On April 2nd, 2025, Dare2Change — a leading conference dedicated to innovation in the agri-food sector — welcomed Ricardo Bonacho, co-founder of the Food Design Lab Lisbon, as an invited speaker. In his talk, entitled “Tasting Tomorrow: Innovation, Creativity, and Food Design”, Bonacho highlighted the transformative role of food design in building more sustainable, creative, and resilient food systems. With a career that bridges research, teaching, and professional practice, Ricardo Bonacho holds a PhD in Design with a specialisation in Food Design from the Faculty of Architecture at the University of Lisbon. He is currently an Assistant Professor at Universidade Europeia, where he coordinates the degree in Hospitality Management, and also lectures at ELISAVA Barcelona School of Design and Engineering, as well as the University of Coimbra. He is also Director of Innovation, Marketing and Communication at Imppacto, Catering & Events, and co-founder of the non-profit organisation F.O.R.K. – Food Design for Opportunities, Research and Knowledge. The Food Design Lab Lisbon, co-founded by Ricardo Bonacho, André Gerardo, and Lucinda Pinto, is a pioneering food innovation studio and laboratory located in Monsanto, Lisbon, where gastronomy, design, and sustainability intersect to shape the future of food. In this space, visionary chefs, food designers, and collaborators come together to create new flavours, reinvent culinary traditions, and design memorable gastronomic experiences. Bonacho’s participation in Dare2Change underscores the strategic relevance of food design as a powerful tool to address the challenges of the agri-food sector and to foster a more conscious and sustainable future.
