History of GIQS e.V.

2000: Brussels: First idea for the start of a Dutch-German cooperation for collaborative and trans border research in the agro-food sector. Initiation of a cross border, inter enterprise initiative on quality and health management in meat chains.

March 28th, 2001: Duesseldorf: foundation of the non profit organisation "Cross border integrated quality assurance" GIQS e.V., based in Kleve, Germany

Founding Members:
University of Bonn
Wageningen Universiteit
Landwirtschaftskammer Rheinland
Landwirtschaftskammer Westfalen-Lippe
Gezondheidsdienst voor Dieren, Deventer
Versandschlachthof Niederrhein GmbH & Co Kalkar Betriebs K.G.
EGO – Holding GmbH & Co. KG, Georgsmarienhütte
Mrs. Prof. Dr. Brigitte Petersen

First executive committee:
Chairwoman:  Prof. Dr. Brigitte Petersen, Universität Bonn
Treasurer: Dr. Rob de Koning, Gezondheidsdienst voor Dieren, Deventer
Vice Chairman:  Dr. Helmut Saatkamp, Universität Wageningen

March 2001: first project application: Interreg IIIA project of the Euregio Rhine Waal: “Cross border quality assurance systems (GIQS) in meat chains”

December 2001: Approval of the first project: “GIQS in meat chains”

October 2002: Approval of the second project: Interreg IIIA project of the Euregio Rhine Maas North: “Cross border quality assurance systems (GIQS) in food producing SMES”

December 4th, 2002: GIQS wins the award "Food Processing NRW 2002" organised by the Food Processing Initiative and awarded by the Ministry of Economy and Labour of North Rhine Westphalia

September 2003: Approval of the third project: Interreg IIIA project of the Euregio Rhine Maas North: Cross border quality assurance systems (GIQS) in fruits and vegetable chains:

January 17th, 2005: Approval of the application for the IIIC-Initiative "PromSTAP - Promoting the Stable to Table Approach"

March 15th, 2005: Fourth project application: Interreg IIIA-project "GIQS - Managing Risks"

October 18th-21st, 2006: PromSTAP congress in Genua, Italy

November 13th-17th, 2006: GIQS presents itself at the trade fair EUROTIER in Hannover, Germany

January 2007: Start of the project Q-PorkChains (EU FP 6)

June 2007: Change of Executive director: After 5 years working for GIQS Dr. Gereon Schulze Althoff has decided to take on a fresh challenge in his career. Dr. Martin Hamer takes over the responsibility of the Executive director.

October 3rd-6th, 2007: 2nd Annual Congress of PromSTAP in Vidin, Bulgaria

November 7th, 2007: Start of the project AIDA - Alliances for information and service agencies to the horizontal grouping of functions of coordinating in the quality, health and risk management of the meat industry

November 19th - 22nd, 2007: First annual congress of Q-PorkChains in Monells, Spain

January 2008: For its innovative role in knowledge transfer between business and science GIQS was awarded the cooperation prize for Food Processing of the federal state North Rhine-Westfalia (D).

October 2008: 2nd Annual Congress of Q-PorkChains in Rennes, France

July 2009: Start of the “Safeguard” project. The project is dealing with the topics animal health, zoonoses and food security in the dutch-german border area.

September 1^st, 2009: Application of the projects QUARISMA and FIN-Q.NRW. QUARISMA is a project of European partners from industry and science financed by the subproject IAPP (Industry-Academia Partnerships and Pathways) in context with the 7^th framework programme of the EU. The scientific network “Innovation durch Qualitätskommunikation” (FIN-Q.NRW) is financed in line with an initiative of the federal state North Rhine-Westfalia (D).