Event Date: September 22, 2025 – UNISG booth at Cheese, 4:30 p.m.-5:30 p.m.
On the afternoon of Monday, September 22, during the new edition of Cheese 2025, the award ceremony of the UNISG – PNRR NODES Challenge, carried out in collaboration with Agrimontana srl, was held as part of the NODES – Digital and Sustainable Northwest, Spoke N7 project .
The UNISG – PNRR NODES Challenge is an innovative educational activity designed to stimulate an entrepreneurial mindset among students in the Bachelor’s Degree in Gastronomic Sciences and Cultures at the University of Gastronomic Sciences in Pollenzo.
The Challenge Timeline
The students developed product concepts from the brief proposed by Agrimontana, a historic manufacturer of candied fruit, marrons glacés, jams and ice cream ingredients. In collaboration with the University of Pollenzo, Agrimontana decided to explore the valorization of residual syrups from the candying of oranges, lemons, citrons, chestnuts, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and apricots from a circular economy perspective.
The Challenge’s journey began on February 25, 2025 with the Kick Off Meeting, a kick-off event that allowed students to get into the thick of the project and learn about Agrimontana’s proposed brief. It then saw several mentoring stages between March and May, allowing students to refine their ideas with the help of faculty and experts. The Mid-term Presentation stage took place on June 16 and 30, while the in-house Final Presentation was held between July 7 and 11, before the ceremony during Cheese.
The award ceremony
The awards ceremony, held on September 22 at the UNISG booth at Cheese, thus crowned a seven-month-long training and planning process. The meeting opened with an introduction to the context of PNRR NODES by Prof. Luisa Torri and Dr. Nazarena Cela, who presented the project’s objectives and perspectives.
Next, Dr. Chiara Bardini, general manager of Agrimontana, and Prof. Michele Fino explained the project brief, focusing oninnovation in the food sector and the crucial role of the gastronome in the transition to more sustainable production models.
The final part of the meeting was devoted to the presentation of the winning groups, led by Prof. Franco Fassio, who accompanied the audience to discover the award-winning proposals.
🥇 1st Place – Beer in Motion
Group members: Elena Gullino, Lucia Hendel, Mokhathi Maleballo
A craft beer made with molasses from the candying of Agrimontana apricots. The project combines circular economy and territorial identity: the collaboration with Piedmontese brewery Baladin makes it possible to transform a waste into a sustainable beverage with a unique flavor profile. Designed for a young, eco-conscious target audience, the beer comes with the slogan in Piedmontese dialect “Piasì senza tormento.”
🥈 2nd Place – VIVO: Vermouth from Circular Economy.
Group members: Federico Agnetti, Francesca Alborno, Marta Andreoli
An artisanal red vermouth born from the recovery of Agrimontana’s candying syrups. The by-product becomes a key ingredient, replacing traditional sugar and creating a product that blends Piedmontese tradition and sustainable innovation. VIVO is aimed primarily at the HORECA channel and the mixology world, positioning itself as a “virtuous vermouth.”
🥉 3rd Place – Agrimontana Energy Squeeze
Group members: Michele Burrascano, Marta Tambone, Francesco Maurizio Volpe
A single-serve energy drink for athletes, made with candy syrups enriched with electrolytes (potassium, magnesium, sodium, bicarbonate). Designed for consumption during physical activity, it is packaged in recyclable sachets with a “reward & recovery” system that encourages reuse of packaging. The idea combines sports nutrition, convenience and circularity.
🌱 Special Mention – Agrimontana Beauty
Group members: Giorgia Colle, Hiwot Fiori, Magdalena Maria Quaglino
An innovative natural depilatory wax made from Agrimontana sugar by-products, a virtuous example of non-food upcycling. Biodegradable and plastic-free, with reusable packaging, it combines sustainability and wellness.
Our heartfelt thanks go to the multidisciplinary committee that evaluated the proposals and to the entire group of UNISG mentors-teachers, researchers and professionals-who accompanied the students throughout their journey of applied design in the circular food economy, providing cross-disciplinary expertise on sustainability, innovation and communication.
©UNISG Aarón Gómez Figueroa
Project Committee
- Prof. Luisa Torri, UNISG professor and project manager of Spoke 7
- Prof. Michele Fino, UNISG lecturer and project manager of the Challenge.
- Prof. Franco Fassio, UNISG professor and project manager of the Challenge.
- Dr. Nazarena Cela, UNISG research fellow
- Dr. Maira Campanella, UNISG research fellow
- Dr. Chiara Bardini, general manager of Agrimontana
UNISG Mentors.
Prof. Michele Fino, Prof. Luisa Torri, Prof. Maria Piochi, Pollenzo Food Lab, Dr. Nazarena Cela, Dr. Maira Campanella, Prof. Franco Fassio, Prof. Andrea Pieroni, Prof. Maria Giovanna Onorati, Dr. Luca Antoniazzi, Prof. Lorenzo Bairati, Dr. Roberta Destefanis, Dr. Elena Corcione, Dr. Naji Sulaiman
This activity is part of the NODES, supported by the MUR with PNRR funds – M4C2, Investment 1.5 “Ecosystems of Innovation,” funded by the European Union – NextGenerationEU (Grant agreement No. ECS000036).
