The European Innovation Council, within the Greenhouse Gas Programme (GHG), enables and supports win-win synergies between EIC beneficiaries and business partners. Following the Co-creation journey with Unilever in November 2021, we met with Roy Horne, Head of Climate Action in Unilever’s Ice Cream Business Group. We discussed the corporate’s participation and the status of their ongoing follow-up activities with N2 Applied.
Unilever’s purpose is to make sustainable living commonplace. Established over 100 years ago, Unilever is one of the world’s largest consumer goods companies. Unilever is known for its great brands, global footprint and its belief in doing business the right way.
Roy Horne, Head of Climate Action at Unilever’s Ice Cream Business Group, shared with us his positive experience while co-creating within EIC GHG Programme:
“The principles behind the EIC GHG programme are excellent – connecting businesses with new technology needs to Europe’s amazing network of SMEs. [Also], the process was fast, efficient and thorough.”
After the kick-off event with Unilever, the corporate followed up with a range of SMEs that had disruptive solutions ranging from wind power, new green insulation materials and innovative organic fertilisers derived from agricultural by-products.
Their challenges covered:
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Solutions to reduce energy consumption in ice cream sales freezers
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New packaging solutions to reduce the carbon footprint of the corporate’s portfolio
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Low-carbon ingredients and fertilisers
Unilever is currently collaborating with EIC company N2 Applied. Roy explained how N2 Applied’s solution could support Unilever’s business in monitoring/reducing GHG emissions:
“We are testing technology to enhance the Nitrogen levels in waste streams which is a component in lowering on-farm greenhouse gas emissions. As an ice cream company, we use a lot of dairy ingredients, and these come with a high greenhouse gas footprint. The dairy industry is working with many partners, including Unilever Ice Cream Brands, such as Ben & Jerry’s and Breyers, to decrease on-farm emissions. Part of this is changing how manure is managed on the farm to harness green energy and by-products used as fertiliser. This is where N2 Applied’s technology comes in, enhancing the value of by-product streams as fertiliser.”
Choosing the EIC for a nudge in the right direction
As for positive takeaways from the EIC GHG Co-creation initiative, Roy mentioned:
“In the food industry, we always have many technology challenges where we are looking for new cutting-edge solutions. These solutions can come from established business partners, startups, or university groups but often overlooked are Europe’s vibrant SMEs. This programme provides a thorough, structured, and efficient way of connecting all of that.”
What will happen next in this green collaboration journey?
Unilever and N2 Applied are continuing their journey together, with efforts being made from both sides to continue this potential future partnership. Stay tuned for more information regarding this collaboration, and make sure to follow our EIC GHG Programme here!
Additional information
About Unilever
Unilever’s purpose is to make sustainable living commonplace. Established over 100 years ago, Unilever is one of the world’s largest consumer goods companies. Unilever is known for its great brands, global footprint and its belief in doing business the right way.
About N2 Applied
N2 Applied is a Norwegian technology company that developed a technology that enables local production of fertiliser from liquid organic substrates such as slurry or digestate with air and electricity. N2 Applied has an international team with various expertise from agriculture, technical engineering, business development and sustainability.
About the EIC Business Acceleration Services
This opportunity is brought to you by the EIC Business Acceleration Services. To explore other opportunities to connect with the largest corporates in Europe, keep an eye on our events page.
EIC GHG Summit
The EIC will host its second Summit on 7-8 December 2022 in Brussels, Belgium. Hosted at the EIC Summit is the GHG programme where you can come, meet and network with fellow GHGers! Register now.
About the EIC GHG Programme
With the EIC GHG programme, part of the Business Acceleration Services, the EIC offers its beneficiaries a dedicated GHG tool, the GHG Badges & CO2 Neutral Label initiative, and further resources.
In addition, co-creation activities with corporates, industrial associations, regions in carbon transition and other EIC beneficiaries are taking place on a regular basis.
