Within the scope of the TASP2 action line - Agri-food technology applied to the control of processes and products - ISOPlexis develops the monitoring of industrial processes and regional agri-food products, using analytical tools, specific networks of sensors, to increase the efficiency of processes industrial products, promote product excellence and encourage the circularity of the agri-food sector.
This line of action aims to contribute to the competitiveness and internationalization of regional companies and create opportunities for new business ideas. The activities carried out have generated knowledge and resources, which are important to leverage the development, modernization, and improvement of the quality of processes and products.
This line is in connected with Madeira's Regional Strategy for Smart Specialization (EREI) for the fields of Agriculture, Food, and Bioeconomy and is aligned with the cross-border strategy for the Macaronesia Area and the European Ecological Pact (Green Deal) with the "Farm to Fork" strategy, which advocates the increasing the sustainability of the entire agri-food sector, by increasing its efficiency, reducing dependence on extreme raw materials, with the introduction of more efficient production processes and carbon neutrals, ensuring the production of quality food that ensures the health and well-being of consumers.
Within the framework of the structuring project IMPACT-Food, methodologies are applied based on the use of analytical techniques and statistical/mathematical tools, which allow it to carry out the physical, biochemical, and organoleptic characterization of raw materials and products and supervision of industrial processes, resulting in the introduction of new monitoring tools, integrated decision, and quality control systems. The methodologies used are complementary and can be applied to support the research activity that addresses areas and themes upstream to the industrial process, namely in the analysis of the influence of climate on the characteristics and quality of raw material, processed products, and the product, and downstream in the reduction of food waste and the environmental impacts of industrial activity (waste).
The work program of the TASP2 line is carried out in collaboration with several regional partners, among others the Madeira Wine Company, ECM, Justinos e Justinos, J. Faria & Filhos Insular de Moínhos, DRA, I3N, and CITAB, and is expected to articulate in the future this work with the EMPHASIS platform.
The TASP2 line presents synergies and interconnections and several with the other lines of investigation of ISOPlexis, in particular, the MIA2 and 3B lines.
The investigation of the TASP2 line and the structuring project IMPACT-Food has been ensured through the financing of the PROCiência and FCT programs.
This research sub-group develops RTD&I projects with companies from the regional agri-food sector to create new technologies, namely sensors and data processing frameworks. The acquired information is then integrated into an information management platform with decision-making tools. The multicomponent analysis is the basis for integrating new Process Analytical Technology (PAT) and monitoring processes in real-time.
The objectives of this research sub-group are:
- Develop technologies for online control.
- Develop projects aimed at the development of sensors and biosensors.
- Provide support to agri-food sector SMEs for their integration into the Industry 4.0 revolution.
This research line supports the processes and products intrinsically associated with the regional agri-food sector. This line of research aims to support the internationalisation of regional products (e.g., Madeira wine, regional branded beers, Rum Agrícola) through the modernisation of the technological process and in-depth knowledge of the product. This line of action also covers areas upstream of the transformation processes (i.e., implications of the raw materials' characteristics on the transformed product) and downstream in terms of the environmental impacts resulting from industrial activity (wastes), presenting synergies with the other lines of action of the Centre.
The objectives of this sub-group are:
- Evaluate the potential of biorefinery methodologies for by-products from agri-food sector activities.
- Guarantee and maximise the efficiency of production processes.
- Develop studies and consultancies for companies in the agri-food sector, especially in the areas of supervision of production processes, quality and typicality control and the insertion of new monitoring technologies.
The group has a wide range of equipment (GC-MS, HPLC-DAD/FLD/RI/MSMS, UVVis, NIR-MIR) and validated techniques that allow a rapid and effective response to the biochemical characterisation inherent to process control and the valorisation of regional agri-food products in terms of their biological and functional properties. Additionally, through mitigation strategies and monitoring of chemical contaminants in response to the new guidelines of the regulatory authorities, guarantees are provided at the food safety level.
The objectives of this sub-group are:
- Develop methodologies for the metabolic, biological and functional characterisation of genetic resources, particularly at the level of sensorial and metabolic profiles.
- Support the internationalisation of regional products.