Course information
The Summer School programme is structured with a student-centered vision and a project-based approach that will encourage you to use the tools provided by highly qualified experts to co-develop your own innovative and entrepreneurial idea for healthier living through food.
Teaching contents will be supported by academics from the University of Bologna, University of Turin, Aarhus University, and highly qualified professionals on entrepreneurship in the food system. In addition, agribusiness experts related to sustainable food production and consumption will be invited to discuss and give important inputs to students.
Course level: Advanced
Course duration: 4 weeks
Start date: 09/10/2023
End date: 03/11/2023100% virtual (syncronous and asyncronous mode)
- Language: English
- Certificate of completion
What you learn?
You will learn the following competencies:
- Entrepreneurship:
- Create opportunities for systemic social and environmental value creation.
- Devise strategies to mobilise and leverage resources to create sustainable value.
- Design effective actions to scale societal impact.
- Problem Solving:
- Critically appraise the problem space to analyse the strategic implications of future choices.
- Mobilise effective co-creation methodologies to generate original and sustainable solutions that include relevant voices.
- Critical Thinking:
- Critically analyse, interpret and report data and information to inform ethical decision making.
- Challenge existing practices and knowledge to develop sustainable alternatives.
- Leadership:
- Appraise different strategies to deliver a food system innovation.
- Demonstrate leadership towards the implementation of a food system innovation.
- Communication:
- Devise effective communication methods that support organisational strategies.
- Engage in honest and inclusive two-way communication with stakeholders about their concerns.
- Adjust messaging for different audiences.
- Technology Management:
- Mobilise appropriate technologies in innovation processes
- Design effective actions to mitigate key unintended consequences of the use of emerging technologies.
- Contribute to the development of new technologies for food system transformation.
- Manage IPRs.
- Data Management:
- Implement effective data management protocols.
- Recognise the importance of data security measures.
- Identify key unintended consequences of the use of information technologies.
- Food Systems:
- Develop strategies to address current and future challenges using systems approaches.
- Design innovative responses to address sustainability challenges in the food system.
Structure & Modules
Free four-week course will give you insight into sustainable food production and consumption with a focus on Deep Tech innovations. The course will be taught by academics and food industry experts in a blended synchronous and asynchronous (online and offline) approach, and it will enable you and your team to develop and co-design a creative and innovative idea to promote healthier and more sustainable lives through the food.
In the first week (October 9, 2023 – October 13, 2023), you will be given an overview of the 4 main topics that will be covered by the programme: Sustainable Agriculture, Targeted Nutrition, Alternative Proteins and Digital Traceability.
In the second week (October 16, 2023 – October 20, 2023), you will be presented with case studies where extensive research was conducted on the topics covered. The case studies will improve your understanding of the challenges to be faced and the opportunities to be seized. They also will be a useful tool for effectively planning your entrepreneurial projects.
In the last two weeks (October 23, 2023 – November 3, 2023), called the bootcamp phase, you will have the opportunity to be inspired by a series of talks that will focus on innovation, creativity, business and the future. These “Inspirational talks” will be conducted by entrepreneurs and experts in the food sector.
You will work in interdisciplinary teams with the support of mentors during the 4 weeks. At the end of the course, you and your team will have the opportunity to present your ideas in a pitch contest, where an expert jury will award the three teams with the most innovative idea based on a shared criteria framework.
The winning participants will receive both a certificate of merit and a prize.
Participation Fees
Free
Countries eligible to take part in the EIT RIS (2021-2024):
• EU Member States: Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain.
• Horizon Europe Associated Countries*: Montenegro, Republic of North Macedonia, Serbia, Turkey, Ukraine.
• Outermost Regions: Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Réunion, Martinique, Mayotte and Saint-Martin (France), the Azores and Madeira (Portugal), and the Canary Islands (Spain).
*These third countries, which are all listed in the European Innovation Scoreboard, will be fully eligible for the EIT RIS, following the successful conclusion of individual Horizon Europe Association Agreements.
Career Opportunities
This Summer School will provide participants with knowledge and awareness of the challenges of sustainability and healthy nutrition. In addition, the network that will be created through the teamwork approach will strengthen a smart ecosystem for young innovators with highly multidisciplinary backgrounds.
The programme will facilitate an open innovation ecosystem, allowing participants to operate in a broader spatial context and become skilled individuals in developing, managing and sharing innovative solutions focused on sustainable food systems.
Through this learning opportunity, entrepreneurship and innovation will be catalysed with a focus on the potential of start-ups and entrepreneurial talent, supporting young people to become active players in regional and national developments, especially in relation to the “targeted nutrition” goal of RIS areas.
In collaboration with
Programme Leaders
giovanni.dinelli@unibo.it
matteo.vittuari@unibo.it
paola.debernardi@unito.it
gxydis@btech.au.dk
ilknur@foodback.co
