FAVAFERM: Turning waste starch into rare sugars
| Reference number | |
| Coordinator | Igelösa Life Science AB |
| Funding from Vinnova | SEK 500 000 |
| Project duration | October 2026 - March 2027 |
| Status | Ongoing |
| Venture | Preparation projects for international application within health |
| Call | Deepened international collaborations for healthy and resilient societies |
Purpose and goal
FAVAFERM will establish a Sweden–Singapore innovation collaboration for fermentation-based valorisation of underutilised agricultural resources. Using residual starch from Swedish fava beans as the first case, the project will assess its potential for producing rare sugars such as allulose and tagatose and develop a joint roadmap for validation, scale-up and commercialisation.
Expected effects and result
The project will deliver a formalised Sweden–Singapore collaboration, a feasibility assessment for producing rare sugars from residual starch, a roadmap for further development, and frameworks for IP, data sharing and financing. In the longer term, the results may contribute to better use of agricultural side streams, healthier food ingredients, and more resource-efficient and resilient food systems.
Planned approach and implementation
The six-month project will be carried out by Igelösa Life Science and Eatobe. Activities include a study visit to Singapore, joint workshops, stakeholder mapping and feasibility assessment, and development of collaboration, IP, data-sharing and financing frameworks. The project will conclude with a joint roadmap and material for follow-on international innovation and funding projects.