Study Plan

Professor: Donetalla Saccone

The course prepares students to analyze global markets, the sustainability of food systems, and international socio-economic trends. It equips them to work for companies, research centers, institutions, international organizations, and NGOs.

By the end of the course, students will be able to:

• Interpret the global macroeconomic framework in which food professionals operate
• Understand the economic, social, and environmental aspects of sustainable development, particularly in relation to global food systems
• Develop critical thinking and view the food sector as part of a more complex socio-economic system
• Identify strategies and policies to create socio-economic value in both local and global food supply chains, thereby enhancing their sustainability

Professor: Carmine Garzia

This course aims to provide operational tools for advanced analysis of the competitive system and the definition of business strategies.

In particular, the following topics will be covered:

• Industry analysis and entry strategies 
• Demand segmentation and strategic positioning 
• Development processes of strategic resources
• Strategic innovation and evolution of business models

Professor: Jost Reinhold

The course focuses on quantitative analyses for business decisions using the main statistical analysis software and fully leveraging the potential of new AI-based computing technologies.

By the end of the course, the student will be able to:

• Conduct data mining on the main professional-use databases 
• Proficiently utilize the primary statistical software
• Dislay data, including through interactive dashboards
• Perform econometric-type analysis

Professors: Nicola Perullo, Elena Mancioppi

This course prepares students for professional fields in gastronomic criticism, communication, and the promotion of high-quality food according to models of innovation, linguistic, and conceptual experimentation. It also prepares them for research fields in the philosophy of food, ecogastronomy, and the humanities.

By the end of this course, students will be able to:

• Understand, elaborate on, and critically operate on themes of taste, quality, gastronomic enhancement, and perception, as well as food culture;
• Navigate the universe of new gastronomy trends and the environments of avant-garde and culinary creativity, assuming managerial responsibilities in the field of high-quality dining and professional enogastronomic communication.

Professor: Vinceza Vota

This course prepares students to:

• Understand the role of biodiversity and ecological relationships in food systems.
• Discuss the importance of complexity and diversity in socio-ecological systems and in the management of natural resources for sustainable food systems rooted in biological and cultural diversity.
• Examine the complex relationships that exist between what we eat and the health of the Planet in the Anthropocene.

By the end of this course, students will be able to:

• Develop strategies for creating sustainable food systems and consider changes in the relationship between our diet and the planet we inhabit.
• Understand and analyze the biological and ecological aspects that underlie gastronomic productions.
• Understand the role of humans in the Earth’s ecosystem and stimulate critical and interdisciplinary thinking on topics such as the conservation of biological and cultural diversity and sustainability in food production.
• Articulate gastronomic discourses on solid knowledge of biodiversity and ecology.

Professors: Michele Antonio Fino & Lorenzo Bairati

This course prepares students to navigate the European and international legal frameworks concerning agriculture and its support, quality productions, food labelling, the rules of merchandise exchange, and intellectual protection at the European and international levels.

The course is divided into two sections:

After the first section, students will understand the rules governing the EU’s community aid from the first and second pillars. They will also recognize the conceptual evolution of this system. In addition, they will develop a thorough understanding of the current regulation, its historical evolution, and its relation to quality regimes such as organic, STG, PGI, and PDO. Lastly, they will gain extensive knowledge of the food labeling regulatory system.

After completing the second section, students will understand the mechanisms that regulate the free movement of goods within the EU. They will also understand the European model of food safety, in comparison with the American system. Furthermore, they will gain knowledge of international protection mechanisms for Geographical Indications (GIs) through the TRIPs agreements under the World Trade Organization (WTO).

This will equip students with the ability to identify opportunities in food law for contemporary food enterprises, enabling them to use this knowledge responsibly in their company activities.

Professors: Gabriella Morini, Maria Piochi

Lecturers: Carol Povigna, Nahuel Burraco, Lorenzo Tirelli

This course equips students to work in the food processing sector. This includes roles within public bodies, international organizations, and private entities engaged in food and beverage production, processing, and distribution, as well as catering services.

By the end of the course, students will be capable of:

• Understanding the primary processes in food technology.
• Identifying and discussing how the production process affects the quality of the final product.
• Exploring sustainable strategies for innovation in food product transformation, focusing on aspects such as product quality, packaging systems, and reducing energy impacts of production.

Professor: Maria Giovanna Onorati

This course prepares students to work as brand or product consultants, especially in the following areas:

• Exploration and analysis of the market from an international perspective, considering social and cultural contexts.
• Overseeing communication strategies of food media to promote products across different cultures and media.
• Conducting food education and consumer research in educational and university settings, organizations, and associations.

Furthermore, the course equips students for roles in corporate or public policy sectors related to social inclusion.

By the course’s end, students will be able to:

Utilizing theories of consumption and models of human motivational values in surveys.

Comprehending consumption within social and cultural contexts.

Acknowledging the values that shape consumption choices and situating them within a global context.

Distinguishing global food consumer types.

Identifying and analyzing social, gender, generational, or ethnic/cultural gaps in consumption and in the portrayal of consumption models by brands.

Comparing social contexts from a cross-cultural viewpoint.

Study trip to discover excellent Italian production companies, under the supervision of UNISG tutors. Opportunity to get to know and experience first-hand international leaders in the food sector

Progetto d’innovazione condotto durante il semestre per conto di una delle aziende del network UNISG sotto la supervisione di un docente UNISG.

Professors: Michael Gibbert, Gizem Kadliogu

The course aims to provide tools for managing the strategic marketing process in food & beverage sector companies.

The course will cover the following topics:

• Consumer analysis, segmentation techniques
• Demand analysis, trend estimation, scenario development, and projections
• Innovation and development of new products
• Selection and management of distribution channels
• Management of promotional tools
• Management of communication campaigns and PR activities

Professors: Franco Fassio & Nadia Tecco

This course prepares students to become professionals capable of analyzing markets from a systemic perspective, gathering, processing, and organizing information and data, and formulating and articulating project and operational hypotheses, with the aim of:

• Identifying strategic guidelines for sustainable valorization and innovation within enterprises
• Making decisions to plan new systemic/circular strategies across B2B, B2C, C2B, and C2C domains
• Managing the sustainable lifecycle of products and services
• Designing systemic, circular, and agroecological innovations for sustainable development
• Communicating about food products and services, considering their unique ecological, cultural, social, and sensory characteristics

Using the tools from Systemic Design, Circular Economy for Food, and Agroecology, students will gain critical analysis skills and understand the context of production, distribution, and consumption from a problem-solving and systems thinking perspective. By the end of the course, students will be able to collect and interpret data, make judgments, and create scientific evaluations related to the food system and specific situations. They will also be able to propose project hypotheses for both micro and macro scenarios, and take on responsibilities in managerial, communication, and research and development areas.

International stdy trip to a European destination of primary importance for the food industry.

TBD

Professors: Carmine Garzia, Gabriele Baima

Food Innovation Lab aims to explore theories and methods regarding the identification, promotion, and development of traditional food around the world. The course prepares students to understand the main categories developed in the anthropological debate around the analysis of food heritage and apply them to institutions, businesses, and volunteerism. The course invites students to understand food as a sociocultural product through a didactic approach that includes lectures, workshops, and empirical research. Students will experience anthropological methods such as qualitative interviews and participant observation to find solutions to strengthen local food sustainability by empowering producers and educating consumers.

Lecturers: Antonio Ambrosio, Pier Paolo Catucci

The teaching aims to present the elements of an effective and comprehensive business plan (business plan) in its qualitative (competitor analysis, demand forecasting, product definition) and quantitative (forecasting financial and economic results) aspects. The teaching involves the development of an applied project of sustainable innovation in the food sector, based on the introduction of radical product and process innovations developed based on the skills acquired during the degree course.

Professoors: Michele Antonio Fino & Eugenio Pomarici

The course is dedicated to advanced marketing in the wine and spirits industry. Participants will have the opportunity to learn about consumer trends and product innovation, focusing on emerging phenomena that may change the industry’s structure.

Participants will learn how to manage the product innovation process in the sector, starting from market analysis through developing the product concept and the related communication plan. A specific focus will be devoted to the topic of digital communication and the role of influencers in wine & spirits consumption.