Neil Perry is Content Director for Outlook Publishing.
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Barilla has opened applications for the 2026 edition of its Good Food Makers open innovation program, as the global food company looks to accelerate collaboration with startups across product development, manufacturing and consumer experience.
The initiative, launched in 2019, has engaged more than 1,100 startups from over 50 countries and generated 26 pilot projects. More than 20 projects developed through the program remain active across Barilla’s operations, highlighting the company’s focus on scaling innovation beyond the pilot phase.
The 2026 program follows the launch of BITE (Barilla Innovation & Technology Experience), Barilla’s new innovation centre focused on developing next-generation food products. Good Food Makers will continue to serve as a key platform for co-developing technologies and solutions with external innovators.
“Through Good Food Makers, we continue to invest in an open innovation model capable of generating measurable and scalable impact,” said Laurette Defranco, Head of Open Innovation & IP Rights at Barilla. “Collaboration with startups is a key accelerator to test solutions that create value across our entire value chain, from product development to industrial processes and consumer experience.”
A Partnership Built on Innovation
Developed in partnership with Italian open innovation hub Almacube, the program returns in 2026 to a Barilla-led format after a broader ecosystem edition in 2025 that included supply chain partners.
Applications are open from May 25 to July 10, 2026. Selected startups and innovative companies will participate in an eight-week co-development process beginning at Barilla’s headquarters in Parma, Italy. The program includes direct collaboration with Barilla teams, access to operational data and industrial use cases, and the development of proof-of-concept projects before a final Demo Day presentation to company leadership.
Barilla is seeking technologies and solutions across three focus areas for 2026:
Smart onboarding and learning platforms for technical workforce training
Ready-to-use meal solutions aligned with evolving consumer eating habits
Snack and mini-meal concepts focused on emotional well-being and cognitive performance
Commercial Deployment
Several technologies developed through previous editions have already been deployed commercially. These include supply chain traceability solutions now applied to more than 400 million jars of Barilla pesto, along with digital knowledge-management platforms used across multiple production sites to improve operational efficiency and knowledge sharing.
The program reflects growing interest across the food and beverage sector in using startup partnerships to accelerate innovation cycles, improve manufacturing agility and strengthen product development pipelines.
This article was produced by the editorial team at EME Outlook and published as part of the Outlook Publishing global network of B2B industry magazines.
Outlook Publishing delivers industry insights, company stories, and sector coverage across manufacturing, mining, construction, healthcare, supply chains, food production, and sustainability.
EME Outlook provides ongoing coverage of organisations and developments shaping industries across Europe and the Middle East.
