Following the 2025 visit of representatives of the European partners from the Acuiconecta (1/MAC/1/1.1/0123) and Naturext (1/MAC/2/2.6/0075) projects to the Food Research Institute – Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR-FRI)*, the Ghanaian partner of both projects, collaboration with the institute has been further strengthened through the research stay of its researchers, Vida Awidi and Winifred Arthur, in the Canary Islands. This visit continues a scientific exchange initiated during the partners’ mission to Ghana, where the European institutions had the opportunity to gain first-hand insight into CSIR-FRI’s research capacities, infrastructure and areas of expertise, fostering mutual learning and knowledge exchange among project partners.
The initiative, promoted by the Canary Island Technological Institute (ITC), coordinator of both projects, brought together several Acuiconecta and Naturext partners, who contributed their expertise, knowledge, research infrastructures, equipment and technological capabilities. Participating institutions included the Canary Islands Foundation for Cancer Research (FICIC), the Canary Islands Institute of Agricultural Research (ICIA), the Institute of Natural Products and Agrobiology (IPNA-CSIC), the Spanish Institute of Oceanography (IEO-CSIC), and the NUTRAHLIPIDS Research Group of the University of La Laguna (ULL), which acted as the main host institution and coordinator of the research stay, with the support of ULL’s Vice-Rectorate for Internationalization and Cooperation.
At the same time, the exchange with CSIR-FRI provided the Canary Islands research institutions with a deeper understanding of Ghanaian raw materials, production processes and local challenges, enriching future joint research activities and reinforcing the value of international scientific cooperation.
During their nearly three-week stay, Vida Awidi and Winifred Arthur received specialized training in different areas of biotechnology, biological resource valorization and the analysis of bioactive compounds. This experience will strengthen the capacities of the CSIR-FRI research group by enabling the incorporation of newly acquired knowledge and methodologies into its future research activities. Likewise, collaboration with the CSIR-FRI researchers provided an opportunity to share their expertise in the use of local biological resources and food processing technologies developed in Ghana, creating a mutually beneficial exchange of knowledge for all participating institutions.
The visit also enabled further progress in the analysis of biomass and agro-industrial by-products from Ghana with biotechnological potential and possible applications in aquaculture, agriculture, nutraceuticals and food preservation. Among the materials studied were mango starch and cocoa husks, both of which show promising prospects for valorization.
This initiative highlights the capacity of the Canary Islands to provide highly specialized training while fostering collaboration between institutions with complementary scientific expertise, connecting disciplines and capabilities through international projects. It also demonstrates the value of interregional scientific cooperation based on the two-way exchange of knowledge, experience and capacities, generating shared benefits for all partners.
The research stay further reinforces the collaboration between the Canary Islands research institutions and CSIR-FRI, a leading food research center in Ghana, laying the foundations for a stable and long-term scientific and technological partnership.
* About CSIR-FRI
The Food Research Institute (FRI) is part of Ghana’s Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). The Institute carries out market-oriented applied research addressing challenges related to food processing and preservation, food and nutrition security, storage, marketing and distribution of food products. It also provides scientific advice to the Government of Ghana on food policy.
More information:
- CSIR – Food Research Institute: https://foodresearchgh.org/about-us/about-csir-fri
