Basilicata Open LAB Entrepreneurship Awards given out

Azienda Agricola Giuseppe Cignarale, Il Querceto – Beevolution and Gruppo IFE are the three winning companies of the Basilicata Open LAB Entrepreneurship Award.

During the event, which took place on 24 March at Casa Cava in Matera, the six finalist companies presented their pitch for an innovative business development project. The three companies won a grant of €20,000 and access to a five-month business-development programme with mentors and coaches from PoliHub and Joule.

Also attending the award ceremony was a delegation of university students from all over Italy who are involved in the ORA!- Outpost Ravenna for Energy Transition project, the innovation platform promoted by Joule in collaboration with Mind the Bridge and with the support of the Municipality of Ravenna and local businesses. The occasion offers the students an important opportunity for training and discussion with successful businesses.

Le realtà che hanno partecipato alla fase finale del progetto hanno sviluppato soluzioni innovative nei settori dell’edilizia, mobilità, energia e agricoltura.

Here are the concepts of the winning projects:

• Azienda Agricola Giuseppe Cignarale presented a 4.0 aquaponic system that integrates fish farming and hydroponic cultivation, optimising the use of resources and reducing waste. The project also includes an agrivoltaic power plant, which diversifies generation with vines, vegetables, berries, biomass and medicinal herbs.
• Il Querceto – Beevolution has proposed intelligent hives with artificial intelligence-based monitoring for bee protection and optimisation of beekeeping practices. An example of synergy between technological innovation and environmental sustainability, for the protection of biodiversity.
• Gruppo IFE presented an innovative air conditioning system for greenhouses, which uses artificial intelligence to optimise temperature, humidity and ventilation, improving agricultural productivity and energy efficiency.

Basilicata Open LAB is the Basilicata Region's programme to promote innovation and entrepreneurship, run by Eni with the support of Shell Italia E&P, through Joule, and with partners PoliHub and Consorzio Elis. Basilicata Open LAB's Call4Innovation aims to identify and support innovative and sustainable entrepreneurial projects in the fields of Clean & Agri Tech (energy, agriculture) and Sustainable Cities (construction, mobility) that can be piloted and developed in the Basilicata Region, through co-innovation activities between local companies and teams of innovators from all over Italy, and activities for the realisation of innovative entrepreneurial projects presented by Basilicata companies.

For further information https://basilicataopenlab.it/.