FOODTECH 2040 – Connecting Legacy, Innovation and the Future of Food

Summary

The Carasso FoodTech Innovation Center and the Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Engineering at the Technion hosted FOODTECH 2040, bringing together researchers, industry leaders, entrepreneurs, startups, and innovators to explore the science and technologies shaping the future of food.

The conference also celebrated the 90th birthday of Prof. Emeritus Shimon Mizrahi, honoring his remarkable contribution to food engineering, academia, and Israeli industry.

On October 20, 2026, the Carasso FoodTech Innovation Center and the Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Engineering at the Technion hosted FOODTECH 2040 – A Legacy of Breakthroughs | Innovating for Healthier Food.

The conference brought together researchers, industry professionals, entrepreneurs, startups, alumni, and students for a day exploring how science, technology, and innovation are already shaping the food of the future.

The event opened with remarks by Prof. Ester Segal, Dean of the Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Engineering, and Prof. Yuval Garini, Technion Executive Vice President for Innovation and Industry Relations.

Prof. Kieran Tuohy from the University of Leeds explored the relationship between food, the gut microbiome, and human health, highlighting the growing role of microbiome science in nutrition and future food development.

A central part of the conference was dedicated to celebrating the 90th birthday of Prof. Emeritus Shimon Mizrahi. Prof. Yoav Livney presented a tribute to Prof. Mizrahi, reviewing more than five decades of contributions to food engineering, research, education, and Israeli industry.

Dr. Michael Uzzan, Director of the CORE by CBC Group, presented “Beyond the Beverage”, sharing an industry perspective on innovation, collaboration with startups, and the connection between scientific research and commercial development.

Prof. Emeritus Amos Nussinovitch from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem presented “Environmentally Friendly Solutions for Soft Rot Control in Potatoes”, describing research on predatory bacteria and their potential as sustainable biological control agents.

From Science to Market

A dedicated industry session featured companies already translating scientific innovation into real products.

Eshchar Ben-Shitrit – Redefine Meat, Dr. Alon Romano – Remilk, Yael Averbuch and Maya Ashkenazi Otmazgin – MAOLAC, Sivan Dor – The Mediterranean Food Lab, and Guy Ben-Zvi – O’Sweet shared insights into product development, scale-up, manufacturing, commercialization, and the challenges of bringing innovative food technologies to market.

The conference also featured the panel “Engineering the Food of the Future,” moderated by Prof. Marcelle Machluf, with Justin Fine from Kokomodo, Yfah Burstin from Brevel, and Dr. Tali Feldman Sivan from Meala Foodtech.

The discussion explored how biotechnology, alternative proteins, functional ingredients, sustainability, nutrition, scalability, and consumer expectations may shape the food on our plates in the coming decades.

Beyond the lectures, FOODTECH 2040 created an opportunity for researchers, companies, entrepreneurs, and students to meet, exchange ideas, and explore potential collaborations.

The conference was held as part of FoodForward, the Technion’s FoodTech ecosystem initiative led by the Carasso FoodTech Innovation Center together with the Technion Innovation and Industry Relations Office, with the support of the Ministry of Economy and Industry.

At the Carasso FoodTech Innovation Center, we are proud to create opportunities where research, industry, entrepreneurship, and innovation meet — and where conversations can develop into collaborations.

Honoring a remarkable legacy. Celebrating innovation. Shaping the future of food.