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The Frontier of Food

Analyze the food market and forecast unmet consumer needs!
Broaden your horizon: Use the challenge to understand a complex challenge of the world population and try to come up with a targeted market analysis of the food market and specific unmet consumer needs.

  • ✅ Completed
  • 🏁 Winner

    Congratulations Team U Ferment, well deserved victory!

  • 🏆 Prize

    €10.000

Key Questions

  • Which concrete unmet consumer needs have you identified? You should be able to clearly explain and define it.
  • What are the needs of a more urban and wealthy society and how might this impact food consumption?
  • How will food supply production change in response to the unmet consumer needs? What technological solution might be needed to address this new demand?

These approaches are desired by Merck

  • Surveys and interviews with relevant food consumers and food experts (“primary research”)
  • Consideration of latest trend reports, studies or other relevant developments in this industry (“secondary research”)
  • Ideas of how these unmet consumer needs could be addressed based on Merck’s scientific and technological capabilities (more information can be found here)

These approaches should NOT be followed

  • Analyzing stakeholder needs that are not directly linked to the consumer needs
  • Ideas and approaches that cannot be verified
  • Starting with solutions rather than a needs assessment

Evaluation criteria

Are the existing theses valid?

  • Was primary research conducted?
  • Was relevant secondary research considered and integrated?
  • Is the documentation adequate?

Concept representation

  • Understandable, written delineation of the ideas