Training is the key to the future of the Emilia Food Valley
The project in brief
The story of the project
The “Tech&Food Academy - New Knowledge for Agrifood” Foundation is based in Parma and serves as a centre of excellence, born from a partnership between agrifood sector businesses, institutions, schools, universities, and local training and research bodies.
It is one of the seven active foundations in Emilia-Romagna and is part of the “Rete Politecnica” of the Emilia-Romagna Region, established by resolution no. 775 on 9 June 2011, with the aim of coordinating, strengthening, and expanding the region’s higher education offering. The Rete Politecnica aims to provide a diverse range of training programmes that enhance professional, technical, technological, and scientific knowledge. In the case of Tech&Food, these activities cover the agrifood sector in its entirety - one of the key industries driving the Made in Italy concept in the global imagination.
In the face of constantly evolving markets such as the agri-food sector, investing in comprehensive, continuous training becomes essential. This is precisely what Tech&Food Academy does, also thanks to the resources provided by the Emilia-Romagna Region as part of the EU cohesion policies.
During the 2014-2020 programming cycle, nearly 150 people - including diploma and degree holders, as well as unemployed individuals - had the opportunity to attend two key courses offered by the Foundation: Higher Technician for Food Design and Production Technologies and Higher Technician for Food Product Marketing and Promotion Technologies. The first course, in particular, is the Foundation’s flagship programme, now in its 13th edition. It trains professionals who will work in production or quality assurance, equipping them with the skills to manage production processes, monitor raw materials, and ensure that food products meet the highest standards of hygiene, safety, and nutritional quality.
The training programme lasts two years and provides students with the opportunity to build relationships and enter the job market. One in five participants comes from outside the region, and many have a high school background. By focusing on every step of the supply chain - “from field to table” - the Tech&Food Foundation ensures that Italy’s Food Valley benefits from highly specialised technicians, professionals trained to achieve excellence.