Scaling European Food and Agri Tech

In this episode, Alexander Märdian shares his over 40 years of expertise in international trade, food tech, and business scalability, offering practical advice for startups and SMEs looking to expand globally.

We discuss the evolving landscape of export strategies, the role of innovation and sustainability, and how European companies can compete in a changing world.

Alexander has over 40 years of experience in international trade, export management, coaching and training export managers all over the world. Alexander Märdian has been Head of the Innovation Hub at the DIL German Institute of Food Technologies since 2019, where he leads various EU and national deep-tech agri-food programs focused on market validation, technology validation, and the development of sustainable business models.

Takeaways

• The connection between established business support and high-tech startups' needs
• Key criteria for startups to enter international markets effectively
• The importance of technology in agriculture and food tech for sustainability
• Regulatory challenges in food export and strategies to overcome them
• How to integrate into existing value chains and navigate supply chain complexities
• The impact of digitalization and AI in market research and export planning
• Strategic priorities for companies in their first 100 days of market entry
• Cultural differences and building long-term cross-border relationships
• Trends shaping future food tech and agritech innovations
• Success measurement beyond profit: customer retention and loyalty