Dear Researchers, Students and Colleagues,   Food  innovation represents an ongoing challenge for researchers, industry, policy  makers, suppliers and food chain managers.  Consumers  want good quality and tasty foods but are increasingly demanding nutritional  and bio-functional properties for these foods, as more advanced research  discoveries and facts are publicized.  Within  this framework the ongoing research programmes carried out at European level,  mainly supported by EU research funding or by national/regional research funds  or by the food industry, are continuing at the highest scientific level by  industrial and academic researchers. These activities include research on  characterization, quality evaluation, and functionality of food and ingredients  from both traditional and novel sources. Advanced and innovative technologies  to improve food safety, maintaining food quality to prolong shelf-life,  biotechnologies to increase nutrition and functional properties, highly  efficient new analytical methods, new approaches to bio-packaging and food  processing sustainability are all topics in which the main European research  groups are actively involved, and having their research referred to.I sincerely hope you  will be able to join us in Bologna to make your contribution to the progress of  our multidisciplinary science by presenting your research as a poster or oral  presentation.  Looking forward to welcoming you in Bologna.Very best regards,Marco Dalla Rosa - Conference Chair Full Professor of Food Technology Head of the  Interdepartmental Centre for Agri-Food Industrial Research Alma Mater Studiorum - University of  Bologna