As consumer demand for sustainable, nutritious, and responsibly produced foods accelerates, the food-tech sector stands at a critical crossroads.

Scaling innovations such as sustainable proteins and ingredients requires more than just scientific breakthroughs; it demands a collaborative, multi-stakeholder approach backed by smart investment and strategic partnerships. Companies like Ingredion, a global ingredient solutions leader, BlueNalu, a pioneer in cultivated seafood, and Thimus, an innovator in sensory neuroscience, are demonstrating how strategic partnerships and open innovation can fast-track commercialization and drive meaningful change. All three companies will share their insights at Future Food-Tech Chicago on June 2-3 - the number one global platform to meet food-tech leaders, forge transformative partnerships, and scale breakthrough solutions. Their work showcases the vital role of collaboration - across research, regulation, bioprocessing, and commercialization - in moving cutting-edge solutions from the lab to consumers’ plates. Today’s food industry leaders recognize that the future of food will be built through collective action - leveraging cross-sector expertise, transparent partnerships, and a shared commitment to redefining the global food ecosystem.

Partnership as a Catalyst for Scale 

Successful collaborations in food-tech are characterized by a clear alignment of values, complementary capabilities, and shared accountability. At BlueNalu, partnerships have been critical from the start. “These have been both functional and geographic in nature and have greatly accelerated our pathway towards commercialization,” says Lou Cooperhouse, Founder, President & CEO. These collaborations span market intelligence, regulatory insights, technology development, bioprocessing, and product distribution - all strategically focused on markets like the US, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. At Thimus, partnerships are redefining product development through neuroscience. “When we started offering a new scalable technology for sensory neuroscience, the T-Box, we knew this tool could only make sense if it became the catalyst of some very tangible business needs,” says Mario Ubiali, Founder and CEO. Today, Thimus is partnering with ingredient and extract companies, along with their CPG clients, to explore how sensory data and emotional responses can inform culturally fitting and sustainable product innovation. “The convergence of data, emotional response, sustainability boundaries and market success is becoming the most exciting nexus.” These kinds of partnerships - where science, market insight, and commercialization intersect - demonstrate how shared innovation can move ideas rapidly toward global impact.

Managing Scale, Regulation, and IP

 Scaling sustainable innovations is a complex process - one that demands both structure and flexibility. At BlueNalu, Cooperhouse notes, collaboration begins with clearly defined mutual interests, formalized agreements, and stage-gated milestones. These include shared responsibilities, confidentiality provisions, and IP ownership considerations - all backed by strong project management and executive sponsorship. Ubiali of Thimus reinforces this structured but flexible approach: “The essence of a partnership is that each company brings specific value and contributes to solving an emerging challenge.” In one current project, House of Humans, a startup contributes unique ingredient IP, an industrial partner delivers scale and distribution, and Thimus offers scientific and operational capabilities for live market testing. “Everyone solves a challenge, shares knowledge and reach.” Eric Weisser, Head of Open Innovation and Customer Innovation at Ingredion, agrees that scalability hinges on transparency and a willingness to share both risk and reward. Success, he says, depends on “identifying the core needs of each partner and exploring opportunities for collective advancement,” rather than limiting the process to transactional, pairwise interactions. Building a Diverse Innovation Ecosystem Collaborative success in food-tech is only possible with a diverse set of stakeholders. According to Weisser, accelerating innovation requires an ecosystem that includes “agri-food tech startups, established CPGs, academia, ingredient suppliers, technology providers, regulatory bodies, investors and more.” Ubiali expands on this by emphasizing the need for diversity in size, skillset, and culture. “We need the dynamic researchers and data collectors, the powerful scalers and co-packers, the innovators in ingredients and sustainability-driven supply chains, but also the voice of humans who want meaningful food and ultimately the bioregional food systems,” he says. While different organizations bring different approaches, “when gathered around a common goal with a clear objective, amazing things can happen.”

Accelerating Integration and Innovation

To bring sustainable proteins and biotech-driven ingredients to market faster, the sector must embrace open innovation. Cooperhouse points to the need for a structured ecosystem map, gap assessments, and strategic plans that are rooted in inter-functional collaboration. “The catalyst for creating and accelerating commercial success results from a corporate culture that embraces a philosophy of open innovation.” Weisser echoes this: a siloed approach limits potential. By fostering “transparent partnerships and shared goals across a diverse range of stakeholders,” he notes, the food-tech ecosystem can unlock new opportunities to develop innovative, nutritious, and sustainable products. Conclusion: Collaboration as the Cornerstone of the Future Scaling sustainable proteins and ingredients at the speed and scale required to meet global needs is a complex challenge — but also a defining opportunity. Through intentional collaboration, open innovation, and shared investment across the ecosystem, the food-tech sector can unlock a future that is commercially viable, environmentally responsible, and globally impactful.

Future Food-Tech Chicago, June 2-3, offers the ultimate opportunity to connect with industry pioneers like Ingredion, BlueNalu, and Thimus, form the strategic partnerships that drive progress, and be part of the global conversation shaping the next generation of sustainable food systems. Register now to secure your place at the industry’s most important summit for food-tech collaboration and scale.