Campus Interuniversitario per l’alta formazione e la ricerca innovativa sulla trasformazione degli alimenti FOCUSER (FOod CampUS Education Research)
Project The FOCUSER project aims to develop an inter-university campus of excellence at an international level, contributing to the development of skills necessary for research and innovation in the field of food processing, with particular attention to countries in the North Africa and Middle East (MENA) region.
The inter-university partnership, composed of five universities, will pursue the following objectives:
develop international multi- and transdisciplinary projects on the topic of food processing;
consolidate, expand, and strengthen advanced training and research activities already existing among the project partners;
develop postgraduate advanced training programs;
promote the transfer of knowledge and innovation between research institutions and businesses.
In this context, a research network on food processing will be created, contributing to the international competitiveness of Italian universities.
Activities will be organized into four closely interconnected Work Packages (WP):
WP1: project coordination and management;
WP2: creation of a platform for national and international stakeholders;
WP3: research activities for innovation transferable to national and MENA-area enterprises;
WP4: advanced training and implementation of a support plan for inbound and outbound international mobility.
The expected impact of the project is to contribute, through a lifelong learning program and research activities with high innovation potential, to the development of the agri-food processing sector in the Mediterranean and Middle Eastern area as an advanced knowledge-based system. These activities will support national strategies coordinated by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI) on scientific diplomacy, as a fundamental tool for fostering cooperation between Italy and the MENA region.