The Smart Protein Partners
The Smart Protein project consists of a diverse consortium with 33 partner institutions from 22 countries comprising plant breeders, agricultural networks, food ingredient producers, and product manufacturers.
In addition to the main partners, the Stakeholder Advisory Board is strategically position to advise on the project throughout its delivery.

Project Leads

Dr Emanuele Zannini
Smart Protein Project Coordinator
Emanuele Zannini (PhD, PhD) studied Agricultural Science at the Universita’ Politecnica delle Marche. During his PhD in Applied Biomolecular Science at the SAIFET (Italy) and DAFNS (Canada) Departments, he focused on the selection of antifungal lactic acid bacteria as biopreservatives in food products. Since November 2009 he has been working as a Senior Researcher Coordinator at the School of Food and Nutritional Sciences, University College Cork.

Dr Jacqueline Lyons
Smart Protein Project Manager
Jacqueline Lyons (PhD) is Project Manager on the Smart Protein project. Based at University College Cork (UCC), she holds a PhD in Nutrition (2012). From 2012 to 2019, she worked as a Research Scientist at UCC, including post-doctoral research roles on two EU-funded (FP7) projects. She continues to teach nutrition to post-graduate students at UCC.
Our Partners

University College Cork
The Smart Protein project is being coordinated by University College Cork (UCC), an internationally competitive, research-led university that plays a key role in the development of Ireland’s knowledge-based economy. An award-winning institution with a history of independent thinking stretching back over 170 years, UCC is proud to be ranked in the top 2% of universities in the world. UCC opened its gates to just 115 students in 1849 and now has a student population of over 21,000.

AB InBev
AB InBev’s brewing heritage dates back more than 600 years, spanning continents and generations. From AB InBev’s European roots at the Den Hoorn brewery in Leuven, Belgium, AB InBev is now a truly global brewer, with approximately 175,000 employees, including 12,000 in Europe, all united by a passion for beer. AB InBev has offices and breweries in 18 EU Member States and its Global Innovation and Technology Center is also based in Leuven, Belgium.

Agresearch Limited
AgResearch’s 700 staff drive economic and environmental sustainability for New Zealand’s food production systems. As a Crown Research Institute we meet three over-arching goals on behalf of the New Zealand Government; to help foster and support prosperous land-based enterprises; produce research that protects and enhances natural resources in a sustainable fashion; contribute scientific understanding to added-value foods and bio-based products to meet evolving consumer demands.

ARCA SRL

Barilla G. E R. Fratelli Spa

Beotanics

Chr. Hansen

COPOSA

Danone Nutricia Research

Delphy

Dohler Gmbh

Equinom

EurA AG

Fraunhofer

Ghent University

Glanbia

HES-SO Valais/Wallis

INTIA

MOGU S.r.l.

Müller’s Mühle

Novozymes

ProVeg International

QUINOA MARCHE SRLS

Siccadania

Soguima Comércio Indústria Alimentar

Teagasc

Thai Union Group

The Good Food Institute

The University of Udine (UNIUD)

UCC Academy

UNIBZ

University of Copenhagen
· Department of Food Science (UCPH-FOOD): develops research to solve global challenges related to food such as new food development and ways to produce them.
· Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences (UCPH-PLEN): develops research to solve challenges of increased pressure on natural resources and climate change.
