The Barcelona Food Cluster Association and ACC1Ó (the Government of Catalonia’s Competitiveness for Catalonia agency) organised the first foodservice sector Strategic Immersion Congress, held in Món Sant Benet (Bages) on 21 and 22 February.

Around 40 firms from the foodservice sector, including some 15 from Mercabarna, attended the congress, where a number of future strategies to boost sector competitiveness were defined.

Participating businesses agreed to share resources and services with the goal of improving customer service and reducing costs. In addition, they decided to implement a number of different initiatives to learn more about their customers’ requirements, foster technological development and expand into new markets.

The congress attracted prominent speakers from institutions and businesses including ACCIÓ, the INNOVACC Meat and Pork Sector Cluster, the Institute for Food Technology Research (IRTA), the hospitality services firm Unilever Food Solutions, the Cerdà Institute, the consultancy firm that specialises in retail and innovation, Martínez-Franch, and the Association for the Out-of-Home Use of New Food Technologies (ANTA).