Padova, September 22^nd 2015 – UNIDO ITPO Italy is involving foreign delegations composed by companies interested in discovering the Italian industrial framework, through the organization of ad hoc study tours which include company visits and business meetings. 

Coming from the Philippines, the delegation was composed by leading companies operating in the food processing and agricultural machinery sectors. Their participation was aimed to deepen the knowledge on new technologies about packaging and labeling, as well as investments in the sugar cane sector.

The delegation opened the tour with a visit in EXPO Milano, having the opportunity to discover the excellences of Regione Lazio, with particular insights on agro-industrial products. The visit continued in the Case New Hollande Pavilion, where the Filipino companies had the opportunity to attend the pavilion presentation, which was focused on its sustainability and self-sufficiency from the energetic point of view. Moreover, the delegation showed interest for the agricultural machineries exposed in the pavilion, namely for the combine-harvester and for the grape harvester. The tour ended with a visit in the Zero Pavilion, where the UN-EXPO staff presented the main themes regarding sustainable food production, from the first human settlements to the industrial era, touching the strongly topical issue of food waste.   

In Padova the delegation was welcomed by high-level representatives from Padova Promex, Confindustria Padova, Unione Provinciale degli Artigiani and Provincia di Padova. The Filipino entrepreneurs, at the presence of Mr. Franco Conzato, Chairman of Padova Promex, had the opportunity to present their business activities, supported by audiovisual tools. The presentation of the company Mega Fishing Corporation, Filipino leader in the sardines sector, triggered a strong interest in the Italian stakeholders. The company is looking for packaging and labeling machineries, in addition to waste recycling systems (fish-bones and oils). Confindustria Padova showed interest in providing a list of Paduan companies which participate to Macfrut, the international fair in the fruit and vegetables sector, with the aim to organize business meetings in the coming days. Finally, also the presentation of Ormoc Sugarcane Producers Association was appreciated from the Italian counterparts, as at the moment the local farmers are reconstructing the sugar cane production chain, which was destroyed by the typhoon in 2013. At this purpose, the Province of Padova is willing to involve the University, with the aim of transferring know-how and increase the productivity of the damaged plantations.    

The study tour ended with a visit in Macfrut fair, where the Filipino companies had the opportunity to be exposed to the cutting-edge technologies and get involved in numerous business meetings with Italian companies. In this framework, the delegation showed particular interest in packaging and labeling machineries, as well as for producers of potatoes for industrial processing, since one of the companies is planning to start chips production.  

Macfrut, in its new headquarter in Rimini, has further dedicated two pavilions to the pre-harvest sector, where machineries for soil treatment and preparation were also showed. The delegates visited these new pavilions too, focusing in particular on machineries for the grounding and harvesting of crops (such as potatoes). 

UNIDO ITPO Italy will follow-up the meetings held, the mission set the base for further joint synergies with the aim of fostering the development of the Filipino agro-industrial sector.