InsectERA Mobilizing Agenda:
New bioindustrial sector

BACKGROUND & AIMS

The large-scale production of insects for use as ingredient in animal and human food, or as a raw material in other industries, is relatively recent in Europe and still faces major barriers and challenges. These include a lack of openness to new markets for insect-based products and an insufficient knowledge or mistrust of retailers and consumers towards these products. There is also considerable consumer reluctance to eat foods containing insect-based ingredients, although this is being mitigated as familiarity increases, particularly in cases where the use of insects is not directly observable. 
The InsectERA Agenda seeks to explore the potential of insects as a bioindustrial tool in the research, development, manufacture and marketing of innovative technological solutions and new Products, Processes, and Services (PPS) based on a circular economy. This PRR Mobilizing Agenda brings together a consortium of 42 partners operating throughout the value chain, committed to creating a new European bioindustry based in Portugal that responds to the global challenges posed by sustainable development goals, particularly those associated with food production and consumption. The project is developed across four Vertical Axes – InFood, InFeed, InIndustry, and InBiorremediation – and five Transversal Axes – Raw Materials and Production, Industry 4.0, In2Market, InFrass and One Health.
The activities of the In2Market axis aim to support the development and commercialization of the PPS developed by the InsectERA Agenda, focusing on removing barriers to market entry and addressing the commercialization challenges faced by the different partners. CATÓLICA-LISBON School of Business & Economics of the Universidade Católica Portuguesa leads the Market Analysis and Marketing Planning tasks of the InFood, InFeed & InIndustry axes, together with partners such as the Escola Superior de Biotecnologia da Universidade Católica in Porto, the Instituto Superior Técnico, Sense Test – Sociedade de Estudos de Análise Sensorial, Auchan Retail Portugal and the collaborative laboratories Colab4Food, B2E Blue Economy and FeedInov. 
The main goals of Market Analysis activities are to examine the supply and demand for insect-based products in Europe, segment and characterize the main consumer markets and identify the best market opportunities for the development and launch of new products. 

METHODS

Both secondary and primary data analyses were used to estimate and characterize demand. Namely, a systematic review and meta-analysis of scientific evidence was undertaken, and consumer studies were conducted in collaboration with consortium partners. The main variables examined were European consumer preferences and willingness to pay for foods derived, directly or indirectly through feed, from the integration of insects in production. 
On the other hand, the number of launches and prices of new insect-based foods for humans and pets in the European market, and their evolution over the last decade (2014 – 2024), were examined to estimate and characterize supply. This analysis was based on market information collected from commercial databases. In parallel, forty structured interviews were carried out with forty-two representatives of the food, feed and cosmetic industries covering the entire insect value chain, from production to the processing industry and retail. These aimed to determine the main market barriers and opportunities identified by different actors relatively to the use of insects as ingredient, the new products expected to be launched soon and the type of offers anticipated to have greater success in the marketplace.

RESULTS