Food-Tech Innovation Award

Lugano, 5 July 2022 – In a joint initiative within the Ticino-based Lifestyle Tech Competence Center, Barilla and Lavazza, in collaboration with Loomish, a Swiss-based investment management firm, have launched the Food-Tech Innovation Award 2022.

This open innovation call aims to find mature B2B and B2B2C tech start-ups and scale-ups that can support Barilla and Lavazza in enhancing customer engagement and using data in a more effective manner.

All applications will be assessed by a prestigious jury, composed of the top management of Barilla and Lavazza, senior leaders from major Swiss and Italian retailers, as well as executives from the Lifestyle Tech Competence Center member companies, including Accenture, Microsoft, and UBS.

The Food-Tech Award 2022 is looking for innovative solutions in the following two categories:

1. Boost customer engagement: solutions to enhance and transform the shopping experience, engaging shoppers and consumers as well as integrating multiple channels / touchpoints;
2. Extract value from data: solutions to manage sales and customer data from different sources, run data intelligence, extract business value, automate and quickly present useful insights.

The is open until September 4, 2022 at the following link https://awards.loomish.ch/?page_id=4764 . The finalists will be announced on October 3, and they will be invited to pitch in front of the jury during a dedicated event organized in Zurich on October 26, 2022. The event will be “phygital” and can also be accessed online.

The scouting activity is made possible by the Award sponsors and partners Accenture, Barilla, Dagorà, Lavazza, Lifestyle Tech Competence Center, Loomish, Microsoft, SUPSI, UBS and USI.

Igor Nuzzi, Regional Director Switzerland & Italy Lavazza says:

“The context in which Companies and Distribution work has changed more in the last 3 years than in the previous 20, but not much has changed in the way we co-operate.

Being part of the LTCC research and development project for the second year will allow us to identify innovative solutions that may facilitate a new model of collaboration with distribution. This is due to the possibility of constantly receiving inputs and stimulus to develop a relationship focused on the consumer with his changing requests and habits.

The consumer remains at the center of our research and technologies are an enabling factors, especially if they allow us to share, in a smart way, insights that can promote loyalty and best profiling and engagement of shoppers, introducing innovation into the market – a value that has always been present in Lavazza DNA”.

Luca Ravazzoni, eCommerce Director Barilla says:

“The eCommerce fast growth is just one aspect of a deeper revolution aimed at changing the dichotomy between physical and digital into a hybrid customer journey. This new journey will be increasingly rewarding, seamless, and personalized for a consumer that expects omnichannel experience. In the omnichannel context, the key areas for Barilla are: developing brand loyalty through new ways of building relationships, reinforcing relationships with retailers, as well as using data to gain customer insights. To develop these three key areas, we need to be guided by curiosity, passion and right partners. That’s why we chose to be part of the FoodTech Award”.

This initiative is one of a dozen innovation programs run under the leadership of Lifestyle Tech Competence Center, a part of the Switzerland Innovation Park Ticino, where both Barilla and Lavazza are among the members. The Ticino-based center specializes in R&D and open innovation, working closely with academic researchers, big tech, start-ups and corporations from Food, Fashion, Design, Travel and other Lifestyle-related arenas.

Carlo Terreni, the President of Lifestyle Tech Competence Center and the Founder of the M&A advisory boutique Loomish says: “I am extremely pleased that today we are launching the second edition of the FoodTech Innovation Award with Barilla and Lavazza. This ongoing collaboration is a confirmation of the commitment that our associates have for our organization. Moreover, the scouting opens up diverse opportunities for senior industry leaders to explore the latest innovation, as well as for investors to have a closer look at the upcoming new technologies that are shaping the future of food retail”.

Contact information

Carmen Machiels – carmen.machiels@dagora.ch – 0041768140001

About Barilla Group

The Barilla Group Barilla is a family business, not listed on the stock exchange, led by brothers Guido, Luca and Paolo Barilla. It was established by great grandfather Pietro Barilla, who in 1877 opened a bakery in Parma. Today, Barilla is renowned in Italy and worldwide for its excellent food products. With its brands – Barilla, Mulino Bianco, Pan di Stelle, Gran Cereale, Harrys, Pavesi, Wasa, Filiz, Yemina and Vesta, Misko, Voiello, Cucina Barilla, Catelli, Lancia, Tolerant and Pasta Evangelists – it advocates tasty, hearty and wholesome nutrition, inspired by the Mediterranean Diet and the Italian lifestyle. When Pietro opened his store over 140 years ago, his main goal was to make good food. Today, that principle has become Barilla’s way of doing business: “Good for You, Good for the Planet”, a slogan that reflects the daily commitment of over 8,000 people working for the company and of a supply chain that shares its values and passion for quality. “Good for You” means constantly improving the products offered, encouraging the adoption of healthy lifestyles and ensuring access to food. “Good for the Planet” means committing to reduce and offset CO2eq emissions, promoting sustainable supply chains and designing packaging to be recyclable. Since 1987, a historical archive has been collecting and preserving the company’s 143-year history, now a resource open to all via the portal-museum www.archiviostoricobarilla.com, a testament to the journey of an icon among Made in Italy products and to the changes in Italian society. For further information, visit: www.barillagroup.com; Twitter: @barillagroup; LinkedIn: Barilla Group.

About Lavazza Group

Lavazza, founded in Turin in 1895, has been owned by the Lavazza family for four generations. Today the Group is one of the leading players on the global coffee scene, with turnover of over € 2.3 billion and a portfolio of top brands that lead their respective markets, such as Lavazza, Carte Noire, Merrild and Kicking Horse. It is active in all business sectors and has operations in 140 markets, with 9 manufacturing plants in 6 countries and over 4,200 collaborators all over the world. The Group’s global presence is the result of over 125 years of growth and the more than 30 billion cups of Lavazza coffee produced every year are a testament to a remarkable success story, with the goal of continuing to offer the best coffee possible, in all forms, by focusing on every aspect of the supply chain, from the selection of the raw material to the product in the cup. 

Lavazza Group has revolutionised coffee culture by investing continuously in research and development: from the intuition that marked the company’s earliest success – the coffee blend – to the development of innovative packaging solutions; from the first espresso sipped in Space to the dozens of industrial patents. The ability to be ahead of the times is also reflected in the focus on sustainability – economic, social and environmental – which has always been a benchmark for guiding corporate strategies. “Awakening a better world every morning” is the corporate purpose of Lavazza Group, with the aim of creating sustainable value for shareholders, collaborators, consumers and the communities in which it operates, combining competitiveness with social and environmental responsibility. 

About Lifestyle Tech Competence Center  

The Lifestyle Tech Competence Center is a Swiss association that aims to support innovative companies that carry out research and development activities in the Lifestyle-Tech arena, including FoodTech, FashionTech, Travel-tech, DesignTech, and Smart-living, among others. Specifically, the Association intends to foster collaboration between academic institutes and companies, encouraging the exchange of technology and knowledge. Accenture, Bally, Dagorà, Guess, Hyphen, Loomish, Microsoft, Moresi and Swiss Universities SUPSI and USI are the founding members of the Lifestyle-Tech Competence Center Association. Find out more at www.lifestyletechcompetencecenter.com

About Loomish 

Loomish SA is a Swiss-based investment management firm specialized in Lifestyle-Tech, with a focus on Food, Fashion, Travel and Design industries. We are committed to accelerating value creation for all the players within the lifestyle ecosystem: investors, digital start-ups and established corporations looking for innovative solutions. Strategically located in Ticino, between the dynamic financial centre Zurich and the global lifestyle hub Milan, Loomish is perfectly positioned to link the best of both worlds. We deliver expert guidance and facilitate investments in the Lifestyle-Tech sector, focusing primarily on the disruptive technologies offered by European medium-sized start-ups and scale-ups. Find out more at LinkedIn @Loomish_SA and http://www.loomish.ch