Esprit Bio Project

ESPRIT BIO Project "Strategic plan aimed at increasing exports of innovative Sicilian organic fresh products (fruit and vegetables) and processed products with high added value"

(November 2021 / September 2022)

  • Programme: POR FESR SICILIA 2014-2020 Action 1.1.2
  • Description: Support for the purchase of services for the technological, strategic, organizational and commercial innovation of companies.

Abstract

The project is part of a broad strategic innovation plan aimed at increasing exports of organic Sicilian products with high added value, both fresh and processed. This purpose will be pursued through the following activities:

  • Technical-economic feasibility study aimed at:
    • the valorisation of production waste (lemons, oranges, tangerines, leaves/branches of citrus trees), for example, through the production of fruit preserves and/or zests that have particular characteristics able to offer a high added value on the market (e.g. replacement of sugars with grape juice, fructose, etc.);
    • identification of processed products with high added value and analysis of market potential and investment costs;
    • the evaluation of the commercial potential of active ingredients in the nutraceutical and cosmetics sector (B2B) in relation to the production capacity of Ge.Im.A.
  • Customized development and implementation of a set of innovative ICT solutions, aimed at:
    • optimization of customer relationship management through the development of a specific Customer Relationship Management (CRM) module;
    • the management improvement of the processing procedures through the development of a specific software module at the service of the conditioning and processing center of Roccalumera (ME);
    • the introduction of both a B2B and B2C e-commerce platform to increase sales internationally.

The ESPRIT BIO project includes a structured plan for the acquisition of services relating to:

  • (B.2) support for the introduction of new products/services on the market, through the drafting of detailed business plans, and (B.3) technical design services for product and process innovation, with specific reference to:
    • Enhancement of production waste (lemons, oranges, tangerines, leaves/branches of citrus trees) through, for example, processed organic products;
    • Processed products with high added value and analysis of market potential and investment costs;
    • Active ingredients extracted from citrus fruits to be marketed to industries (B2B) in the nutraceutical and cosmetics sectors.
    These services include a feasibility study with technical-economic analysis of the different solutions and the elaboration of business plans with detailed indications regarding the most promising markets in relation to the aforementioned elements (semi-finished products/active ingredients), providing the key elements to guide the company choices in the most effective market actions.
  • (C.3) introduction of ICT innovations in customer relationship management through the customized development of Customer Relationship Management ICT tools and their integration with the currently existing IT infrastructure;
  • (C.4) introduction of e-Business and e-Commerce systems through the customized development of a platform for the online sale (both B2B and B2C) of Sicilian organic products of own and third party production, with integration of such systems with the currently existing IT infrastructure;
  • (D.4) introduction of ICT innovations in the company organization through the customized development of ICT tools for the management of production processes, with integration of these tools with the currently existing IT infrastructure.