SnackLab: Rethinking the Vending Machine
📅 Thursday, 12 November 2026 | 09:30–17:30
🏛️ Faculty of Pharmacy & Food Sciences (Building B — Sala de Juntas), UB
⏰ Deadline: 20 October 2026. Places are limited, so early registration is encouraged!
👉 Apply now (Be ready to write a short 2–5 sentence motivation statement.)
SnackLab is a free, one-day workshop that takes you from the science of healthy ageing and food innovation to a real product and business decision: what belongs in a vending machine, and why. Across four short talks from international speakers and three hands-on exercises, small interdisciplinary teams audit a real vending machine, design a snack, build a vending strategy, and pitch it to the room.
It is designed primarily for Bachelor’s, Master’s and PhD students across nutrition, food science and technology, pharmacy, biotechnology, business, economics, design, and communication. Master’s and PhD students are the primary audience.
What you’ll do
- Audit a real vending machine offer against nutrition and consumer criteria.
- Design a snack concept with a nutritional and functional rationale.
- Build a vending strategy — placement, pricing, positioning and regulation.
- Pitch your concept to the full room and a panel, with awards for the strongest teams.
What you’ll take away
- A practical view of how food innovation moves from evidence to shelf.
- Direct contact with international speakers working in healthy ageing, low-glycaemic foods, consumer behaviour and regulation, and science communication.
- Experience working in a mixed-discipline team under a real brief.
- A cross-faculty network over coffee, lunch and the closing session.
Who should apply
- Bachelor’s, Master’s students, PhD students
- No prior product-development experience is needed. Curiosity and willingness to work in a team are.
Programme – Thursday 12 November 2026
Morning Sessions
- 09:30–10:00 Registration
- 10:00–10:15 Welcome & Introduction
- 10:15–10:45 Talk 1 — Healthy Ageing, Protein & Bioactive Snacks: introducing La Picorée
- 10:45–11:15 Exercise 1 — Audit the Vending Machine
- 11:15–11:45 Talk 2 — Low-Glycaemic Foods & Food Innovation
- 11:45–12:15 Exercise 2 — Design the Snack
- 12:15–12:30 Coffee Break & Networking
- 12:30–13:00 Talk 3 — Consumer Behaviour, Economics & Regulation
- 13:00–13:15 La Picorée
- 13:15–13:45 Exercise 3 — Build the Vending Strategy
- 13:45–14:15 Talk 4 — Communicating Innovation
- 14:15–15:00 Lunch & Networking
Afternoon Sessions
- 15:00–16:00 Final Pitch Preparation
- 16:00–17:15 Final Team Presentations
- 17:15–17:30 Awards, Closing Remarks & Group Photo
Speakers are confirmed and will be announced shortly. Coffee and lunch are included at no cost.
How to register
- Complete the short application form: SNACKLAB Wokshop – I edition – Fill in form
- Write 2–5 sentences about why you would like to participate, what interests you about the workshop, and/or what you could bring to an interdisciplinary team.
- Your motivation statement will be taken into account when confirming places.
- You will receive an email confirming whether you have a place. If the workshop reaches capacity, suitable applicants may be placed on a waiting list and contacted if a place becomes available.
Application deadline: 20 October 2026. Early application is recommended because places are limited.
Getting here
Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Sciences, Building B — Sala de Juntas, University of Barcelona, Av. de Joan XXIII, 08028 Barcelona. Nearest stop: Pius XII. Follow the SnackLab signage inside Building B.
FAQ
Is it really free? Yes — attendance, coffee and lunch are covered. Travel is not.
What language is the workshop in? English.
Do I need to bring a team? No — teams are formed on the day.
Will I receive a certificate? A certificate of attendance will be sent to all participants.
I registered but heard nothing. What should I do? Confirmation is not automatic. Applications are reviewed as they are received and you will receive an email once your application has been reviewed.
This educational offer is made possible through CHARM‑ED. The CHARM-ED Funding Call is an initiative that incentivises collaborative educational innovation projects across the alliance. It provides small-scale seed funding for academic and professional staff to develop innovative educational activities aligned with CHARM-EU educational principles collaboratively.