Programme Timeline

The BioSustainability Design programme educates one cohort per year. Each cohort follows a fixed 10-month structure, which is outlined below. Please note, that the programme curriculum and contents is still under development as of January 2026. This page will be updated with further information once the curriculum is finalized.

January-August 2026 (before programme start)

• Recruitment campaign and applications
• Assessment and selection of fellows
• Matching hosts and planning field immersions

 

September-October: Bootcamp

• Introduction to the full agri‑food value chain
• Deep dive into the three BSD themes
• Training in design thinking and need‑driven innovation
• Team formation and team mission
• Preparation for field immersion at host organizations

 

November–January 2027: Need identification

• Field immersion at a minimum of two host organizations per team
• Shadowing staff across functions and processes
• Systematic observation and need identification
• Initial validation through interviews, data review, and mentor feedback
• Selection of ~5 key needs per team for further work

 

February-March: Innovation

• Ideation sessions and concept generation (20+ ideas per team)
• Concept selection and refinement
• Technical, operational, and market validation with hosts, mentors, and users
• First prototypes (when relevant) and value chain impact assessment

 

April–June: Implementation

• Selection of one main concept per team
• Further prototyping and pilot testing where possible
• Business model development and commercialization strategy
• Regulatory and IP considerations
• Final presentations to hosts, partners, and external stakeholders