Viewpoint article by Sabri Abarkan, Vivsan

Entering a new era of technology and information distribution comes with growing demands. While in the past governments, scientists and businesses have capitalised on restricting access to information, many are beginning to see the potential in developing new services in an environment where information is readily available to everyone. Europe has implemented the G8 Open Data Charter, and national governments around the world are opening up vast amounts of data produced in the past. In such an environment, scientists and businesses can look to thrive through utilization rather than ownership of information, and develop new types of services.

This year's NuGOweek 2015 will be held from September 5th to 12th at the University of Barcelona in Spain. The main scientific conference is about ‘Mechanisms of a long life health'. Like last year, the NuGO week includes several satellite events.

Don't miss the following deadlines: 22nd June - abstract submission; 27th July- registration. For further information and registration see http://www.nugo.org/nugo-week/

'Feed the Planet, Energy for Life' is the theme of this year's Expo in Milano. QuaLiFY's focus on personalised nutritional advice is highly relevant many food-related topics. On May 12th Ben van Ommen (TNO) talks about a my-health driven food economy in the workshop „The Relationship between Health, Food and the Environment". Three days later (15^th May) you can meet partner EuroFIR in the final conference of EuroDISH "Proposal for a food and health research infrastructure in Europe". This event takes place in the European Union pavilion.

Viewpoint article by Florence Jimoh (FoodWiz) and Rachel Berry (IFR)

The number of smart devices available on the market is growing rapidly, including stand-alone devices such as tablets and phones, with many now being used as ‘health monitors' by consumers. A number of wearable gadgets, which link to smart devices to help users monitor certain aspects of their lifestyle, are also available. The latest come courtesy of Microsoft in the form of its wristband and the long anticipated iWatch from Apple although the latter is less health-focussed than originally suggested. It appears there is a real market for these devices and smart approaches, but are they merely for the health conscious or can they also have a role in helping traditionally difficult-to-reach groups improve their lifestyle or help clinicians monitor patients?

Barbara Koroušić Seljak from the Jožef Stefan Institute has been invited as a speaker for this year's International Conference on Food Contaminants (ICFC) in Lisbon, on April 13^th. In addition to online dietary assessment via the OPEN platform for clinical nutrition she will present QuaLiFY and the QuaLiFY Server Platform being developed. To find out more about this conference, visit http://www.icfc2015.com/

On March 26th Jo Goossens from partner shiftN will present QuaLiFY at the EuroFIR Food Forum 2015 in Brussels. This year's focus is on plans for a European food and health research infrastructure. To find out about how QuaLiFY fits into these plans, listen to Jo Goossens talk about personalized nutrition.

Viewpoint article by André Boorsma, TNO

Google has just announced a remarkable initiative searching for medical information.  Instead of their page-ranking algorithm, a method determining the importance of a website based on numbers and quality of links is used, and medical information will be part of the knowledge graph (http://googleblog.blogspot.nl/2015/02/health-info-knowledge-graph.html); boxes of basic information posted at the side of the search results.

On the 27^th of February, QuaLiFY participates in the ‘ICT and the future of Nutrition and Health' workshop jointly organized by the Active and Assisted Living (AAL) Programme and the ‘A Healthy Diet for a Healthy Life' JPI. The aim of the workshop is not only to share knowledge on how ICT can support the health of older adults but also to identify gaps and offer opportunities for future collaborations. A special focus will be put on personalized advice, as supported by QuaLiFY.

Viewpoint article by Richard Zuber, 23ème homme

Companies of all sizes - Withings, Fitbit, Garmin, Apple, etc. - from many countries are popping up with new devices and tools, and software including apps that share the same promise, namely to make our lives better!

Health, sense of well-being and weight loss, as well as non-communicable diseases such as type 2 diabetes, are being targeted by more than 90 000 apps and services globally. Everybody wants a share in this enormous market, and countless investors are betting on THE next big thing in the ‘Connected Health' market.

The Nutrigenomics Organisations (NuGO) yearly meeting in Castellammare di Stabia, Italy, offers a perfect setting for the next QuaLiFY general assembly. From 9-11^th September partners will present progress made in the project and plan the next actions as well as attend the scientific program offered by NuGO. Visit the conference website to find out more about the program and the venue.