The Network of Excellence "HighTech Europe" launches the 2012 European "Food Processing Implementation Award"honouring successful innovations in food processing and improvement of food quality that have been developed along a knowledge transfer chain within the last 3 years. It will serve as an incentive for cooperation between the research community and food industry.The award ceremony will take place at the EFFoST conference in Montpellier from 21-23 November 2012. The winner will be invited and gets the opportunity to present the winning innovation. Additionally, the winner will get a contribution of 2500 Euro for promoting its technology e.g. via magazine articles, booklets or promotion events. Furthermore, the prize includes a free membership for the HighTech Europe Associated Membership platform (AMP) for two years. After the end of the HighTech Europe project, this platform will live on through the European Institute for Food Processing (EU-IFP). This offers also the opportunity to publish information in each AMP newsletter.Only recent innovations, implemented within the last 3 years, that can be applied for improvement of food quality or food processing schemes including packaging will be considered. As the European Food Processing Implementation Award serves as an incentive for cooperation between research institutes and food industry, innovations resulting from interdisciplinary and inter-sectoral efforts will be favoured.Application is possible from 15 March to 15 June 2012.