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In the recent edition of the first Student Challenge for the Primary Agri-food Industry promoted by Spoke 6 "Primary Agri-food Industry," three companies stood out as proposers of innovation and digitization challenges. The winners are two wine companies from Oltrepò Pavese, Rossetti&Scrivani and Calatroni, along with Ape dei Monti, a honey industry company.   Students from the Advanced Digital Marketing course in the Digital Communication program of the University of Pavia, coordinated by Professor Elisa Conz, will respond to the marketing challenges proposed by the three companies. These challenges include rebranding and positioning for Rossetti&Scrivani, developing a new product offering for Ape dei Monti, and revising the communication proposal for Calatroni.    The challenge will involve students in creating digital marketing plans to improve brand awareness, engagement, and conversions at national and international levels. Students will also need to consider how companies currently use or intend to use digital communication tools to promote their history, sustainability, and product quality, highlighting cultural identity, innovation, and sustainability.    This initiative not only provides students with the opportunity to put their knowledge into practice in real-world contexts but also promotes collaboration between the academic and entrepreneurial worlds, encouraging innovation and the development of creative solutions. The Challenge promises to be a formative and rewarding experience for all participants.   For more information on the challenge, the proposed challenges, and the winners, please visit the page for the official call.     CALL AND WINNERS

In the context of the growing digitalization of the agricultural sector, two Sicilian companies, Agrigeos and Lualtek, have joined forces to launch the SPIDAP project - Development of a Digital Platform based on Artificial Intelligence for Precision Citrus Farming. This initiative, funded under the Southern Cascade Calls of Spoke 6 of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR), represents a turning point in optimizing agricultural practices on the island.   Agrigeos, headquartered in Acireale, and Lualtek from Comiso, have taken the initiative to concretely address the challenges faced by Sicilian citrus farmers, who must deal with a warm-arid environment and the consequent need to manage water resources precisely.   The SPIDAP project stands out for its innovative approach, based on the use of advanced technologies and the integration of artificial intelligence systems to optimize irrigation and improve agricultural yields. The collaboration between Agrigeos and Lualtek is also supported by the Institute of Materials for Electronics and Magnetism (IMEM) of CNR in Parma, providing consultancy and research.   The Kick-off meeting of SPIDAP was held in Acireale, at the operational headquarters of Agrigeos, highlighting the importance of involving technical figures from both companies in the project.   At the heart of the SPIDAP project lies the implementation of a decision support system that allows farmers to accurately monitor the water needs of citrus plants. This system is based on advanced sensor technologies developed by Lualtek and utilizes data obtained through the Plantarray platform for plant phenotyping and the Bioristor sensor for real-time monitoring of water requirements.   Plantarray, developed by the Israeli startup Plant Di-tech and adopted by Agrigeos, enables the collection of plant physiological data in response to changing environmental conditions, while the Bioristor sensor, developed by IMEM-CNR in Parma, continuously monitors plant water requirements.   According to Salvatore Nicolosi, administrator of Agrigeos, this collaboration between Sicilian SMEs is of great value and could have significant implications for society as a whole. Marco Acciai, scientific manager of the project, emphasizes that SPIDAP aims to improve the efficiency of irrigation water use, ensuring abundant and high-quality agricultural production. Luca Occhipinti, founder of Lualtek and project coordinator, highlights the importance of predictive models in agriculture and the crucial role that the SPIDAP project will play in innovating the agricultural sector. Michela Janni, researcher at CNR-IMEM, underlines the fundamental contribution of the Bioristor sensor in refining the decision support system of SPIDAP, improving the efficiency of water resource use, and promoting sustainability.   Agrigeos and Lualtek, respectively a specialized testing center and an innovative startup, embody the commitment and determination of Sicilian companies to promote innovation in the agricultural sector. The SPIDAP project represents a significant step towards smarter and more sustainable management of agricultural resources, offering concrete solutions to the environmental and economic challenges faced by Sicilian citrus farming.  

On March 24, 2024, the Spoke 5 Stakeholder Committee met virtually to review the progress of the project and discuss key agenda items.  The project manager of Spoke 5, Professor Marco Invernizzi, introduced the NODES project, emphasing the importance of the Stakeholder Committee presence in guiding the project's objectives and purposes. On this occasion, the latest partner to join, called Associazione Cluster Tecnologico Nazionale Scienze della Vita - ALISEI, was introduced.     The meeting continued with the presentation of the first results of the cascade calls (both aimed at companies and researchers) and the progress of Spoke 5's flagship project, INNDIANA and TINCARE, highlighting the successes achieved and the scientific results obtained.  Finally, the training activities implemented by the NODES project, including the funding of industrial PhD and Lifelong Learning initiatives, were presented.    Soon after, a discussion among the attendees to discuss the new themes of the Roadmap, with particular emphasis on internalization and entrepreneurial development.  The next meeting has been scheduled for the end of 2024 to discuss the project's progress.      

On Monday 18 March 2024, the Department of Law and Political, Economic and Social Sciences of the University of Eastern Piedmont, partner of Spoke 3 - Tourism and Culture Industry, hosted the round table "Italy China Tourism: prospects for incoming recovery" in Alessandria and exit. A meeting between institutions and operators", jointly organized by the Master in Economy, innovation, communication and hospitality for the tourism enterprise directed by Professor Marco Novarese, the Italian-Chinese New Generation Association (ANGI), the City of Alessandria , the University Institute of European Studies (IUSE) and sponsored by the CRA Foundation, the SolidAL Foundation and the Province of Alessandria. The meeting was conceived with the aim of supporting and encouraging tourist exchanges between Italy and China, in the year in which, albeit for a few months, it is possible to arrive in China from Italy without requiring a visa. The round table was moderated by Cheng Ming of ANGI and saw the participation of the directors of the Alessandria UPO departments Giorgio Barberis (DIGSPES) and Guido Lingua (DISIT), the Mayor of Alessandria Giorgio Abonante, the Chinese Consul General Liu Kan, the Regional Councilor for Tourism Vittoria Poggio, the president of the Slala Foundation Cesare Rossini and the president of IUSE Piercarlo Rossi. It was Professor Novarese himself, on the sidelines of the meeting, who explained its meaning and purpose: «For several years I have been talking with Cheng Ming of the Angi association, which works to seek integration and mutual knowledge; I believe it is right as a teacher to contribute to these objectives and it is a way to learn and understand. As director of the Master's degree on tourism, I believe it is natural to delve deeper into this topic. From an educational point of view, learning to host people with unusual needs is a training ground for understanding the very concept of hospitality." «There is a curiosity for some characteristics of this province and for Italy in general; we also discussed training and there are many other possible spaces for dialogue, on an economic and social level. Let's keep in mind that Chinese tourism has changed post-Covid: according to research by Enit, Chinese tourists travel in smaller groups, have an interest in nature, views, authenticity and getting in touch with Italians. You need to know how to build and adapt products, with the right skills and with attention to quality. The province and Piedmont in general offer many possibilities with respect to what has been said; compared to areas with an older and stronger tourist vocation there is much more authenticity. The round table aims to be first of all a moment to meet and get to know each other in person, an essential moment to imagine activities and collaborations."

The University of Insubria, leader of Spoke 3 - Tourism and Culture Industry, participated in the Lake Como Creativity Week, the week dedicated to creativity which was held in Como from 11 to 17 March 2024.   The initiative, by the Municipality of Como, was created to enhance the uniqueness of the Como creative district and aims to promote the brand identity of Como Unesco Creative City. The key word that inspired the Lake Como Creativity Week was "connections".   On the occasion of the event, the Nodes projects were presented at the University of Insubria, home of Sant'Abbondio: «Cultural extended reality routes» and «Immersive textile museum».   The projects, carried out in collaboration with the Silk Museum, are dedicated to enhancing the culture and industrial heritage of a territory through the development of an innovation path based on digital creativity and augmented reality to support the narration of the territory and the visitor experience.   The central idea is the design of alternative tourist itineraries that ideally redesign the territory, describe it in an immersive way and translate it into experience through the support of augmented reality.

On Friday, March 1st, at the Perrone Biomedical Campus in Novara, the initiative ''Ricercatori a Merenda'' took place, a scientific dissemination event organized by the Department of Health Sciences of UPO as part of ''Qualunquemente'' project. The event is part of initiatives open to the population and the number of high school students was high.  The researcher of the flagship project INNDIANA, coordinated by Professor Francesca Boccafoschi, spoke about the themes of their research, giving a general overview of the state of the art and innovative approaches in the field of renerative and personalized medicine.   The students of the Hotel School ''Giuseppe Ravizza'' Insitute of Novara contributed to making the initiative special by preparing excellent themed snacks for each of the interventions.    Dr Manuela Rizzi and the Anatomy group of Prof. Boccafoschi (RM1) along with Dr. Giuseppe Cappellano (RM5) carried out dissemination activities related to the NODES project (Spoke 5).  Dr. Rizzi presented the snack ''The bionic man: when anatomy and innovative research meet together'', offering revolutionary perspectives in the field of tissue regeneration compromised by degenerative and inflammatory processes. With the advancement of science, we could see a new era in which tissue regeneration and the replacement of damaged organs will become easier, promoting suitable solutions to ensure an adequate quality of life even for elderly individuals affected by age-related degenerative diseases.     Dr. Cappellano presented ''Health in miniature. The future of Medicine is in the organs-on-chip'' illustrating the importance of organs-on-chip in personalized medicine, with a specific focus on rheumatoid arthritis. It was emphasized that not all patients react in the same way to the available drugs aimed at slowing down the progression of the disease.    The students showed great involvement, actively participating with questions and expressed great appreciation for the event.     

Open the call for abstracts for the session "NODES: Nature-Based Solutions for Increasing Resilience to Water-Related Hazards" as part of the international conference TerraEnVision.    Natural hazards, such as slope instability, floods, and droughts, raise a global risk, especially in agroecosystems in semi-arid areas like the Mediterranean. With ongoing climate change, these events are becoming more frequent and intense, necessitating innovative and sustainable approaches to mitigate their environmental impact.    The proposed session within the NODES project - Spoke 6 aims to explore the role of Nature-Based Solutions (NbS) in mitigating the impacts of water-related geological hazards in agroecosystems.    Contributions from researchers and stakeholders are welcome, addressing biological, agronomic, geological, geomorphological, and hydrogeological aspects, as well as multidisciplinary applications of NbS for water-related risk reduction. This includes detection techniques and models designed to measure, monitor, and predict the effects of NbS and climate change on agroecosystems. The session aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the potential of NbS as a resilience vector against water-related geological hazards, with implications for farmers and public institutions in reducing the risk of such hazards.    The session is coordinated by researchers from the University of Pavia, affiliated with the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences and the Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering.    The Call for Abstracts is open from March 4, 2024, to June 1, 2024.    The session will take place during the international congress "TerraEnVision - Nature-Based Solutions to facilitate the transitions for living within the planetary boundaries" (Valencia, July 8-11, 2024).    Conveners: Prof. Valerio Vivaldi, Prof. Nadia Bertolino   Link congress    Call for abstracts      

After obtaining the authorization to proceed, the University Hospital Maggiore della Carità of Novara, a partner of the project, published a public call to finalize the procurement procedure for telemonitoring devices.     Ethical Committees are independent bodies whose function is to protect the rights and safety of individuals participating in scientific research. In Italy, all study protocols involving human beings must undergo evaluation for ethical and sceientific aspects to ensure compliance with principles outlined in the Helsinki Declaration and the Convention of Human Rights and Biomedicine (of Oviedo).    The Territorial Ethical Committee has approved the protocol of the TINCARE study aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of a nursing support program that includes remote telemonitoring of patients with heart failure. This has allowed the initiation of the procurement process for surveillance systems that will be provided to the users participating in the study. The system comprises a set of devices for measuring vital parameters, which will be automatically transmitted to an experienced nurse who will remotely assess the health conditions of the patients and if necessary, it will activate a multisciplinary intervention protocol aimed at preventing disease exacerbations.  

The Department of Management at the University of Turin is proud to present the course "Wine&Branding - Digital Marketing for Food&Beverage sector." This training program, included in the NODES project and part of the training initiatives of Spoke 6, will take place from April 19 to June 15, 2024.    The course is designed for businesses, professionals in the agri-food sector, employees of companies, and aspiring individuals. Leading the course is Prof. Anna Claudia Pellicelli from the Department of Management at UniTO.    The course adopts a multidisciplinary approach focused on the agricultural sector of the primary industry. The analysis of the history and culture of wine plays a crucial role, delving not only into local viticultural traditions but also into the current and future context of Wine Marketing. Special attention will be given to new trends and emerging challenges in the sector.    Professionals trained in the course will acquire advanced marketing skills applied to Food&Beverage, with a focus on understanding consumer behaviours and preferences in the purchasing process. In-depth exploration of advanced Customer Relationship Management (CRM) techniques and communication of wine products will enable the personalization of the customer experience. Marketing strategies will be tailored to the specific needs of different market segments, identifying and capitalizing on new consumption trends, such as the growing interest in organic and natural wines, and the preferences of Millennials.    A key aspect of the course revolves around the approach to wine on social media, where professionals can leverage digital platforms to promote products, engage with customers, and build a strong emotional connection with the brand.    Furthermore, the course delves into market segmentation, brand building, and defining buyer personas. These skills are fundamental for creating effective and differentiated marketing strategies in the wine industry, taking into account the peculiarities of the region and consumer preferences.   Only a few spots available! For more information, contact corsodigital@unito.it or click here.   INFORMATION