Following its milestone phases across the region’s main scientific hubs, the training program dedicated to agrifood innovation has now established its permanent base at the University of Salerno and the laboratories of the Regional Competence Center (CRdC) for Agrifood Productions.

The initiative was created to break down barriers between scientific research and the production sector in Southern Italy, offering a high-level training and “work on the job” program. Thanks to the support of funds and partners within the CRdC network, the program guarantees top-tier training focused on technology transfer and the global competitiveness of SMEs in the Campania region.

The primary objective is to train “Research Promoters”: key professional figures capable of translating scientific excellence into production efficiency, tackling the challenges of globalization and technological turbulence within the agro-industrial sector.

Thematic Areas

The educational and applied program is structured into 5 methodological macro-areas (aligned with the Work Packages of the demonstrator project):

• Plant production and eco-sustainability. Research management and transfer of sustainable technologies for plant supply chains.
• Animal production physiology and genetics. Reproductive mechanisms, nutrition, and innovative techniques for meat quality (with a focus on the water buffalo supply chain).
• Transformation technologies, processes, and plants. Innovation in production lines, unit operations, and mass and heat transport phenomena.
• Food characterization, traceability, and safety. Advanced analytical techniques (chemical, microbiological, and biotechnological) for product protection and certification.
• Innovative process management and Supply chain. International demand analysis, business digitalization, and economic impact assessment of innovations.

Course format: blending theory, fieldwork, and business

The 1,200 hours of the program have been designed to ensure a perfect balance between acquiring managerial models and deep practical and professional immersion:

• Classroom lectures (120 hours). Sessions focusing both on core managerial skills (interpreting research, behavioral styles) and specialized technicalities tailored to the participants’ specific macro-sectors.
• Work on the Job (680 hours). The scientific core of the program. Participants actively operate in the field at various CRdC/ProdAl partner sites, developing applied research activities directly linked to the demonstrator project’s work packages.
• Company Internship (400 hours). The final phase of “corporate immersion.” Students experience the production environment firsthand, developing a specific research project for the host company or research center, aimed at genuine technology transfer.

Program strengths

• Integrated approach (Action Learning). It breaks away from traditional educational frameworks by anchoring learning to real-world, non-simulated problem management, fostering self-leadership and problem-solving skills.
• A liaison between research and business. It shapes a hybrid professional figure capable of communicating with scientists while simultaneously acting as a strategic consultant for SME management.
• Funding and opportunities. A fully supported pathway that values local young talent, projecting them into an international market context.