Milan, 12 May 2016 - UNIDO ITPO Italy took part in the second edition of Seeds & Chips, contributing to several activities and, in particular, organizing and moderating the conference titled “Youth and Tech: answers to food security issues in developing countries” hosted in Milan, on May 12, 2016.

The event gathered representatives from major stakeholders involved in the international development, who analyzed the nexus between innovation, food, youth with regard to developing countries’ challenges, underlining the importance of promoting virtuous synergies and partnerships between private, academic, institutional and financial sectors.

The event was moderated by Andrea Carapellese, Investment Promotion Expert at UNIDO ITPO Italy, and was attended by Claudia Sorlini, President of EXPO 2015 Scientific Commitee, Abeba Tesfaye, Vicepresident of the Ethiopian Millers Association, Elisabetta Castellazzi, from AZIMUT, Tiziana Cattaneo, from the Italian Council for Agricultural Research and Agricultural Economics Analysis – CREA, Hila Cohen, from the World Food Programme, Cristiano Maggipinto, from the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Alberto Silvani, from the Italian National Research Council – CNR, Damiano Petruzzella, from MEDAB and Andrea Maggiani, from Carbon Sink. Furthermore, three out of five winners of the UNIDO&CNR International Award 2015 participated to the conference as speakers: Sara Canella, from SolWA, Rosa Palmieri, from the University of Catania and André Ndereyumana, founder of Buslin.

The leading role of UNIDO ITPO Italy in organizing this event highlights the continuing commitment and unceasing efforts of the Office in fighting poverty and underdevelopment through the active support of the role of innovation, youth and entrepreneurship. Furthermore, the event represented an opportunity for the participants to share their expertise in developing state-of-the-art concrete solutions to the evolving challenges posed by food security and safety emergencies and increasing global population.

In collaboration with the organizers of the event, UNIDO ITPO Italy guaranteed the availability of free exhibition booths for five startups that took part to the UNIDO&CNR International Award 2015. In particular, Hub Nanotech, Water Wells, See your Box, Liber and Jellyfish Barge – former winner of the competition - had the possibility to exhibit their technologies and innovative solutions.

Finally it’s worth mentioning that on Saturday May 14, in occasion of the institutional visit to Italy of the Ethiopian State Minister of Industry, Mebrahtu Meles, UNIDO ITPO Italy organized a press conference at Seeds&Chips with the participation of its founder, Marco Gualtieri, in order to present the agro-opportunities offered by the African country and to explore the possibility of future synergies and collaborations.