At Simei-Enovitis 2011 the wine enterprises will award a prize to the application of industrial research resulting to be the most useful and the most functional for the needs of the wine-making world.
Mr. Mastroberardino: "An award to whom is providing a daily support to the progress of our sector"
The enterprises themselves will award a prize to research applied in the viticultural-enological field. This is the attitude by which Unione Italiana Vini is launching the Innovation Prize that will be celebrated on the occasion of the next Simei-Enovitis, taking place in Milan from 22nd to 26th November.
The 24th edition will be extraordinary for this trade show acknowledged as the unrivalled leading event nationally and worldwide, which is intended to meet again, as if it were the first edition, the real requirements of the wine production chain: yesterday as an exhibition showcase, today as a crucial centre of thought, technology and business.
"If it is true that Italy has become the worldwide leading country with regard to wine export- says Mr. Lucio Mastroberardino, President of Unione Italiana Vini – this has been possible also thanks to those who, - such as the manufacturers of machines and equipment for enology and vine-growing -, are working to support this huge innovation demand for innovation, to prepare technical solutions that are often tailored to the different enterprises. The natural environment of vine-growing and wine-making is every day increasing the need for solutions capable of helping the entrepreneurs of the sector to produce the successful wines they have in mind. This mostly occurs while starting from particular environmental and business conditions, from varieties that are unknown or difficult to be cultivated, with different or extreme market targets or by choosing unusual or even radical production philosophies. This is often a long and complicated work, a real technological challenge."
This initiative that will be repeated at every edition is a part of a wide and comprehensive strategy and action by UIV for enhancing and steadily promoting the deep contents of technological innovation, of which the viticultural and enological production chain is expression and driving force for development. "The viticultural and enological innovation Prize is thus the instrument by which Unione Italiana Vini focuses, on Simei and Enovitis, the excellence of technologies applied to the vine-growing and wine-making sector, but also to that of beverages, if it is true that many exhibiting companies, - created as 'wine-making enterprises', relying on an extraordinary know-how achieved in one of the most difficult fields -, have then expanded their product range to include beers, spirits, waters, juices and soft drinks."
The real novelty of the UIV prize, which characterizes its spirit, is that it is thought and assigned by the wine enterprises. The technological innovations will undergo the assessment of a committee composed of technical specialists from the most important Italian companies, members of Unione Vini, assisted for the scientific part by a renowned parterre of experts from the university world of scientific research.
"Unlike similar initiatives, our prize – explains Mr. Mastroberardino – intends to recognize the real impact of the proposed innovation on the wine-making world. From an ethical and professional point of view, innovation, especially in a context as the current one, must necessarily have an application opportunity in determining a competitive advantage for enterprises and contribute to development and knowledge. Therefore, the assessment necessarily regards these and only these purposes. Obviously, the assessment by the enterprises is supported by that of referees enjoying high reputation worldwide in the inspected field."
In such a difficult period for the Italian research in general, and for the agronomic, vine-growing and wine-making sector in particular, this prize testifies the attention and the closeness of the enterprises of the wine production chain towards the tens of thousands of professionals that every day, with their work and commitment, make technological innovation usable and available. "Without targets aimed at knowledge, development and industrial application, our sector is globally running the risk of losing its competitive edge – says the UIV President-. If Unione Italiana Vini has been representing the most dynamic wine enterprises for over 110 years, following its foundation aim which is that of ‘taking part in the increase, defence and progress of activities carried out by member-companies and by the Italian vine-growing and wine-making chain’, this prize is a real testimony to this spirit of service and, at the same time, of guide within the sector. A guide – concludes Mr. Mastroberardino – which is policy, associations, lobbying, but, also and most of all, thought.
It will be technological thought that will celebrate its highest meeting point at Simei-Enovitis.
