Activities – Engage4Bio

How will we respond if our favorite food disappears from store shelves or if our preferred delicacies no longer grow in our backyard gardens? Will we accept or even enjoy new kind of food sources? Would a custard - made from cow-free milk and flavored with plastic synthesized vanilla - confuse us, or would it be even more appealing? These, and similar questions were explored by participants of the "Eat for the Future!" course, implemented in collaboration between MOME and the Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences (MATE).

More than 40 students from diverse fields - such as design, law, business, and food industry – joined the one-day Design Sprint organised by MOME and Engage4BIO team. The teams had to answer two challenges related to food labeling system and to novel foods. During the event teams were supported by MOME and MATE professors, business experts and subject matter expterts via mentoring. Throughout the session, teams focused on brainstorming innovative ideas, which they later presented in pitch sessions to showcase their solutions.

In collaboration with the National Chamber of Agriculture, our team represented Engage4BIO at two agricultural expos this year. Our team invited vocational students, farmers, agricultural stakeholders and the general public to participate in filling out two different data visualization boards. One of the data visualization boards focused on questions related to regenerative soil management, while in the other event, participants were asked about the use of biomass-based foods and the bio-based economy in general. 

This year’s Valley of Arts Festival attracted many visitors, featuring two exciting Engage4BIO workshops organized in collaboration with MOME. 

On our first workshop participants created cianotype images using local soil indicator plants while also examining soil samples collected from Taliándörögd with the guidance of our experts. Led by Fruzsina Félegyházi, András Gömöri, and Dr. István Parádi, - members of the Hungarian Soil Science Society participants delved into the importance of soil health and methods for its preservation.

The second program was a sustainability picnic led by Zsófi Németh, focused on the diverse use of nettle. During the workshop participants were able to learn about nettle from leaves to roots while we prepared nettle pesto and freshly made pasta, accompanied by nettle tea and nettle syrup as well.

Our partners from Bay Zoltán Research Institute organised special activities during the Researchers’ Night both in Budapest and in Szeged. This was the debut of the Engage4BIO board game, in which participants could learn about bioeconomy and the winners received bio-based presents in the end. Visitors were also invited to answer questions and share their view about bioeconomy via a data visualization board created by MOME.

"Rooted in the Earth" research and innovation course focuses on the soil health of agricultural landscapes through the application of narrative cartographic methods. Participants engage in mapping the soils of a region at Balaton Felvidék using multidisciplinary tools. The course involve microscopic, human, and regional-scale examinations of soil through scientific and artistic mediums, contributing to the understanding and future rehabilitation of the area’s soil. The Engage4BIO team joined the course with expert soil analysis and chromatographic examination of on-site soil samples. The soil chromatographies made by the students are analyzed during the course by Fruzsina Félegyházi and András Gömöri, experts from the Hungarian Soil Science Society.