The Challenges

The variety and quantity of by-products found in the agricultural and fishing industry in the Salento area provide opportunities to revisit food packaging production from a sustainability perspective.

We seek innovative projects: new approaches or technologies to develop sustainable packaging (including pallets, crates and containers) using agricultural and seafood by-products such as mussel shells and vegetable waste from citrus and grapes. The goal is to create biodegradable and durable solutions by reducing the use of traditional materials in the packaging industry and by complying with European regulations.

Agromed is a Benefit Society of the Taranto Municipality Chamber of Commerce. The company promotes Ionian agribusiness and enhances Apulian products through the enhancement of raw materials and producers’ work. Their main goal is to create a logistics hub for small producers and expansion to new markets, particularly in the MENA area, Italy and Northern Europe.

Due to their conformation, nuts present a high complexity of analysis of quality properties. Accurate and certified evaluation allows fair remuneration to the producer, safety to the consumer and territory enhancement.

We seek innovative proposals that explore advanced technologies (such as infrared spectroscopy, imaging, ultrasound, odor sensors, etc.) for the evaluation and qualification of plant products with a specific focus on the yield of nuts, such as Apulian almonds. The goal is to certify products through these technologies and contribute to territory enhancement.

Global Fresh Fruit is a consortium that promotes sustainable territorial and agricultural development through the aggregation of companies and the standardization of production specifications. The GFF consortium has been identified as the leader of the almond supply chain projects structured by the consulting firm FacciamoFiliera srls. The aim is improving the sustainability and traceability of processes as well as establishing the necessary certifications to regulate the implemented processes.

In Apulia several thousand hectares are used for highly unpredictable crops, such as olive groves and vineyards. It’s crucial to find in advance solutions to predict the yield of these crops in order to organize production accordingly.

We are looking for projects which involve any advanced crop monitoring technologies, such as IoT, drones and imaging systems. The goal is to enable preventive and predictive analysis of agricultural production, including assessment of health and maturity status, as well as measurement of the quantity and weight of produce (with a special focus on grapes and olives).

Founded in 1962 as a winegrowers’ cooperative, Cantine San Marzano is now a renowned winery in the heart of Primitivo di Manduria (Apulia) with more than 1,200 affiliated winegrowers and producing high-quality wines, thanks to their modern facilities and attention to traditional agronomic practices.

The cultivation of agricultural products requires diversification and optimization in the use of water and energy resources. This is to ensure continuity in food production regardless of weather and climate conditions.

We are looking for projects which include any advanced technological solutions to optimize the use of water and energy resources in agriculture, with a focus on improving the efficiency of irrigation processes and agricultural operations (especially in the cultivation of olive groves, vineyards and walnut trees). The goal is to ensure optimized management of consumption and to enable analysis of climatic factors that could influence results.

Azienda Agricola Taurino has transformed a vast 160-hectare olive grove into a company capable of making its own extra virgin olive oil. This family-run company has initiated a project to specialize and modernize the olive grove by integrating within it a modern oil mill with “cold” extraction and a 3-hours olive pressing process.

The scarcity of olives caused by recent climate change in Italy and Europe is prompting EVO oil traders to seek new business opportunities starting by maximizing the use of all resources provided by olive trees and by investing in new product categories inherent to the category.

We are looking for projects which explore any new technologies and perspectives by using all the resources of the olive plant (olives, leaves and bark, etc.) in order to create and commercialize new lines of food and non-food products (cosmetics, supplements, condiments, etc.).

Le Ferre is an Apulian company that produces, packages and markets extra virgin olive oils. Dynamism, productive and sensory research, flexibility in process management: these are just some of the features that characterize the work around their product and customers. The company’s solid values and professionalism make their oil products unique and innovative.