•There is a ‘skills gap’ in the food sector.•Adaptation of the current workforce and improvement of the educational and training system is required to adapt to the challenges the sector is facing in Europe.•Work Based Learning methods, new Vocational Education and Training, incorporation of transversal hard and soft skills, and higher resilience on training programmes are some of the solutions proposed for education and capacity building.•Open innovation and knowledge transfer are also key for the competitiveness of the sector. Public-Private partnerships and new innovation communities bringing together big companies, SMEs, start-ups, and academia will also help develop new solutions (and skills) through entrepreneurial and innovation thinking.