Programme 2022

14-15 June 2022; Milan, Italy

07:45 - 08:35

Registration & Refreshments

08:35 - 08:45

08:45 - 09:30 - Panel Discussion

Improving the Working Relationship between Food Safety & Quality and Innovation Teams to Launch Products Effectively

Rachid Hassairi, Global Senior Director Food Safety & Quality Management - Supply Chain and External Manufacturing, Kraft Heinz

Johan Sanders, Chief Product Officer, Dawn Foods Global

Paul van der Aar, Senior Global Lead Licenses & Quality Global Production, Heineken

Rani Saab, Head of Beyond the Core Zone EMENA, Nestlé

  • What are the challenges for food innovators from a safety & quality perspective and vice-versa?
  • How can communication and cooperation between departments be improved?
  • How can food safety/quality and innovation/NPD teams collaborate more effectively to decrease the concept to market time?
  • How can you unlock new ways to deliver disruptive innovation while remaining within regulatory standards?

09:35 - 10:05 - Keynote

Innovation & Technology

The Journey of Disruption

Rani Saab, Head of Beyond the Core Zone EMENA, Nestlé

Innovation to a new level. A journey to understand Nestlé's disruptive innovation,  and its new Plant-Based product Wunda.

10:10 - 10:40 - Solution Spotlights

Innovation & Technology

A Journey to Excellence

Selerant's Senior Business Consultant, Emanuele Andreoli, shares insights on how companies can set themselves for success when looking for a technology solution to help accelerate business transformation. Hear practical tips from real-life business cases on how you can transform R&D and innovation projects into operational reality faster to give your business an unfair advantage.

Discover the winning mindset that companies apply to ensure success and how to avoid common pitfalls during a business transformation project.

  • How to assess if you need a business process transformation
  • Setting realistic business goals
  • Mythbusters: managing expectation vs. reality
  • Developing a winning mindset: building a great project team to drive change and organisational excellence

Innovation & Technology

Upcoming Technologies That Will Help Feed the World

Edward Bergen, Senior Analyst, FutureBridge

Our global population is growing; our cities are becoming more crowded than ever, and our food supplies are being squeezed. But companies across the planet are researching and innovating to find new ways to feed the world. This presentation by FutureBridge will look at potential game-changing developments that we will see over the next decade that will help to provide us and taste great.

10:40 - 11:30

Networking Break & 1-2-1 Meetings

11:30 - 12:00 - Case Studies

R&D & Formulation

Critical Points in Nutraceuticals R&D and Formulation

Alberto Ritieni, Food Chemistry Full Professor, Università di Napoli Federico II Department of Pharmacy

  • What are nutraceuticals? They are foods, drugs, integrators or simply an advantageous solution for the market?
  • The safety of ingredients for nutraceutical formulations
  • Bioaccessibility, disgregation and Bioavailability of nutraceutical principles
  • Ethical rules to use nutraceuticals in human health improvement

Consumer Insights & Marketing

How to Engage your Shoppers with your Innovations at Point of Sales

Duygu Keçelioğlu, Knowledge, Insights and Execution Excellence Leader, Coca-Cola İçecek

Congratulations on your excellent innovation! And what is next? In this session, you will see some golden rules to boost your innovation’s shoppability by using insights.
  • How to create in-store appeal
  • Finding the proper zones for your innovation and innovation communications
  • How to collaborate with customers using insight-driven selling stories
  • How to track if your execution plans meet your shoppers

12:05 - 12:35 - Solution Spotlights

Innovation & Technology

How to Combine Quality, Safety, and Innovation in New Product Development?

Massimo Antoniello, Sales Executive - F&B - Italy – PLM and F&B Expert, Centric Software

Whether you develop private labels or ethical brands, your team’s communication and synchronisation in new product development directly impact margins, time to market, and product recall.

Solutions exist that change the game.

Meet Centric Software’s Food and Beverage experts at our innovation session and learn more about how the right technology can improve your bottom line.

Innovation & Technology

Carbon is the New Calorie - Top 2022 Food Product Sustainability Trends

João Brites, Director, Growth & Innovation, HowGood

How can food companies use the momentum generated by industry trends to create lasting change in the food system? Join us for insights into the Top 2022 Food Product Sustainability Trends with analysis from the world’s most extensive product sustainability database.

12:40 - 13:10 - Case Studies

Innovation & Technology

When Innovation Comes From Communities

Eda Fetahu, Open Innovation Expert, Amadori

What does building an 'Innovation Community' in a food company mean? In this session, we will discuss how our Amadori innovation community was born and its innovative functions. We will explain how the community help us identify the projects we want to carry out and act as a bridge between the ideas and the various business departments.

Consumer Insights & Marketing

Harnessing the Power of Flexitarian Consumers Through Marketing Best Practices

Stephanie Jaczniakowska-McGirr, International Head of Food Industry & Retail, ProVeg International

Who flexitarians are and why they should be your target consumer
Factors that influence consumer purchasing decisions - and how better messaging can expand your brand’s reach
Best practice examples and expert tips on plant-based food marketing

13:10 - 14:10

Networking Lunch & Lunchtime Roundtables

Roundtable by Infor
Hungry for Innovation 

Host:
Philippe Michel, Director Solution Consulting, Infor
Franco Perusi, Solution Consulting, Infor

With the pandemic and now the war in eastern Europe, food companies face difficulties getting some ingredients. This is forcing them to adjust recipes and formulas with various impacts.

What is your situation today? How complex are the problems you have to deal with regarding product development? What are your initiative(s) to adapt to these changes?

How do your applications help you to manage this quickly and safely? Please, join us to discuss these topics, share ideas and more!

14:10 - 14:40 - Keynote

Innovation & Technology

Is Innovation Still Relevant at This Moment of Time?

Johan Sanders, Chief Product Officer, Dawn Foods Global

  • Dynamics in the BtB market in times of crises
  • Adapted Innovation Approach
  • Do’s and Don’ts

14:45 - 15:15 - Solution Spotlights

Innovation & Technology

Enterprise Recipe Management: Scale-up Across 100’s of Manufacturing Points

Alberto Damasio, Business Development Manager – Food & Beverage Industries, Siemens Digital Industries Software

In consumer products, complex engineering happens in the scale-up process from R&D Lab to 100s of manufacturing points worldwide.

The challenge: the materials, the equipment, and the plant can be different, BUT the end product must be the same to protect brand equity and the ultimate promise to the consumer.

It can take a company six months to go from manufacturing at one plant to the next. Sometimes this results in not being able to manufacture the product or fill the package at that plant, which means they cannot launch into the marketplace. Even though the industry has developed its manufacturing over the last 10-20 years, it is still nowhere near what we call smart today.

Innovation & Technology

Regenerative Agriculture – Technologies to Help You Do More Good

Simon Carr, VP Head of Practice, Evalueserve UK Ltd

As climate change targets start to look less achievable, companies reliant on agriculture as their primary source of raw materials need to look beyond sustainable approaches and embrace their role as custodians of the land. This presentation will look at some of those technologies that can help companies do exactly that.

15:20 - 15:50 - Case Studies

Consumer Insights & Marketing

Innovation Applied to Communication: Tuorlo Magazine

Maria Rosaria Sanna, CMO and Impact Manager, Tuorlo Magazine

F&B is a giant industry that attracts huge investments in communication,
but most of the conversation is related to product advertising, recipes, and restaurant reviews.
We believe that food deserves something more, so we created Tuorlo, a platform
dedicated to creating great storytelling about gastronomy, territories, sustainability, and all the people behind it, involving social media, NFTs, and the Metaverse.

R&D & Formulation

Crafting the Traditions of the Future

Freddy Hunziker, Founder and CEO, New Roots

We will discuss New Roots and its founding story based on ethical and sustainable values that have been our moral pillars. We want to share our state-of-the-art production process and technical details about the eco-friendly production facility that we have designed and built.

The deep-rooted Swiss traditions were one of the challenges we faced, but we successfully converted the Swiss dairy landscape into a sustainable and plant-based agriculture system. We will focus on new disruptive product innovations at the end of the presentation.

15:50 - 16:40

Networking Break & 1-2-1 Meetings

16:40 - 17:10 - Case Studies

Innovation & Technology

Using Blockchain for Consumer Transparency

Grégory Faure, Innovation Director - Continental Europe, Princes Foods

In this drive toward digitalisation, and high technology, Princess Group 
plays its role. Blockchain has enabled businesses to ensure increased transparency in the supply chain, but how this can be achieved?

R&D & Formulation

Creating an Impact Through Innovative Food

Laura Pastrana, General Manager, Impact Food

Creating Impact by launching an innovative alternative protein dry mix.
In order to make a TRUE impact, we needed to enhance the WHOLE supply chain.

17:15 - 17:45 - Keynote

Innovation & Technology

Mutti Instafactory: How to Change Paradigms

Marcello Gelo, Chief Marketing Officer , Mutti

Through its small and mobile factory, Mutti changed the paradigms of tomato production. Instead of following the traditional and centuries-old transformation process, Instafactory allows going directly to work on the tomato fields and transform tomatoes a few minutes after harvesting, dramatically reducing transportation and processing time. We explain how the idea was generated and how we implemented it and communicated it.

17:45 - 17:50

Chair's Closing Remarks & End of Day 1

Matteo Gori, Global Marketing Director, Barilla Group

17:50 - 18:50

Evening Networking Reception

08:00 - 08:40

Registration & Refreshments

08:40 - 08:45

08:45 - 09:30 - Panel Discussion

Exploring the Food Industry's Biggest Challenges: Covid19, Global Conflicts, and Supply Chain Crises and What More to Come?

Matteo Gori, Global Marketing Director, Barilla Group

Kiran Sanchit, Managing Director, Head of Food, Beverage & Agribusiness EMEA, ING Bank

Roy Kirby, Co-chair of the Global Food Safety Initiative Fmr. Mondelez, GFSI

Senay Avcu, Quality and Food Safety Director, Europe & Asia, Bunge

  • The food industry has faced an unprecedented last 18 months due to Covid-19 but what are the key learnings to be taken away from such a tumultuous time?
  • How can we plan and respond to challenges such as global conflicts, worker shortages, busy ports, blocked shipping routes, and trucking issues?
  • What does the food industry need to do to ensure a smooth 2022 and beyond?

09:35 - 10:05 - Keynote

Consumer Insights & Marketing

Finding a New Balance with Innovative Supply Chain

Kiran Sanchit, Managing Director, Head of Food, Beverage & Agribusiness EMEA, ING Bank

What are the factors influencing the dynamics in the food supply chain? What is happening and why?  What is the impact of inflation? Where do we see things moving?

These and more are the current questions that any person would ask. This session will touch upon higher input such as the increase in raw material costs, the conflict in Europe, sustainability, health and consumer patterns and behaviour. The aim is to end with a way forward.

10:10 - 10:40 - Solution Spotlights

Innovation & Technology

Recipe for Innovation: How PLM Increases Resilience and Shortens Time to Market

Philippe Michel, Director Solution Consulting, Infor

In the last couple of years, we have seen many disruptions in the food and beverage supply chain. This makes resilience and a short-to-market more critical than ever before. Also, consumer preferences change quickly, asking for more convenient food products from a transparent origin. Learn during this session how an integrated digital product innovation platform helps quickly respond to sourcing issues and introduce new and compliant products to market fast to meet customer demand.

10:40 - 11:30

Networking Break & 1-2-1 Meetings

11:30 - 12:00 - Case Studies

R&D & Formulation

What is the Secret to Good Quality Nut Products?

Teresa Cercós, Quality, I+D+I and Environment General Director, Importaco

  • Neuroscience and cross-sectional methodologies to predict our customers’ needs
  • Co-innovation and quality based on customer experience
  • How are customer expectations integrated into the supply chain?

Consumer Insights & Marketing

Customer Relationship Innovation In The Luxury Pastry

Giovanni Mari, Marketing, E-Commerce & CRM Director, Iginio Massari Alta Pasticceria

  • Intro and evolution of the Iginio Massari Alta Pasticceria brand
  • Building one to one relationships through social engagement
  • Expanding the conversation in the Pasticceria physical space
  • Creating value for the customers with profiling and segmentation
  • Upgrading the relationship with loyalty dynamics

12:05 - 12:35 - Case Studies

Innovation & Technology

How Technology is Disrupting the Food Market

José Luis Cabañero, Founder & CEO, Eatable Adventures

The food segment is on the verge of technology-driven transformation; many exciting startups are creating a vast array of novel solutions in Biotech and Core IT that are coming together to evolve the market, making it more sustainable and efficient. We will discuss the 11 technology platforms that, in our opinion, will drive the future of food.

R&D & Formulation

Trends in Food Technology and Nutrition in the Next 10 Years

Prof. Dr. Jens Mäder, Dept. of Life Sciences and Technology - Food Technology, BHT - Berliner Hochschule für Technik - University of Applied Sciences -


  • What are the drivers behind the trends of the future? 
  • Ten years and beyond: endless growth in world population and food production?
  • How does the future of R&D in food technology look like in-house development vs open innovation?

12:40 - 13:10 - Case Studies

R&D & Formulation

A Holistic View of NPD: Moving Away from Silos between R&D, Quality, Innovation and Marketing

Atanasios Moschos, Quality Director, Leonidas

At Leonidas, the chance to expand in global markets is pursued by using the 'Holistic Approach' to improve food policies and innovative methods.  

In this section, attention will be given to the lessons and issues we experienced after one year of practical use of this approach, focusing on the innovation process.

Innovation & Technology

Personalized Nutrition and Related Business Models

Andrea Lippolis, Founder and CEO, Vita Meals

Personalised nutrition has been considered one of the significant emerging trends for many years. Since then, the concept has developed, showing how a pull of startups is trying to disrupt the market. In this session, we would like to explain: 
  • major trends in the market;
  • how startups are driving change in the food industry;
  • a deep dive into the meal planning model;

13:10 - 14:10

Networking Lunch

14:10 - 14:40 - Case Studies

Innovation & Technology

Transforming Agriculture by Bringing Flavour to the World Without Starving it of its Resources

Ester Miozzo, Chief Marketing Officer, Planet Farms

Explain how and why “Planet Farming” innovation goes beyond vertical agriculture and brings meaningful and sustainable solutions for better management of natural resources (such as minimising water consumption and land occupation) meanwhile allowing people to eat more nutritionally rich, authentic food.

Innovation & Technology

Global Trends Food Connections

Luis Carlos Chacon, Op-Ed Columnist | Global Consultant Forbes Latin America | BusinessCase

A review of current global trends changing sociocultural and consumption for different consumers and categories, and how lands in the food industry. From practical benefits to food technologies as the upcoming unicorns, this presentation translates the global topics to watch to the reality and challenges of the food industry.

14:45 - 15:15 - Case Studies

Innovation & Technology

Meal-Kits: A New Category Changing The Way People Eat at Home

Daniele Bruttini, Founder, Quomi

Meal kits have been in the market for just over ten years: in this timeframe, they have become one of the most exciting and fast-growing categories in the food industry. We will discuss how meal kits disrupt the food distribution system while sustainably improving the food habits of millions of customers worldwide.

Quomi is the company that introduced meal kits on the Italian market: we will go through the challenges of launching a new innovative food-tech business in a country with such a strong food heritage.

R&D & Formulation

Creating Better Meat Than Animals

Lukas Böni, Co-founder and Member of the Executive Board , Planted

Animal meat production is one of the most prominent instigators of the climate crisis; it has been linked to a higher risk of various widespread diseases. Yet, meat plays a crucial role in our diet from a socio-cultural and physiological viewpoint. 

Current plant-based meat technologies and solutions cannot replace more than 2.5% of meat consumption and therefore aren’t having the required impact on our food system. Consumers argue that this is due to a lack of taste, cost, and questionable ingredients. For meat-eaters to make these switches, we need to create ‘better meat than animals’ – better taste, price, environmental impact, efficiency and healthiness.  

With Planted’s structuring approach, we design products inspired by nature and driven by consumers and technology. Our products are inherently free of unwanted ingredients, are efficient, highly scalable, and able to plug into consumers' daily lives and traditional meat supply chains.

15:20 - 15:50 - Case Studies

Consumer Insights & Marketing

Plant-Based Eating and Alternative Proteins

Elif Polat, Consultant , Euromonitor International

More consumers are limiting consumption of animal agriculture-derived products, and this dynamic food and nutrition segment is home to continuing innovation. Health, sustainability, and animal welfare are essential motivators as consumer demographics indicate a healthy future.

Innovation & Technology

Winelivery, From a Delivery Business to a Customer Data Platform

Francesco Magro, Founder & CEO , Winelivery

We started Winelivery in 2016 with the dream of being able to change the way people consume beverages. We were successful on the market during these years, but with a very different value proposition from what we had in mind at the beginning.

During this session, we would like to present how we evolved Winelivery into a tech company that can support brands and producers in communicating and delivering their products and making better decisions.

15:55 - 16:25 - Keynote

R&D & Formulation

NEAT’s Approach to Food Tech and Innovation

Tommaso Chiabra, Co-Founder & Chairman, Neat

NEAT is the world’s first vertically-integrated food tech company. It utilises food innovation centres in the UK and US to deconstruct its products' flavour profiles to replicate and elevate the taste and texture of meat. Its food scientist team is developing a line of alt proteins primed for the retail CPG market and its portfolio of QSR units spanning the UK and US markets. Cutting edge technology and consumer insights underpin NEAT’s mission to inspire people to make better food choices sustainably delicious.

16:25 - 16:30

Chair's Closing Remarks & End of Summit