A decade after its creation, the gastronomy university in the Basque Country aims to position San Sebastian as the capital of gastronomic innovation
The Gastronomy Open Ecosystem (GOe) is a one-of-a-kind project integrating science and gastronomy to create an interactive ecosystem focused on research, innovation, and entrepreneurship create to attract talent.
Created by the Basque Culinary Center (BCC), the world’s leading university in gastronomic research and development, GOe will focus on promoting a unique interactive space welcoming innovative food start-ups, researchers, chefs and industry, all in one space.
“There’s is a whole new wave of food innovation coming but, unlike in other sectors, there is not a place where talent, including students and entrepreneurs, can interact and work with researchers, corporates and other stakeholder,” says Joxe Mari Aizega, director of the BCC. “A place to learn, design, taste some of the solutions of the future of food – GOe will be that place.”
Global challenges, innovative solutions
Launched with the intention to make it a world-leading center for creativity, research, innovation, and development, pioneering the sustainable future of gastronomy, GOe will be located in the heart of San Sebastián in the Basque Country. The project aims to attract multidisciplinary talent and spearhead the development of innovative solutions to global industry challenges.
GOe is developed as a space that is open to the city of San Sebastián, inviting citizens to participate in activities and events.
When it opens GOe will offer some master post graduate courses. It will already have the BCC’s Innovation team working with corporates and an area for people from the city of San Sebastián and foodies from all over the world to sample some of the current and future of gastronomy. People will find an open mix of classrooms, labs, incubator space and new formulas of hospitality.
“GOe should provide a shared space for corporates, entrepreneurs, researches and students to create: share knowledge and work and prototype on new ideas,” concludes Aizega. “A place where anybody with an interest on food should want to spend some time at least one.”
The BCC has launched an international architecture competition to ensure that the best possible solution is found to construct a building, based on sustainability, functional, technological, environmental and aesthetic perspectives.
Tina Nielsen
