensory Analyses of the Polish Food Technologists' Society Food Sensory Analysis Section of the Polish Society of Food Technologists EIT Food Join the world’s largest and most dynamic food innovation community to get to know tools and ways for creating innovative berry products. Future Horticulture Cluster 3.4. Official EU Key Tools HortiFoodTrends will communicate through the European Commission’s channels. The project consortium is part of the Community Research and Development Information Service (CORDIS). It is not only a structured public repository of all project information held by the European Commission, but it also provides a News and Events service. The most important findings of the project will be suggested to the editors of Horizon Magazine. The magazine presents the latest news and features on science and EU-funded innovative research projects. Partners will also consider the following EU tools: • Open Research Europe platform: An open-access publishing platform for scientific papers for Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe beneficiaries, including an open peer review and article revision. • Horizon Results platform: A platform for showcasing research results, finding collaboration opportunities and getting inspired by the results of others. It is a place where beneficiaries can upload and promote the Key Exploitable Results (KER) of their projects and can also be used as a matchmaking tool, making it easier to connect with people interested in their results. • Horizon Results Booster: Free consulting services including a portfolio dissemination and exploitation strategy, business plan development and go-to-market support. • Innovation radar: An initiative that identifies high-potential innovations, based on a data-driven methodology, and assists EU-funded researchers and innovators in reaching the market with their innovation. 3.5. Open Science The Data Management Plan (D7.5, released in M17) provides detailed instructions for managing and storing research data and specifies circumstances under which research data can be made publicly available. D6.3. First update DCE Plan I page 21 of 53 3.6. Dissemination Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) Table 5: Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) related to dissemination activities Action KPIs Target Value achieved in M17 Scientific articles No of peer-reviewed scientific articles resulting from the Programme 4 1 % of articles shared on ResearchGate, Web of Science 100% - No of citations per year 3 - No of full-text views per year 1000 - No of abstract views per year 1500 - KPI 1: No of publications in peer-reviewed journals published by InHort’s research departments engaged into project; per year 30 8 in 2024; 19 in 2025 KPI 8: No of publications in peer-reviewed journals submitted by the project consortium 5 (1 in preparation) KPI 16: No of articles published by InHort’s research departments engaged into project in open access 8 8 in 2024; 17 in 2025 KPI 17: No of citation at the end of the project 150 31* Event participation No of conferences, seminars, fairs, festivals per year 5 5 in 2024; 26 in 2025 KPI 19: No of presentations at conferences including oral presentations and posters made by InHort’s scientific staff 30 263 in 2024 Conference organisation No of organised conferences 1 The conference will be organised in May 2027 No of participants 150 No outstanding scientists invited to the conference to give a lecture 6 KPI 22: No of active participants in the organised conference 50 KPI 2: No of invited speakers to give lectures at HortiFoodTrends Conference 8 Round Table with the stakeholders No of participants Not defined - Winter School, Training, Workshops organisation No of workshops per year 2 7 in 2025 KPI 26: Organised thematic courses (workshops/training/ winter school) 6 5 KPI 27: Number of researchers participating in the courses 50 69 (23 ESR, 26 experienced researchers, 19 technicians) KPI 28: No of internships (2-week travels) 6 6 KPI 29: No of researchers participating in the internships 6 7 KPI 30: No of study visits (up to 1-week travel) 12 5 KPI 32: No of administrative staff going to partners for study visits 4 2 *InHort’s research departments into project. D6.3. First update DCE Plan I page 22 of 53 4. COMMUNICATION STRATEGY AND PLAN 4.1. Communication objectives The main goal of the communication activities is to generally inform the targeted audiences about the project. Therefore, it is essential to establish and maintain effective communication within the project, and to ensure widespread dissemination of the project results to the industry community, the scientific community, policymakers, and the general public. The aims of communication activities are: • raise public awareness and ensure maximum visibility of the project's key facts, objectives, activities, and findings, its implications for citizens and society; • enhance acceptance and demand for new foods with health-promoting properties; • announce and promote HortiFoodTrends events; • engage stakeholders in the project activities; • support the dissemination objectives; • to increase the reputation of InHort among stakeholders as trustworthy partners for fruitful collaborations. 4.2. Communication tools and channels The Communication activity will focus on using various tools to reach the widest audience possible, communicating in clear and simple language to translate technical information into more accessible and easy-to-understand messages. 4.2.1. Project Website Target audience: citizens, consumers, researchers and admin staff at InHort, partner institutions and other relevant Research Centres and Universities, local, regional, ministries (agriculture, economy), governmental organisations and agencies responsible for agri-food, bioeconomy, innovative production of food, food quality evaluation, innovative technologies for food preservation, companies interested in innovative product development, sensory and consumer research, farming associations, smart farming companies, producers, technology providers. Objectives: • to raise awareness of the project activities, objectives and results; • to increase the visibility of the project within the European research and industry communities and European stakeholders. ‘Inform, promote and communicate activities and results’ D6.3. First update DCE Plan I page 23 of 53 The main communication tool for the HortiFoodTrends project is the project website, www.hortifoodtrends.eu. The purpose of the website is to collect all information about the project concept, news, events, and results throughout the project's duration and beyond. The website will remain active for at least 5 years after the project's conclusion. It includes contact points for the project's participants and a list of project partners. The website is linked to partners’ websites and vice versa. Furthermore, the website will be mentioned in all dissemination and communication materials, including presentations, posters, brochures, and event invitations. The website consists of the following sections (after modifications and improvements implemented in February 2025): • ABOUT - describes the project's objectives and consortium members. It lists all people engaged in the project, with links to their professional profiles (ResearchGate, ORCID, LinkedIn). • NEWS - provides regular updates on project progress, recent achievements, to foster engagement and promote awareness. • PROJECT ACTIVITIES – describes the activities planned within the project: Training, Project exchanges, Round Tables, Winter School, Conference. For each activity, information on the timing (indicative), the agenda, and the possibility to sign up is included. • EVENTS – provides information (in a chronological way) about the events in which project partners will participate. • NEWSLETTER – includes Newsletter subscription form. • LIBRARY - Offers access to project-related publications, public deliverables, research papers, reports, promotional materials and other valuable content, enriching the audience's knowledge and understanding of the project's field. • CONTACT - facilitates communication for queries, collaboration opportunities and feedback, ensuring stakeholders can easily interact with the project team. • SOCIAL MEDIA BUTTONS – the project website is linked to the project’s profiles on social media (Facebook, LinkedIn). • SHAREPOINT BUTTON – available only to the project members. While InHort is responsible for updating the website's content, all partners are encouraged to contribute items related to the subject, including news, local events, and relevant information, as well as videos and images of project outputs. The website will be updated regularly, with particular attention to the “News section,” where project activities will be reported. Improvements to the website's design and management will be made as needed. 4.2.2. Social Media channels Target audience: citizens, consumers, researchers and admin staff at InHort, partner institutions and other relevant Research Centres and Universities, local, regional, ministries (agriculture, economy), governmental organisations and agencies responsible for agri-food, bioeconomy, innovative production of food, food quality evaluation, innovative technologies for food preservation, companies interested in innovative product development, sensory and consumer research, farming associations, smart farming companies, producers, technology providers. Objectives: • To raise awareness of the HortiFoodTrends project and its objectives; D6.3. First update DCE Plan I page 24 of 53 • To engage with a wide range of stakeholders, including researchers, industry professionals, policy makers and the general public; • To disseminate project results, updates and information on events and seminars; • To foster an online community around the project and encourage interaction and discussion. Social media channels, especially LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter, are great tools for communicating the project's main messages and activities, as well as disseminating project results. The project has two leading social media channels: • LinkedIn • Facebook The diversity of its users drove the choice of social network. LinkedIn is a social platform designed primarily for professional use. It is a place to network and share experiences with business audiences and other scientists. It is one of the platforms with the most significant number of accounts for EU-funded projects and EU institutions. Facebook brings together a cross-section of society, from older people to Generation Z and Millenials 1 . Users of this platform share their content with friends and interact with friends, but also browse interesting thematic profiles and share their content on their profiles 2 . Facebook's broad user base enables it to reach end consumers. The content published on the HortiFoodTrends project profile includes: coverage of project events, announcements of events organised by project implementers and content on topics related to healthy food production. Recommended Social Media Plan In order to benefit from project social media channels, it is necessary to build a solid content strategy and to commit the partners to implementing the plan. Partners will consider the following good practices when preparing content for social media: • Describe the topic of the publication or write the publication itself. Pay attention to clear, comprehensible communication, short sentences, vocabulary suitable for the target audience, and aspects relevant to the target audience. Character limit: 3000 for LinkedIn and almost unlimited for Facebook • Include a link to relevant content: HortiFoodTrends website, partner webpages, external webpages, industry reports, upcoming events or conferences, social media profiles, educational videos, blog articles, press releases or any other online resource that provides additional value and insight on the topic. • Indicate whether the publication will attach an image/video or not. Images and media are important on all social platforms, but especially on Facebook. • Include the hashtags. Using a hashtag makes the keyword or phrase in the post searchable. This makes it easier for users to locate specific content or topics. Always use : #HortiFoodTrendsEU and other relevant e.g.: #HorizoneEU, #ReserchImpactEU, #EUInnovation • Include mentions to other accounts to increase the reach of the post. IMPORTANT: names on LinkedIn and Facebook are usually different; look for the user name for the organisation/person you wish to tag for each platform. Tag project partners, REA, the national NCPs’ social accounts 1 https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/fact-sheet/social-media/ 2 https://www.oberlo.com/statistics/why-do-people-use-facebook D6.3. First update DCE Plan I page 25 of 53 were relevant. The Project's Social Media accounts will greatly benefit from the support of these larger institutions with existing online presence and a stronger follower base. Table 6: Partners’ social accounts InHort UCPH GROUPE ESA LYFE Facebook Facebook Facebook Facebook LinkedIn LinkedIn LinkedIn LinkedIn YouTube YouTube YouTube Instagram Instagram Instagram TikTok X X TikTok The recommended content strategy for the social media channel considers: • Series of posts with different basic messages of the project to build awareness on the goals of HortiFoodTrends and on the problems it seeks to solve. • Once awareness has been raised, communication about the project's activities and results can begin. The target audience (depending on the social media channel) will be more receptive and will better understand the materials provided and discussed by HortiFoodTrends. • The “Basic Messages” posts can be used again throughout the project. To avoid repetition, it is recommended to pay attention to timing (making sure the same message is not posted too soon beforehand) and to make minor updates to messages or images occasionally. • The Basic Messages, together with posts related to the activity of the project partners and the dissemination of the results of the project, will build a solid content strategy. Initially, the project established an account on Platform X. However, because only a few target group representatives were searching for information about the project on that platform, the consortium chose to focus its increased outreach efforts on LinkedIn and Facebook. 4.2.3. Project Newsletter and Press Releases Target audience citizens, consumers, researchers and admin staff at InHort, partner institutions and other relevant Research Centres and Universities, local, regional, ministries (agriculture, economy), governmental organisations and agencies responsible for agri-food, bioeconomy, innovative D6.3. First update DCE Plan I page 32 of 53 5. EXPLOITATION STRATEGY AND PLAN 5.1. Obligation and definitions Beneficiaries receiving EU funding must – up to four years after the end of the action – use their best efforts to exploit their results directly or to have them exploited indirectly by another entity, in particular through licensing or transfer. If, despite a beneficiary’s best efforts, the results are not exploited within one year after the end of the action, the beneficiaries must (unless otherwise agreed in writing with the granting authority) use the Horizon Results Platform to find interested parties to exploit the results (see Annexe 5 of GA). Beneficiaries have an obligation to define and list the expected key results that may be exploited (including their description, ownership status – basis for the Research Ownership List to be included in the final report, sector of application, protection measures) and their strategy for exploitation and dissemination. (see: Annexe 5 of GA, Article 39: Exploitation and dissemination). Exploitation is defined as the utilisation of results in further research activities other than those covered by the action concerned, or in developing, creating and marketing a product or process, or in creating and providing a service, or in standardisation activities. Results are defined as any (tangible or intangible) output of the action, such as data, knowledge, or information — whatever its form or nature, whether it can be protected or not — that is generated in the action, as well as any rights attached to it, including intellectual property rights. A Key Exploitable Result is an identified interesting result which has been selected and prioritised due to its high potential to be "exploited" – meaning to make use and derive benefitsdownstream of the value chain of a product, process or solution, or act as an important input to policy, further research, or education. 5.2. Potential exploitation routes The project partners will exploit the project results according to the nature of each outcome. Below is a list outlining where exploitation may take place, taking into account intellectual property rights issues. • Partnerships: Collaborating with organisations and industry partners to integrate the project's results into existing products or services. • Commercialisation: Selling the project’s technologies or services developed through the project to businesses or consumers (e.g. laboratory analysis and research project in CPPO adopted Living Lab approach). • Patenting new technologies on the EU level. • Licensing: Granting other companies or organisations the right to use the project's intellectual property in exchange for royalties and/or fees. • Spin-offs: Creating new startup companies based on technologies or innovations developed during the project (e.g. by ESR of HortiFoodTrends project). • Technology transfer: Transferring knowledge and technology developed in the project to other industries or applications. ‘Make concrete use of results for commercial, societal and political purposes’ D6.3. First update DCE Plan I page 33 of 53 • Policy impact: Informing and influencing policy decisions based on the project's findings and recommendations. • Capacity building: Training programs or workshops to share expertise and knowledge gained from the project with relevant stakeholders. • Open-source dissemination: Making project results freely available to the public for further development and use (New applied or follow-up research, when the results are intended to be engaged in new research proposals and activities). • Education and outreach: Developing educational materials or outreach programs to raise awareness and disseminate project findings to wider audiences. Integrations of the PhD thesis. The exploitation strategy covers three key phases, each essential for maximising the impact of the project results (with commercial and non-commercial potential) and ensuring successful implementation. I. Monitoring and mapping – Identification and description of KERs. II. Positioning – IPR assessment and analysis of exploitation options. III. Exploiting – Elaboration of exploitation plans. 5.3. The context of project activities that generate results The Work Packages WP1, WP2, WP3 aim to enhance the development and build the capacity of InHort staff (Early-Stage Researchers, Experienced Researchers and Admin Staff). The WP1 is focused on increasing the competence of the InHort scientific team, connected with sensory and consumer research methodology. WP2 is devoted to increasing knowledge on the Living Lab approach by involving ESR in the research programme conducted at the Laboratories of more advanced Partners. Experience gained during an internship or STMS will provide an opportunity to understand better the concepts of novel food design or methods of communication with the end user. WP3 will provide the necessary knowledge and tools to improve research performance indicators, increase InHort's capacity to attract and manage EU grants, and enhance general knowledge of innovation and technology transfer in the context of planning and managing R&D projects. The skills and knowledge transferred from Advanced Partner into InHort (WP1, WP2, WP3), will be immediately exploited in the Work Package WP4. This applies to both current knowledge in the field of methodology and skills in conducting sensory and consumer research (WP1), acquired experience in the Living Lab approach in designing innovative food products (WP2), and the effects of winter school focused on skills in writing high-quality scientific papers (WP3), to be able to effectively publishing results obtained during the Join Exploratory Research. In WP4, the Partners will prepare and implement a full cycle of the process for creating innovative, consumer-oriented HortiFood products, taking into account the Living Lab approach. The ambition of this WP4 is that the innovative products being developed here are to be distinguished by high nutritional and antioxidant quality and sensory attractiveness, able to contributing to the increase in the consumption of fruit and vegetables. The raw material for the innovative HortiFood products will be species belonging to the ‘super fruit’ group. The summary of the implementation of joint tasks related to end-user expectations, preferences & behaviours, and the willingness to invest in the potential of HortiFood's innovative products will be presented during an international Round Table meeting with representatives of the Quadruple Helix. The conclusions of the joint research, in the form of original scientific articles, will serve as input for establishing InHort's scientific strategy, including the Living Lab approach (WP5), which will integrate research and innovation processes in line with consumers’ and entrepreneurs' needs. Thus, it will support the commercialisation of new products. The elaborated strategy for the creation of a novel HortiFood D6.3. First update DCE Plan I page 34 of 53 product will not only serve as a tool to support a sustainable network with advanced partners, but also to support people's wellbeing and the potential of the agri-food sector. The objective of WP6 is to disseminate the project's results. The aim is to maintain continuous contact with all involved stakeholders and to develop a strong international network and reputation. This WP will implement a series of DCE measures designed to maximise the outreach of project results and network activities, to maximise the input from the community, and to train and transfer knowledge to practitioners, enhancing their professional development. The Work Package WP7 will be entirely devoted to project management and coordination. The result of these activities will be: • Highly qualified personnel of InHort (both scientific and admin), who create opportunities for all partners in the consortium. InHort staff will required the essential skills to increase performance indicators, provide outputs for the achieved research, research management capacity and administrative skills. This will contribute to InHort's visibility and reputation, as well as improving its ability to access funding and resources. • New InHort competencies to carry out work in the consumer-oriented formula, and in particular using the Living-Lab approach. It is expected to have an impact beyond the project by increasing technology transfer and facilitating the development and implementation of innovative horticultural food products and technologies, thereby making them more attractive to industry stakeholders. • The first Living Lab approach for research related to the agri-food sector involving civil society and end-users in the co-creation and sensory and consumer testing of innovative horticultural food products in Poland. Adaptation of the CPPO to fulfil its function in line with the Living Lab approach. CPPO will conduct consumer and industry-driven projects in accordance with the procedures and standards developed by all consortium partners. The R&I collaboration, mainly related to the functioning of the Living Lab, will provide creative solutions for business. The intersectoral collaboration will implement the concept of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) due to which enterprises will take into account relations with stakeholders, social interests, sustainability and environment protection in their strategy. The economic impact will be related to providing services to business community and intensification of future research activity at InHort. • Strategy for development end-user oriented novel HortiFood products with potential to increase fruit and vegetable consumption. The main outcome of this task is the deliverable 5.3 – Scientific Strategy including the Living Lab approach and Action Plan and since it is a confidential deliverable so it will not be publicly available. The exploitable outcome of this task will be the set of recommendations and feedback that the networks of food technologists (InHort) and specialists in the field of consumer sciences (UCPH, GROUPE ESA, LYFE) involved in this task will receive. These will include optimising the positioning of the R&D offering, highlighting ways to overcome any problems identified by the Investor and, in particular, creating a roadmap for effective communication with end users. The networks will use the recommendations to promote the sustainability (mainly, the economic one) of the networks in the long term. These, in turn, will impact InHort’s excellence in the field of novel food products development, considering the needs of the end-user for creating health-promoting novel foods. It is expected to become a tool fostering human well-being and agri-food sector capacity. D6.3. First update DCE Plan I page 35 of 53 • Importance of super berries. Raising awareness of the beneficial effects of consuming berries rich in anthocyanins like chokeberry, blueberry or Saskatoon berry which retain a special position among the ‘super fruit’ group. It is expected that the Project will enable the popularization of these super fruits not only among the Polish community but also among residents of other European countries. • New products, services or technology. The acquisition of new competencies by InHort staff and the adaptation of the CPPO to fulfil its function according to the Living Lab approach will facilitate the development and implementation of innovative horticultural food products and technologies. The results of Join Exploratory Research will be developing exemplary innovative HortiFood products with outstanding pro-health properties. The industry and companies will receive possibilities to expand their portfolio with innovative, nutritionally and sensory valuable products. It is estimated that fulfilling consumers’ sensory expectations may increase buying products of 510%. Thus business can expected obtaining significant returns on their investment in the new innovative product, what will have an impact on increasing economic growth. Citizens and consumers will have better access to high-quality food products produced using current, environmentally friendly modern processing technologies. In the long term, it is expected that the project may increase fruit and vegetable consumption, which is considered the main way to improve citizens' health and reduce the costs of treating diet-related diseases. • Collaborative projects. Over the course of the project, the consortium intends to develop several collaborative project proposals, as well as carry out Join Exploratory Research within WP4. Collaborative projects offer several opportunities for HortiFoodTrends partners to exploit the outcomes and benefits of the project. One way is through knowledge transfer and sharing of expertise, where consortium members can leverage the skills and knowledge of the other organizations involved in the project. This can lead to the development of new ideas and innovations that can benefit each partner’s mission and objectives. Another way is through resource sharing, where each partners can share their resources, including staff, equipment, and facilities, to achieve the project's goals and widen its reach. This can reduce costs and increase efficiency in project implementation. Collaborative projects can also provide networking opportunities for HortiFoodTrends partners to establish new partnerships and collaborations. By working together on a project, partners can build trust and strengthen their relationships, which can lead to further collaborations and partnerships in the future. In addition, collaborative projects can help InHort to increase its visibility and reputation, as well as improve InHort staff ability to access funding and resources. By demonstrating their ability to work collaboratively, partners can showcase their capacity for teamwork and innovation, which can be attractive to funders and other stakeholders. • International Research Management Office at InHort. The activation of a dedicated unit within the Projects Office to support project applications, management, and reporting, and the enhancement of InHort staff's research management capacity and administrative skills will translate into effective applications for EU project funding. • Training materials. Jointly developed training materials can be exploited by the partners in several ways. First, these training materials can be disseminated widely to other organisations in the same sector to share knowledge and best practices. This can be achieved through open-access online platforms, workshops or training sessions, conferences or webinars. The partners can also use these materials to train their employees, enhancing their skills and knowledge base. D6.3. First update DCE Plan I page 36 of 53 • Publications, Poster, Presentations, Data. HortiFoodTrends project will contribute to specific scientific advances, across and within disciplines of science of agriculture and horticulture as well as nutrition and food technology, including the use of models, algorithms and other state-of-art techniques in the sensory evaluation of food products and consumer research. These can be exploited in further research activities and publications with insightful results. • Stakeholder engagement events. It is planned to organise roundtables, a final conference and case studies within the project involving external stakeholders. These events can be exploited by the partners in various ways. Networking opportunities: events offer a platform for different organizations to connect and build relationships. Attendees can exchange ideas, discuss challenges, and identify areas of collaboration. Partners can use these opportunities to build partnerships, share resources, and develop joint initiatives. Learning from each other, sharing best practices and gaining new insights will be helpful in designing novel food consumer-oriented in the Living-Lab formula. • Roadmaps, report – Authorities and Policy Makers will benefit from obtaining the knowledge (D5.3) how to develop a better understanding and creating win-win partnerships between researchers, citizens, business and policymakers. Impact – revision or creation of a new directive or regulations. 5.4. Exploitable results In this section presents Key Exploitable Results (KER) that have been already identified by partners. During project every partner will be engaged and periodically consulted for the identification of exploitable results. This section will be updated for each beneficiary during subsequent updates of DCE Plan. Table 10: List of exploitable results KER (Exploitation Lead) Target audience Exploitation route Protection strategy Timeframe Innovative HortiFood products with outstanding pro-health properties (InHort) Consumers Industry and companies Commercial: These will be further detailed. Patent, protected know-how After obtaining protection Publications based on project results Scientific community, ESR international scientific journals, popular science publications open access From completion Developing a Living Lab approach in the agri-food sector fruit and vegetable growers, food producers New services and commercial products n/a Continuous Strategy Research community within the consortium Organised joint R&D activity with regional relevance Copyright Continuous Training materials Research community within the consortium To be included in InHort knowledge base and used internally, online availability Copyright From completion Research report Policymakers, local industry Uptake by local government in future policymaking. n/a End of the project & beyond D6.3. First update DCE Plan I page 37 of 53 The exact ways in which the HortiFoodTrends products (KER no. 1) will be exploited are yet to be concluded, but some initial strategies on that matter have been investigated by the consortium. The details of ownership and exploitation routes will be re-evaluated as technologies mature. At a later point, once the technologies have matured, an opportunity will be given to evaluate the real exploitation potential of the project's results, as well as the capacity and interest to gain a commercial advantage. The distribution of protection costs, along with the management and operational issues concerning the results, as well as the strategy for the utilisation and commercialisation of the results and the products, will be analysed at a later stage. 5.5. Exploitation activities Work Package 4 has the character of Join Experimental Research, within which the Partners will perform preparation and implementation of a full cycle of the process of creation an innovative, consumer-oriented HortiFood products, taking into account the Living Lab approach. The results of the joint research in WP4 will become the main elements of exploitation activities. • Technological Watch and selection of knowledge outputs. First step of analysis of experimental results will be focused on evaluation of their significance with respect to contemporary science and selection of results and knowledge with importance beyond current state of the art. Consortium should to stay updated about the latest developments, follow market trends, and plan the possible publication or patenting of project results. Besides choosing the most valuable scientific contributions for dissemination through publications in scientific journals and presentation at international conferences, analysis of project results and obtained knowledge will also include selection of those with possible impact on stakeholders (potential industrial partners and general public) and potential exploitation beyond project timeline. • Selection of key exploitable results. Among previously formed collection of knowledge outputs of HortiFoodTrends those data evaluated as suitable for designing innovations in field of novel HortiFood products development, considering the needs of the end-users with using the Living Lab approach will be primarily nominated as potential KERs. Selection will be further refined by choosing those with high potential for market uptake and most easily transferable by the project. General Assembly will reach decision, hence all partners will assess the knowledge created and give their opinions on the potential KERs. To support exploitation management, an Exploitation Register will be established. This tool will be used to monitor the progress of innovations and individual exploitation plans starting from the already identified KERs and to explore new possibilities for innovation. • Intellectual Property Rights Management. In accordance with Article 16 of the GA, relevant measures will be taken on Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) protection and management. All the results coming from research stage of the project will be carefully evaluated in terms of possible IP protection. In case of potential patentable results, the novelty analysis will be conducted using available patent databases and with support of patent attorney. The decision on filling any patent application will be discussed by all the partners involved in the inventions, taking into account the commercial potential. To mitigate possibility of internal disagreements, involved partners will sign separate agreements on Join patent ownership and commercialization rules. Those will encompass standard issues concerning compliance with internal IPR regulations of each partner, patent shares, range and geographical scope of protection, parties responsible for patent process and commercialization strategy, distribution of costs and so on. In case of identification of nonpatentable research results with commercial potential (like know-how) the partners will define D6.3. First update DCE Plan I page 38 of 53 the strategy of their utilization and protection. In those cases the consortium will form rules concerning protection of key findings including confidentiality rules and rules of interacting with potential commercial partners. The IPR protection strategy will take into account the scope of the publications and all the other IP disclosures to ensure that no patentable results will be made public before launching patent process, while providing maximum dissemination and communication of the project results. • Getting feedback from target audience. The feedback of wider audience is necessity for confirmation of selection of KERs. Exploring the level of acceptance of new products provides the opportunity to take precise actions aimed at the rational use of raw material resources, infrastructure, and innovative pro-environmental methods. Feedback will be provided during various planned communication and dissemination activities, such as Round Table discussion, seminars, participation in international business fairs and commercial exhibitions, face-to-face meetings with stakeholders. During Round Table principle barriers to the adaptation of innovations like policy-related bottlenecks, financial, research, societal, geographical obstacles will be considered. All this information will help to select the most promising innovations for future applications and provide information on needed improvements. This information will be also used for identification of commercial partners. • Market Analysis: Once the key exploitable results have been defined, a market analysis will be carried out to assess the potential of each. • Business Model: the Business Model Canvas or/and the Value Proposition Canvas will be used to design a business model for a specific result. Target users will be defined, the potential sales strategies (direct sales, licensing, joint venture, spin out…), will be identified and the requirements for further technology development/scale-up to support market entry will be assessed. Table 11: Exploitation Register - template Name of the result Lead partner(s) Lead (point of reference) partner for the result Result type • SCI: Scientific discovery, model, theory (…) • PROD: Product (new or improved) • SERV: Service (new or improved) • PROC: Industrial process (new or improved) • BUS: Business model (new or improved) • DSG: Design (new or improved) • METH: Method, material, technology, design (new or improved) • PO: Policy recommendation, guidance, awareness raising, advocacy • EVNT: Event (conference, seminar, workshop…) • STAFF: Qualified personnel (qualified personnel exchanges) • LEARN: Learning and training (learning modules, curricula) • INFRA: New or improved infrastructure or facilities • Other Key results (KER) (does result have a high potential?) You can create a result profile on the Horizon Results Platform (HRP) to promote your KERs and receive D&E High scientific potential High societal potential (other than climate or environmental) High societal potential High technologic, business or economic potential High policy or regulatory potential N/A D6.3. First update DCE Plan I page 39 of 53 support through Horizon Results Booster. Description of the high potential Audience or target group • Researcher • Industry, business partner • Investor • EU institutions and/or agencies • Policy-maker and authorities, international • Policy-maker and authorities, national • Policy-maker and authorities, regional • Citizens • Standardisation bodies • Innovators • End users (practitioners, farmers, etc.) • Educations/training organization/learners • Research Infrastructures • Business accelerator providers • Other • Applicable to all Relevant Stakeholders description Stakeholders involved in the use of the result. This should include parties already contacted/involved in HFT and exploitation already put forward, for example by direct contact, presentation, take-up of the component. Example: direct customers, direct suppliers, suppliers of complementary products. Exploitation channel(s) The main exploitation channels for the results, e.g., ..... Possible competitors Possible competitors in the market offering similar/competing value propositions Replicability in other domains and ecosystems Replication capabilities in different domains. They should be as much concrete as possible and based on the bottom-up capability of the partners. Action plan / Status Concrete action (plans) for pushing the asset Steps undertaken towards exploitation • Prototyping in laboratory environment • Prototyping in production environment • Pilot, demonstration or testing • Intellectual property management • Licencing to third party • Complying with regulatory framework • Contribution to standards • Feasibility study • Market study • Business plan • Other Market maturity (state of the market targeted by this result) • Not yet existing and not clear if market can be created • Market creating: not existing but potential for the creation of a new market • Emerging: growing demand, scare supply • Mature: the market is already supplied with similar products D6.3. First update DCE Plan I page 40 of 53 5.6. Intellectual Property (IP) Management within the project WP7 will be responsible for the overall IP monitoring and management within in line with the project’s Open Science policy. GA will identify promising results and technologies deriving from project activities that should be protected in a perspective of future commercial exploitation, which will be undertaken with help from each participant’s technology transfer office. These offices will be responsible for protection of any relevant intellectual property (IP) rights and solving IP issues related to joint ownership. A simple procedure will be agreed among the partners on how to manage IP, considering Background and Foreground IP rights established with the Consortium Agreement. The following is an overview of the main points relating to IP considerations within HortiFoodTrends: • “Background”; i.e., partners’ pre-existing know-how, while remaining the sole property of their owners, will be made available to other partners when needed for the project implementation. • “Foreground”; i.e., knowledge developed during the project will be owned by the partners who have directly contributed to its creation. In case of joint ownership, a separate contract will be established and signed by the co-owners to determine their rights and obligations as well as the IP management and exploitation rules. • Access rights to Foreground for in-house research or for teaching activities will be granted on a royaltyfree basis. Access rights to Foreground and Background brought to the project, if needed for use of a beneficiary's own Foreground including commercialization or for third-party research, will be granted on fair and reasonable conditions. • Traceability of Background and Foreground information will be sought throughout the project and the flux of Foreground between the partners, and each partner’s contribution to the Foreground will be one part of the data which will be recorded. The consortium is fully committed to the Horizon Europe Open Access to Research Data scheme. Thus, without compromising IPR, the participants will implement a policy of open access and wide dissemination so that research findings are made available as soon as possible to regulators, industry and to the general public, raising public awareness about the new tools and innovative technologies. 6. COMMUNICATION AND DISSEMINATION MANAGEMENT STRUCTURE 6.1. Partners’ responsibilities All HortiFoodTrends partners will be actively involved in the implementation of communication and dissemination activities. More specifically, the expected contributions from partners are the following: • Implementing dissemination activities in their own countries and at European level; • Exploiting their contacts, networks and channels; • Supplying news and updates for the web portal and newsletter. Once per month, InHort will share among the consortium a dedicated form to be filled with news and contents that will feed all the on-line channels and the external newsletters; • Helping to keep the project’s Social media accounts alive and active, in particular supporting the development of contents to be communicated and sharing HortiFoodTrends content on their social media channels; • Managing media relations and distributing press releases; • Promoting and distributing the newsletter on their websites and through their networks; • Participating in conferences, workshops, events etc. in order to promote the project and its Outcomes; • Generating word-of-mouth about the project during meetings and other activities to raise awareness. D6.3. First update DCE Plan I page 41 of 53 6.2. Minimum communication actions for every project partner Tool Actions Website All partners must include a reference to the project in a permanent page of their respective webpages. The mention will include the following basic information: role of the partner in the project, project description and objectives, consortium, funding and Grant Agreement Number, execution dates and a link to HortiFoodTrends website. All partners will send material (photos and news) to the coordinator for the "News" section of the website. Social Media All project partners will follow the social media accounts of the HortiFoodTrends project. When engaging in any DCE action related with the HortiFoodTrend project, project partners are encouraged to post on Social Media using the hashtags of the project and tagging or mentioning (@) the HortiFoodTrend project accounts. The main administrator of the social media accounts is the coordinator, but all partners will prepare content for at least 2 posts per month, according to a schedule provided by InHort. Newsletter Each partner will prepare content for the newsletter (text of not more than 250 words). The coordinator will be responsible for preparing and developing 6 topics, the other partners - 2 topics each. Events participation Each partner will participate in 1-2 conferences a year during the 3 years of the project (36 months) Each partner will participate in 1 fair during the project, from M12 to M36. Press releases Each partner will contact the media and provide at least 1 publication per year during the 3 years of the project (36 months). Examples of publications: Press releases on project results, newspaper articles, interview Promotional material Each partner will design and produce/print promotional materials - a project flyer, brochure and poster will be created to generate interest and attention at various events. 6.3. Procedures and monitoring Once a month, each partner will update the WP6 Leader about the activities implemented in the previous months and, if any, upcoming activities. Each partner will carry out monitoring regularly through an online report template DCE Register uploaded on the project SharePoint. All consortium partners are encouraged to report the results of each dissemination activity immediately after they are presented. The reports shall include feedback gathered by the respective partner from the target audience (if applicable) and, eventually, gained contacts to be listed in the contact repository used for further dissemination purposes. All partners are invited to upload dissemination material (e.g., a publication, a conference presentation, or an interview audio file) to the project SharePoint DCE reports. D6.3. First update DCE Plan I page 48 of 53 • Countries from which visitors come: 35 • 20 entries in the “News” section SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNELS Facebook: • Number of followers: 60 • 79 posts with 34 203 views Table 12: HortiFoodTrends Facebook activities in M1-M17. Month No of posts No of views June 2024 3 1953 September 2024 1 386 October 2024 5 3201 November 2024 10 11434 December 2024 3 360 January 2025 10 2651 February 2025 6 1011 March 2025 9 3951 April 2025 5 958 May 2025 10 1650 June 2025 10 2029 July 2025 4 2197 August 2025 3 3132 October 2025 1 153 Total 80 35066 LinkedIn: • Number of followers: 353 • 55 posts with 10 996 views Table 13: HortiFoodTrends LinkedIn activities in M1-M17. Month No of posts No of views November 2024 2 301 December 2024 3 503 January 2025 5 549 February 2025 6 702 March 2025 7 2102 April 2025 7 1965 May 2025 9 1669 June 2025 8 1578 July 2025 4 821 August 2025 3 681 October 2025 1 125 Total 55 10996 D6.3. First update DCE Plan I page 49 of 53 PROJECT NEWSLETTER AND PRESS RELEASES Newsletter: • 148 subscribers • 6 newsletters sent Table 14: Newsletter activities in M1-M17 No. Date Theme No of subscribers 1 31/12/2024 The Importance of International Collaboration in Research and Product Development. Project presentation and roles of the partners involved in HortiFoodTrends (InHort). 20 2 26/02/2025 Nutrition Tips: fruits and vegetables in Your Daily Diet (InHort). 57 3 23/04/2025 Sensory evaluation - why it is important in assessing product quality (GROUPE ESA). 62 4 26/06/2025 Consumer research: Context effects in meal appreciation and real-life testing solutions for consumer studies (LYFE). 62 5 01/08/2025 Industry Event Highlights & Projects Promoting Healthy Diets (InHort/LYFE). 64 6 28/10/2025 Health-promoting value of berries – the importance of bioactive compounds (InHort). 155 Press releases Table 15: Press release activities in M1-M17 No. Date Media Link 1 05.06.2024 e-sadownictwo.pl Link 2 13.06.2024 Radio Łódź Link 3 04.07.2024 Głos Skierniewic Printed paper 4 27.02.2025 e-sadownictwo.pl Link 5 04.03.2025 sadyogrody.pl Link 6 15.04.2025 jagodowe.pl Link 7 18.04.2025 jagodowe.pl Link 8 16.06.2025 Radio RSC Link PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS Project brochures were distributed with code QR during: 1) conference FoodFacty Summit (100); 2) Field Days (200); 3) Event "Jak dbam, tak mam" (40); 4) Study visit at InHort by researchers from the Norwegian Institute NIBIO (30); 5) The meetings at CCPO with producers, representatives of industries (about 50). See Annex 1 D6.3. First update DCE Plan I page 50 of 53 9. CONCLUSIONS This deliverable is part of WP6 of the HortiFoodTrends project, the main objective of which is to provide the consortium with practical guidelines for carrying out both internal and external dissemination and communication activities. The Dissemination and Communication Plan outlines the strategy for these activities, detailing the key objectives and messages to be communicated by the project and its participants. It also defines the tools and channels that will be used to reach the identified stakeholders and target audiences. The Dissemination and Communication Plan presents the strategy for carrying out the dissemination and communication activities, as well as the key objectives and messages to be communicated by the project and its participants, but also outlines the tools and channels that will be used to reach the identified stakeholders and target audiences. In addition to dissemination, the plan also addresses the exploitation of project results. The consortium will focus on selecting Key Exploitable Results (KERs) based on their significance and potential for innovation in the development of novel HortiFood products. These results will be assessed for their potential impact on stakeholders, including industrial partners and the general public, with a view to exploitation beyond the project timeframe. The plan also includes the establishment of an exploitation register to track the progress of innovations, monitor exploitation plans and explore new commercialisation opportunities. Also, the plan outlines the documentation and logging of all activities carried out by the project partners, as well as an evaluation process led by the project coordinator, InHort, to assess the progress of the dissemination and communication efforts. The dissemination and communication plan will be continuously monitored and adapted to improve methods of outreach and to ensure wide visibility of the project's activities, results and potential for exploitation. D6.3. First update DCE Plan I page 51 of 53 ANNEX 1 HORTIFOODTRENDS - PROMOTIONAL MATERIAL Roll-up design and implementation D6.3. First update DCE Plan I page 52 of 53 Leaflet visualisation D6.3. First update DCE Plan I page 53 of 53 Notebook visualisation