Wageningen MFC is a spin-off of Wageningen University & Research (WUR), combining the extensive knowledge and lifelong experience of former and current senior experts with the fresh perspectives and up-to-date education of young professionals and students.

Established in 2017, Wageningen MFC is part of the broader Wageningen knowledge network. Our organizational structure is inspired by the development of the third-generation university model, a concept also being embraced within this network, and one to which we are eager to contribute.

“ … The ideal of the university as a “Bildungsinstitut” (educational institute) is under pressure due to large student numbers, economic utility and return thinking, dependence on the business community for research funding and political agenda-setting. In its place, the concept of the so-called third-generation university is increasingly being placed, in which the university is largely intertwined with business life and other social organizations….” [1]

Wageningen University & Research focuses primarily on knowledge development and education and has achieved top positions in global rankings for research in agriculture and environmental sciences.

Wageningen MFC, on the other hand, is dedicated to the co-design of Metropolitan Food Clusters (MFC). This approach involves transdisciplinary cooperation among scientists, entrepreneurs, governments, and NGOs, with the aim of integrating scientific innovations and tacit knowledge into system-level innovations.

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[1]Translation of  https://vragen.wetenschapsagenda.nl/vraag/hoe-moet-de-universiteit-er-in-de-21e-eeuw-uitzien (in Dutch)

Association 

The Wageningen MFC Association serves as a platform where members share and contribute to our vision for the sustainable development of the agri-food system. It is a space for discussing new knowledge, challenges, ideas, and transition processes. Members of the Association can submit research proposals to the Wageningen MFC Foundation. Wageningen MFC also organizes Association Days for members to meet, exchange ideas, and collaborate.

Foundation 

The Wageningen MFC Foundation manages a revolving fund into which Wageningen MFC Business invests a portion of its project revenues. This fund reinvests these resources into long-term research, and education and training projects conducted by Wageningen University & Research and other knowledge institutes to support and further advance the mission of Wageningen MFC. The Foundation also facilitates the organization and work of an independent research board that oversees, regulates, and reviews the projects it supports.

Business

Wageningen MFC Business is the commercial arm of Wageningen MFC, responsible for executing co-design projects for clients worldwide. It focuses on co-designing solutions and integrating the knowledge, technologies, and experiences of Wageningen MFC Association members into Metropolitan Food Cluster projects.