About Watson
THE PROJECT
Watson was a Horizon Europe-funded project that ran from March 2023 to February 2026 and focused on tackling fraudulent practices in the food supply chain.
An interdisciplinary consortium of 47 partners from 20 EU and non-EU countries worked together to develop a holistic traceability framework integrating data-driven services, intelligence-based toolsets and risk estimation approaches. The project supported food safety authorities in improving their ability to detect, assess and prevent food fraud.
What we achieved
Watson contributed to making food supply chains more traceable, transparent, resilient and sustainable by delivering innovative solutions that:
- Enhanced track-and-trace mechanisms, enabling more reliable and near real-time information on food products throughout the supply chain.
- Supported food safety authorities and policymakers with advanced data, analytics and decision-support tools for monitoring risks across food systems.
- Increased awareness of food safety and authenticity among consumers, contributing to healthier choices and more sustainable food ecosystems.
What we developed
The Watson framework developed and integrated a digital reference architecture combining several advanced technologies, including:
- AI-supported early warning systems for food safety authorities, connected to food fraud and risk databases.
- IoT-based traceability solutions enabling improved tracking and transparency across supply chains.
- Fast, flexible, and cost-effective tools for food authenticity verification and real-time analysis.
- Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) and advanced data analytics to ensure secure, transparent and tamper-resistant information flows.
What we demonstrated
Watson validated its solutions through six real-world use cases across Europe, each addressing specific food supply chain challenges:
OBJECTIVES
Watson contributed to building more transparent and sustainable food systems by delivering systemic innovations that:
Frame the problem
Improved transparency in food supply chains through enhanced track-and-trace mechanisms
Provide the tools
Equipped food safety authorities and policymakers with data, knowledge, and decision-support solutions
Spread the word
Strengthened consumer understanding of food safety, authenticity and value
LONG-TERM IMPACT
Watson solutions continue to provide consumers with safe, traceable, healthy and sustainable food, while helping to minimise pressure on ecosystems, support biodiversity protection, improve public health and promote fair economic returns for farmers.
Sustainable, productive, climate-neutral and resilient farming systems
Watson has developed approaches and tools that continue to support food systems delivering co-benefits, such as climate mitigation, environmental sustainability and circularity. These outcomes contribute to safer food consumption, improved nutrition, reduced food poverty, while fostering social inclusion, empowering communities and enabling the development of more resilient food businesses.