The aim of the extension of the Competence Center Fraunhofer Facility for Marine Biotechnology (EMB) to include a development centre for food research (Fraunhofer Future Food) is to specifically support the food industry in its innovation management as well as the development and introduction of new technologies, production processes and products, thereby increasing the number of innovations, especially in SMEs. For this purpose, the topic complex of food research with marine resources, which has been established at Fraunhofer EMB as part of a working group, is being expanded into an independent working group. This will initially strengthen the networking with regionally based industry and the two universities (University of Lübeck and Lübeck University of Applied Sciences) and will continue to prepare a needs analysis of the German food industry. The needs analysis is used to apply for tailor-made cooperation projects with the partners from the region and to be able to offer contract research for industry. The new working group will also focus more on the development of new ingredients and food additives from marine organisms that will enable the labelling of products with the “clean label”.