Innovative animal products processing: crossing the frontiers of the bioeconomy

Currently, two institutions – the National Agricultural and Food Centre (NPPC) in Lužianky, Slovakia, and the University of Food Technologies, Department of Milk and Dairy Products, in Plovdiv, Bulgaria – are addressing different but complementary challenges, both aiming to maximise the efficiency of agro-food production through the sustainable use of natural resources, such as rose petal waste, within a circular economy approach and bioeconomy framework. The NPPC, a contributory organisation under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of the Slovak Republic, was established in 2014 through the merger of several institutions engaged in agricultural and food research. It provides integrated expertise in the sustainable use and protection of natural resources—particularly soil and water—for plant cultivation and animal husbandry. In addition, it supports the development of high-quality, safe, innovative, and competitive food and non-food products of agricultural origin, while also addressing agriculture's environmental impact and promoting rural development through the transfer of research knowledge to end users.