The Future of Campania’s Agri-Food Sector: The New Regional Competence Center is Born

A new synergy between scientific excellence and the local territory is officially taking shape in Campania. The journey of the Regional Competence Center (CRdC) for Agri-Food Production officially began with the conference held on December 19, 2002, in the Graduation Halls of the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Salerno. The event brought together key figures from the academic and institutional worlds to present a strategic framework designed to be a true engine for innovation, technology transfer, and the enhancement of local supply chains.

The day opened with institutional welcomes from the Rector Magnificus of the University of Salerno, Prof. Raimondo Pasquino, and the Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, Prof. Vitale Cardone. Immediately following, Prof. Giovanna Ferrari, head of the CRdC for Agri-Food Production, dove into the heart of the presentation, outlining the strategic objectives, profound significance, and structural setup of the new Center.

The conference featured an in-depth scientific discussion focused on the major challenges facing the sector:

• The characterization and challenges of raw materials were thoroughly analyzed in presentations by Augusto Parente (Second University of Naples) and Prof. Giancarlo Barbieri (University of Naples “Federico II”).
• Processing technologies for agri-food products formed the backbone of the presentation by Giorgio Donsì (University of Salerno), who subsequently guided and coordinated the debate with the audience.
• Production and market strategies aimed at boosting the sector’s competitiveness were analysed by Gian Paolo Cesaretti (Parthenope University).

Concluding the morning session—which ended precisely at 1:00 PM after an engaging discussion period—was the address by Prof. Luigi Nicolais, Regional Minister for University and Scientific Research of the Campania Region, who sealed the birth of this center of excellence.

Putting it into Practice: Synergy for the Future of Agri-Food

The event laid the operational foundations for transforming theoretical research into concrete industrial solutions. By networking the finest expertise from regional universities, the Center aims to support Campania’s businesses through the challenges of the global market. This bond between science and local identity was also culturally celebrated through the symbolic choice of the masterpiece “Still Life with Fruit and Flowers” by the Baroque master Giuseppe Recco.