The BESTMEDGRAPE project (New Business opportunities & Environmental suSTainability using MED GRAPE nanotechnological products), funded by the ENI CBC MED programme, is in its last year and is preparing to share the obtained results with the Mediterranean scientific community, stakeholders, experts and public at large with two international conferences.
Grape as a traditional crop in the Mediterranean area has a strong innovation potential, which has not been effectively exploited yet. People working in the grape cultivation sector are generally focused on improving the quality of grape and wine, but usually don’t consider how to make the most out of grape processing residues such as pomace or grape seeds. Thus, the aim of our project was to support the creation of new start-ups by transferring scientific and technological knowledge on local grape cultivars and the exploitation of wine by-products as a source of bioactive compounds that can be transformed into innovative commercial health products.
Soon we will see the birth of the start-ups that will benefit from the vouchers financed by our project, based on the knowledge shared in the process of technology transfer and business creation set up by the partners in the involved countries: Italy, France, Tunisia, Lebanon and Jordan.
The potential entrepreneurs involved in the technology transfer path set up by the project partners
The first conference took place in Beirut (Lebanon), hosted by the Lebanese partners Saint Joseph University of Beirut and Berytech, on 11 and 12 July; it focused on 5 different topics:
- Characterisation of grape and other Mediterranean cultivars
- Extraction and characterisation of polyphenol from grape pomace and food by-products or waste
- Development and characterisation of phytonanoformulations from grape pomace and food by-products or waste
- In vitro and in vivo bioactivity of phytonanoformulations from grape pomace and food by-products or waste
- Technology transfer and entrepreneurship based on grape and other Mediterranean by-products.
The second conference will take place in Cagliari (Italy), hosted by the University of Cagliari, on 27 September 2022. Both events end with a field visit to local wineries, associated partners of the project.
The conferences are in presence and online; it is possible to join them via Zoom or via Facebook. All information is available on the project social media Facebook and Instagram and on the project website.
Vineyards in Tunisia
by
Francesca Meloni1,2, Alba Cuena-Lombraña1,2, Gianluigi Bacchetta1,2
1 Centre for the Conservation of Biodiversity (CCB), Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Cagliari, Viale S. Ignazio da Laconi 11-13, 09123 Cagliari, Italy
2 Sardinian Germplasm Bank (BG-SAR), Hortus Botanicus Karalitanus (HBK), University of Cagliari, Viale S. Ignazio da Laconi, 9-11, 09123 Cagliari, Italy
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