The Faculty of Biotechnology and the Centre for Biotechnology and Fine Chemistry of the Universidade Católica Portuguesa welcomed the visit of Rosalinda Scalia, Deputy Head of Unit for Bioeconomy and Food Systems at the Directorate-General for Research and Innovation of the European Commission.

During the visit, Rosalinda Scalia had the opportunity to learn about the CBQF’s research projects in the fields of Bioeconomy and Food Systems, as well as the co-creation environment that characterizes both the Centre and the Faculty.

The visit took place on November 19th, coinciding with the annual meeting of the FoodForce research network, which this year was hosted by the Faculty of Biotechnology. In this context, Rosalinda Scalia delivered a presentation entitled “R&I central to EU’s competitiveness: fostering innovation in food systems and life sciences. Updates on EU collaborative research and upcoming policy initiatives” for all member institutions and countries involved in the network and discussed future funding for the agri-food system.

Rosalinda Scalia has extensive experience in food and agricultural policy, having previously worked at the Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety as policy lead for plant health. Before joining the European institutions in Brussels, she served for nearly a decade as a Food Inspector at the Italian Ministry of Agriculture and later at the Spanish Agency for Food Safety, focusing on the investigation of fraud and irregularities in the food market. She holds a PhD in Environmental Agronomy from the University of Palermo and was a visiting researcher at the University of California (Davis) and the University of Alabama.