TraceGains, a prominent name in compliance, quality, and innovation software for the food and beverage sector, has kicked off a new research effort aimed at taking stock of digital maturity across Europe’s F&B manufacturing landscape.

The initiative, called the European Food & Beverage Digitalization Benchmark 2026, arrives as manufacturers brace for a wave of regulatory and operational shifts that are reshaping how the industry operates.

A sector under pressure

The timing is no accident. European F&B producers are contending with mounting pressure to bring products to market faster, juggle growing volumes of supplier and ingredient data, satisfy increasingly demanding customers, and demonstrate compliance on tighter timelines — all while supply chains grow more complex.

Layered on top of that are major regulatory deadlines bearing down on the sector, including the EU Deforestation Regulation, Digital Product Passport requirements, and the Packaging & Packaging Waste Regulation. Each of these puts a premium on clean data, transparency, and the ability to adapt quickly.

Yet, as TraceGains points out, much of the industry is still leaning on patchwork systems, manual workflows, and siloed data — and until now, there hasn’t been an independent benchmark measuring digital readiness specifically within Europe’s F&B manufacturing base.

Mapping the study’s scope

The benchmark invites operational leaders across quality, compliance, procurement, regulatory affairs, operations, and product development to weigh in on how their organisations are approaching digitalisation — from ingredient sourcing and traceability to supplier collaboration, compliance, and new product development.

Bal Chand, European marketing manager at TraceGains, framed the effort as a response to an industry stretched thin. Manufacturers, he said, are being asked to move faster and back up every decision with more evidence, yet many teams remain bogged down by disconnected processes and manual data requests. The goal of the benchmark, in his words, is to build a shared picture of where European F&B manufacturing stands today and what needs to change to keep up.

What’s in it for participants

Organisations that take part won’t walk away empty-handed. Each participant receives a personalised Digital Maturity Assessment covering five dimensions of digital readiness, complete with tailored recommendations. Once the full survey wraps, contributors also get a second report benchmarking their organization anonymously against industry peers. TraceGains has been clear that all published results will be aggregated and anonymised, with individual company data kept confidential.

An industry-wide ambition

Beyond the individual assessments, TraceGains is positioning the benchmark as a resource for the broader industry — one that could surface emerging trends, flag common pain points, and map investment priorities for manufacturers, technology vendors, policymakers, and industry bodies alike. There’s also an ambition for longevity: TraceGains has signalled hope that the benchmark becomes an annual fixture, allowing the industry to track its digital progress year over year as regulatory and market demands continue to evolve.

As Chand put it, the industry’s future hinges on better data, stronger collaboration, and more informed decision-making — and this benchmark is meant to be a step toward building that foundation.