Cambridge Innovation Center – CIC, global leader in building and operating innovation ecosystems, announced a partnership with GOe–Gastronomy Open Ecosystem, a strategic initiative from Basque Culinary Center, to develop joint projects that promote the growth of gastronomic innovation and entrepreneurship communities globally.
GOe is a groundbreaking endeavor that blends science and gastronomy, and will establish a culinary ecosystem rooted in education, research, innovation, and entrepreneurship in San Sebastián – Donostia, Basque Country in the north of Spain. It aims to be an international epicenter for science and innovation in the culinary sphere.
This partnership between CIC and CIC is designed to promote entrepreneurship, innovation, and research in food technology and gastronomy globally. Together, the organizations will develop innovative gastronomic programs, manage shared spaces and create joint initiatives for food innovation worldwide. CIC will leverage its expertise in creating high impact industry clusters, and develop programs and services that foster connection between food innovation startups and corporates, investors, mentors and key industry players in order to accelerate the industry globally.
“As a global leader in creating communities and innovation programs to address world challenges, we are proud to partner with the most cutting-edge institution in the world of gastronomy,” said Tim Rowe, CIC’s CEO and Founder. “This collaborative effort with GOe will enhance their international activities and build momentum in food innovation at CIC.”
As part of this partnership, GOe will participate in gastronomy promotion events hosted by CIC, explore opportunities to create joint programs tailored for entrepreneurs in the industry, and support internationalization efforts, potentially involving CIC’s Venture Café. Through CIC’s collaboration and expertise with GOe’s diverse team of chefs and researchers, they will also launch projects, initiatives and events to advance the international gastronomic innovation community.
“The establishment of GOe allows us to forge alliances with global leaders like CIC in the fields of innovation and entrepreneurship. Within GOe, we will undertake projects in innovation, research, and entrepreneurship aimed at shaping the future of gastronomy, all through our comprehensive gastronomic vision,” said Joxe Mari Aizega, General Manager of Basque Culinary Center. “Partnering with CIC, renowned for its extensive international expertise in innovation and entrepreneurship, signifies a step forward in our entrepreneurial endeavors, driven by excellence and a global outlook. Through this collaboration, we will design and implement activities that have previously been unexplored.”
CIC has a long history of supporting industries through partnerships and the development of industry hubs. The value of pairing industry clusters with flexible workspace to create a connected culture needed to fix global problems through innovation, can be seen in CIC’s offshore wind cluster in Providence, and other hubs like SeaAhead, CIC and C10 Labs’ AI Hub, and the Massachusetts Mobility Hub that call CIC innovation campuses home.
About Basque Culinary Center
Basque Culinary Center constitutes a unique ecosystem where education, innovation, research, and entrepreneurship coalesce to develop and promote gastronomy as a reasoned understanding of what we eat and how we prepare it. Our mission is grounded in values such as passion, innovation, commitment to excellence, and social responsibility. Established in San Sebastián since 2011, the Basque Culinary Center is a pioneering institution comprising the Faculty of Gastronomic Sciences and BCC Innovation, a technological center in gastronomy.
BCC Innovation serves as the technological arm of the Basque Culinary Center, tasked with generating knowledge in the field and contributing to the advancement and enhancement of the entire food value chain. This involves reinforcing the work and positioning of all stakeholders within the industry and, consequently, benefiting society as a whole. Our team of professionals specializes in diverse areas such as sensory sciences, health and nutrition, sustainability, digital transformation, and culinary innovation. Through a comprehensive and avant-garde approach, we undertake research, innovation, and entrepreneurship projects both locally and globally.
The Basque Culinary Center continues to consolidate its role as an international reference in the gastronomic sector through forward-looking initiatives such as the GOe–Gastronomy Open Ecosystem and EDA Drinks & Wine Campus.
GOe–Gastronomy Open Ecosystem, project led by Basque Culinary Center within a collaborative strategy backed by the Basque Government’s Department of Economic Development, the Provincial Council of Gipuzkoa, and the City Council of Donostia-San Sebastián, will address and tackle the challenges of the future of gastronomy and food. Located in the Gros neighborhood, at the heart of Donostia-San Sebastián, it will emerge as an international hub for scientific inquiry and innovation in gastronomy, hosting research, training, and entrepreneurship activities. Additionally, it will serve as a new social nexus, providing fresh communal spaces for citizens.
About CIC
CIC builds and operates a global network of innovation campuses where startups, scale-ups, corporations and public entities connect, work, and grow. Founded in 1999, CIC manages more than 1 million square feet of innovation-focused workspace, laboratories, and event space across North America, Europe and Asia. Additionally, CIC develops innovation-related programming, builds and enables industry clusters, and provides world-class innovation consulting.
Learn more about CIC’s innovation campuses featuring workspace & labs, programming, and events at CIC.com. Follow along on LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.
