Interpoma 2016, with space for ideas at the first Innovation Camp

The future of our planet is a menu based on innovation and research. The challenges of the twenty-first century are called food safety and food security, climate change, scarcity of resources (from land to water) and therefore the fight against waste (of natural resources and food), all with the same common denominator, i.e. agriculture. Technological innovation will lead the quest for sustainable growth, or producing more in terms of quantity and quality, but with fewer resources (land, water, technology), and the boom in start-ups emerging in recent years in various agribusiness sectors can drive this change.
Now at its tenth edition, Interpoma - the international trade fair dedicated to the apple, taking place from 24 to 26 November at Fiera Bolzano - will interpret this trend by introducing the first "Interpoma Innovation Camp", a platform for exchanging new ideas and innovative themes to be developed in the agricultural and apple sector. Companies, young talent, experts in the sector and start-ups will be invited to a workshop being held on 22 and 23 November (the two days preceding Interpoma), taking part divided into teams. Each group will be led by an expert who will follow the work team in the process of developing new ideas in different areas: systems, cultivation, logistics, processing and marketing. The ideas will then be translated into possible prototypes and submitted to the jury and the trade press on the evening of 23 November, the day before the trade fair starts.

“We wanted to focus the attention on innovation because agriculture is at the forefront in addressing the main challenges of our century - says Thomas Mur, General Manager of Fiera Bolzano - The Interpoma Innovation Camp project, developed in collaboration with IDM Sudtirol-Alto Adige, seeks to create a community working to create technological solutions able to meet these needs and changes.”

But what is happening from the field to the consumer's plate?
- big data: earth, the raw material of the Agricultural Age, combines with data, the raw material of the Information Age. Digital technology has greatly facilitated the collection of data to be analysed, while precision agriculture has increased the ability to predict and make ever faster and more accurate decisions on production, processing and distribution of food, and also make it possible to reduce costs.
- the boom in agricultural drones:  sensors, lasers and thermal imagers are used to collect data on soil and crop characteristics, reduce waste produced by technical equipment, and assess quality and production. The drones employed in agriculture can reduce the uncertainties of work in the open and measure variables hitherto difficult to quantify. 
- robots also in the fields: from automatically guided cars and buses to tractors controlled remotely via apps. Thanks to dedicated research, agricultural robots can collect fruit, sow, and improve the quality of work in the fields and the quality of the work of farmers.
- vertical farming: hydroponics or aeroponics are being adopted in vertical greenhouses and LEDs are used instead of the sun to reproduce photosynthesis. Sensors detect crop conditions and guide the agronomic interventions. It’s the internet of things, and there is a long list of start-ups and running projects. 
- preservation of products and packaging: lower energy costs, better food safety, preservation methods, development of new packaging and digitalisation of processes guide the intensive research in the sector of product preservation.

These are just some of the things behind the research and innovation and resulting in so many agribusiness start-ups, whose objective, given the current drop in prices and consumption, will be to offer greater margins to farms, with savings in time and greater ease of use. The Interpoma Innovation Camp will be a unique opportunity to give space to those who want to take up this challenge, especially in the apple sector.

Interpoma Press Office c/o fruitecom
Elena Vincenzi; Stefania Duminuco

Read more:

First international marketing campaign underway for Dulcis™

4 November 2024

With over 600 tonnes of top-quality fruit produced across 300 hectares of land – expected to expand to 500 hectares by 2025 – Dulcis™ is poised to repeat last year’s success in Italy and also find itself in the shopping trolleys of consumers in several new international markets. This unique kiwi variety was developed by specialist bio-science enterprise New Plant of Forlì in collaboration with the University of Udine and the University of Bologna. »

Future Trends in Fresh Produce Supply

3 November 2024

The latest FRUIT LOGISTICA Trend Report is now available for download. Annual report’s in-depth information and expert analysis help industry representatives understand how fruit and vegetable supply is changing across the globe. FRUIT LOGISTICA’s latest annual trend report provides the fruit and vegetable sector with free and valuable information about the future of the global fresh produce trade. Entitled ‘Future trends in fresh produce supply’, this year’s report highlights the emerging supply chains, new sources of supply, and market trends »

25th FOOD & KITCHEN Africa 2024 | 20 - 22 November | International Trade Exhibition | Nairobi, Kenya

31 October 2024

The 25th FOOD & KITCHEN opens up a new world of opportunities for export oriented companies. With a GDP of $95 billion, Kenya recently reached lower-middle income status, and has successfully established a diverse and dynamic economy. It also serves as the point of entry to the larger East African market. Kenya’s Economy is distinguished from most African countries by the fact that it is one of the most diversified and advanced. »