Smart Net-Zero

October 13-16, 2026 | In-person | Papendal, The Netherlands |

Organized by NIZO and Elsevier, this conference brings together academia, research institutes, and industry to advance protein functionality research with a primary focus on plant-based and fermentation-derived proteins, addressing the challenge of feeding almost 10 billion people by 2050 sustainably. Sessions cover protein structure and processing, fermentation to improve ingredient quality, protein analytics, and sustainability across the plant-protein supply chain. Keynote speakers represent institutions in Australia, France (INRAE), the Netherlands, the USA, and Germany. In a nod to its sustainability theme, all conference catering, including the gala dinner, will be fully plant-based. Poster abstracts and registration are open.