The experience that Monteloeder has had in obtaining and enjoying the Horizon2020 grant from the European Union has meant many benefits for the possibility of developing the “Innoprefat” project.
One of the objectives of this project is to raise awareness of obesity, the metabolic syndrome and its health complications. The best way to explain the advantages and benefits of this aid is to listen to the testimonies of each of the departments involved in the project:
ANDRÉS JORDAN
Product Manufacturing Deparment
The search for the ingredients that were able to make up the final branded product called Metabolaid within the “Innoprefat Project” presented several challenges from the outset.
It was undoubtedly a fruitful experience that also allowed us to establish alternative sources for other products, thereby facilitating the increase and improvement of our supply chain scope. Regarding product manufacturing, both ingredients were developed in the laboratory and industrially scaled using a novel extraction process.
Economically resulted in a viable process of extracting the ingredients separately with a final mixture at the Monteloeder facilities in clean rooms with GMP certification.
JONATHAN JONES PH. D / NURIA CATURLA PH. D
R&D Deparment
The Research and Development Department has been in charge of the first 3 Work Packages of the Horizon 2020 project, while also collaborating in the other three Work Packages wherever necessary.
FIRST WORK PACKAGE
– Ensure the sourcing of raw materials and scaling up the manufacturing of Metabolaid.
SECOND WORK PACKAGE
– Perform a large clinical trial focused on a functional target of interest and to obtain sufficient scientific substantiation for applying a health claim.
THIRD WORK PACKAGE
– Determine the stability and shelf-life of Metabolaid, both in powder form as well as in several food matrixes.
MARCOS LÓPEZ DÍAZ / CRISTINA SANSANO
Customer journey definition & Pilot experience
Loop’s collaboration in a first stage to identify and convince a FMCG company willing to take part in this project, has been of great help. Their collaboration wouldn’t have been possible without the grant.
Adherence · Successful results
Thanks to the funds received from the UE we’ve been able as well to enroll in this project a great UX / UI professional, Cristina Sansano, who has been key in defining the customer journey and take it to a mobile interface, very well received by the end consumer test participants.
FAVIO VARELA
IT Deparment
IT Department involvement in the Metabolaid Project comprised the execution of a mobile app end to end development as well as its backend counterpart. Thanks to this project we could develop several new skills and apply existing knowledge and ideas to a real-world case.
ANDRÉS ORTS
Marketing Deparment
The grant has allowed us to have a continuous presence in the media, making it easier for us to publicize the product.
For this campaign we obtained the collaboration of the Mapfre Foundation and 4 of its world-famous ambassadors. They were responsible for transmitting different awareness messages to children for their best education in terms of healthy habits. This campaign was seen more than a million times on social networks across Europe.
AXEL SALOMON (Europe commercial activities)
Sales Department
The financial support has allowed us, on the one hand, to improve the relationship and contacts with customers. Vitafoods, as a reference in Europe has been a great push, but also our presence, as visitors in HI Europe and CPhI Worldwide are references in this market.
IGNACIO CARTAGENA (APAC commercial activities)
During 2018 and 2019 the Asia Pacific commercial department, which includes Australia and New Zealand in addition to the Asian countries, has carried out the following marketing actions financed with H2020 funds:
2018 · WORKSHOP IN SINGAPORE DURING VITAFOODS ASIA.
2019 · STAND AT THE VITAFOODS ASIA NUTRACEUTICAL INDUSTRY SHOW, HELD IN SINGAPORE IN SEPTEMBER.
2019 · SEMINAR IN TAIWAN ON SEPTEMBER 5TH
2019 · HEALTH INGREDIENTS JAPAN
VICENTE GASCÓN
Financial Deparment
The project Metabolaid is key for the future of the company because it consolidates the way the products are designed, produced and marketed. From a financial point of view, the SME instrument funding reduces the breakeven point, without this instrument Monteloeder could not make the investment needed with its own resources, and probably look for other private resources.
The project had a very important impact on the development of the traditional areas of knowledge of the company.
ARTURO LIZÓN, PH. D
General management
The main driver to ask for a H2020 grant was the necessity to access funds that could help the company to develop a new value proposition around health ingredients and preventive health that could be a paradigm changer within the nutrition, supplement and the preventive health industries.
Monteloeder had the capabilities, competencies and global reach, to being able to be successful in this challenge but did not have the funds to construct all the pieces of the new value proposition.
THE H2020 GRANT HAS BEEN KEY TO BEING SUCCESSFUL IN THIS CHALLENGE AND WITHOUT THIS COULD HAVE NEVER BEEN REACHED.
The project has been a TOTAL SUCCESS and many B2C companies recognizes that Monteloeder´s value proposition is the next step and future for proving that the preventive health industry based on health ingredients and habits, is key for improving the general health of the population.
As the cream on top of the cake, the health ingredient MetabolAid and the health solution pilot, Actilac have been nominated as finalists for the most prestigious awards of the ingredient industry. Both solutions were the key elements of the Innoprefat H2020 Project.
For sure, without the help of the H2020 grant this could never been achieved and contributed to position a European company among the top innovators of the world in the preventive health ingredient industry.
