Skip to main content

Nutritional research for a healthier diet

The interdisciplinary enable Cluster is one of four BMBF (Federal Ministry for Education and Research) financed Clusters in the field of nutritional research. Since 2015 enable has received 11.6 million Euro funding by the BMBF. In the first funding period from June 2015 to August 2018 four pilot studies were conducted and several prototypes developed. Starting in September 2018 the second funding period is based on the projects of the first funding period. Its main goal is to develop application based products.

Organigramm des enable-Clusters

enable develops new strategies for healthier food choices targeting people in all stages of life – from birth to old age. Our research is interdisciplinary with focus on the interface of food science and nutrition technology with information- and communication technology as well as social studies. Thus, we contribute to the deciphering of the interaction between food choices and human genome. This also contains research about predisposition for and protection of chronic diseases like diabetes and their subsequent damage.

The enable Cluster wants to demonstrate that modern nutrition including convenience products and a healthy life style do not have to be a contradiction. We utilize modern information- and communication technology to provide and promote healthy food choices for consumers.

The enable Cluster strengthens cooperation in the field of nutritional research by cooperating with the other BMBF-financed competence clusters of nutritional research: NutriCARD, NutriAct and DietBB. Furthermore, we foster young academics by integrating them in our research projects and offering them a distinct graduate programme. Through communicational measures aimed at the population as a whole and specific target groups, we seek to enable a sustainable healthy lifestyle and establish healthier eating habits. enable promotes innovation in this field by a multitude of instruments: innovation vouchers, Hands-on Workshops and innovation trainings. The innovation office at the enable Cluster is responsible for these measures. Its main aim is to promote product and social innovation and to build a strong network of relevant players in the field.

The leaders of the seven focus projects, the speaker and the manager of the cluster form the enable Steering Committee. It decides upon all strategic and work relevant decisions.  

An interdisciplinary Advisory Board consisting of renowned experts from science, nutrition industry, media and consumer protection advises the Steering Committee and the cluster itself.

enable is a consortium of four universities, numerous research institutions and different regional companies from the food industry. The cluster office is located at the Technical University of Munich in Freising-Weihenstephan.