First B-Trust Co-Creation Session: Exploring Perspectives on Cell Factories

The first co-creation session of the B-Trust project took place yesterday in Belgium, focusing on the biotech case «Cell Factories». This session provided an opportunity for participants to share their perspectives on biotechnology in food production, exploring its potential applications, challenges, and role in shaping the future of the food industry.

Participants & Workshop Structure

A total of 16 participants attended the session, ensuring a broad mix of backgrounds, including progressive and conservative voices, a gender balance, and a range of ages—from teenagers to individuals in their forties and fifties. While participants had varying levels of familiarity with biotechnology and food production, all expressed interest in nutrition, food quality, or sustainability.

The workshop followed a structured format:

🔹 Identifying challenges – Discussing current issues in food production before introducing biotechnology as a potential solution.
🔹 Exploring biotechnology – Introducing cell factories and their potential applications.
🔹 Scenario exercise – Examining different possible futures based on varying levels of biotechnology adoption.
🔹 Risk, benefits & communication – A planned discussion on technological risks, mitigation measures, and communication strategies, which was shortened due to time constraints.

Key Observations

• Participants engaged in discussions on biotechnology, sharing their views on its potential role in addressing food production challenges.
• The scenario exercise helped explore different perspectives on the extent to which biotechnology could be integrated into food systems.
• There were diverse viewpoints on biotechnology’s applications, with some participants considering its potential benefits and others reflecting on the need for more information.

Looking Ahead

This session provided valuable insights into public perceptions of biotechnology and highlighted the importance of engaging diverse voices in discussions about innovation and trust. The B-Trust project will continue to organise co-creation sessions, ensuring that stakeholders from different backgrounds contribute to shaping the future of biotechnology.

📢 Stay tuned for more updates on the B-Trust co-creation process and upcoming workshops!

This project is funded by the European Union’s Horizon Europe programme 2021-2027.