Presentation of the Italian Agrifood Research Network for the Competitiveness and Sustainability of Enterprises and Supply Chains in Milan on May 5

An important event for METROFOOD-IT will take place on May 5 in Milan: during the Tuttofood2025 trade fair (Fiera Milano, Rho), the presentation of the Italian Agrifood Research Network for the Competitiveness and Sustainability of Enterprises and Supply Chains will be held.

The METROFOOD-IT Research Infrastructure has signed a collaboration agreement with SUS-MIRRI.IT, the National Agrifood Cluster CL.A.N., the Italian PRIMA Secretariat, and the OnFoods and Agritech Foundations to establish a Network for Research, Innovation and Technology Transfer (ReRITT). The goal is to connect universities and research centers with the enterprises represented by CL.A.N., and to promote the sustainability of agrifood systems by aligning the supply and demand for innovation in the sector.

The agrifood sector is indeed facing a major challenge: meeting the growing global demand for safe, high-quality, and sufficient food while increasing business competitiveness and respecting the environment, local communities, and social development. In this context, an integrated Research–Business approach is essential, one that considers various aspects such as resource use, eco-sustainable production intensification, the development of innovative processes and products, and activities for training and technology transfer to foster knowledge exchange across the supply chain.

The presentation conference of the Network is scheduled from 2:00 to 4:00 PM and will feature the participation of institutions, scientific experts, and businesses. The discussion will focus on the motivations behind the agreement and its positive impact on the competitiveness of the agri-food sector. A round table titled “The Open Innovation Approach of Agri-Food Businesses and Italy’s Most Innovation-Oriented Territories” is also planned, featuring a company or consortium from each of the initiatives involved in the Network.

“METROFOOD-IT can concretely contribute to the initiatives of the Network for Research, Innovation, and Technology Transfer. Our infrastructure is deeply committed not only to research activities but also to the development and provision of services, and to actions in technology transfer, outreach, and training—offering agrifood companies access to our facilities and the expertise of our researchers,” explains Claudia Zoani, METROFOOD-IT coordinator. “Our efforts focus, among other things, on the development and application of analytical methods, sensors, and portable devices aimed at food quality and safety control, traceability, origin verification, and authenticity testing of raw materials and products. We also work on innovative models based on artificial intelligence and blockchain solutions. These approaches, solutions, and technologies have already been successfully applied in projects and initiatives involving Italian companies”.