Educational Visits in the Academic Year 2022-2023
The Department of Agricultural Development, Agri-Nutrition and Natural Resource Management of the School of Rural Development, Nutrition and Sustainability of NKUA organized new educational visits in the Academic Year 2022-2023. More specifically, in December 2022, as part of the courses of the study program, I visited businesses of the Agri-Food Sector of the Prefecture of Evia, in the Region of Central Greece. The visits were organized by Associate Professor Maria Koukou and Professor Vasilios Stathopoulos. At the same time, the new Department was presented to the business owners and possibilities of future cooperation were explored. The Department of Agricultural Development, Agri-Food and Natural Resources Management, one of the new Departments of NKUA in the Evripos Campus in Psachna - Evia has an important activity in the area of Agri-Food which is a priority area of Strategic Research and Technology for the RIS3 Smart Specialization of EU. With these visits, the background is created for new partnerships and collaborations of the Department with the Agri-Food sector and the food industry.
The transport of the students from the Evripou Complex to the businesses was covered by the Municipality of Dirfyon Messapia, which on a systematic basis is a supporter of the NKUA activities at the Evripos Campus in Psachna Evia. 1st and 4th year students participated in these visits.
The businesses that welcomed the students were the SEPTEM microbrewery (www.septem.gr) which is active in the production and distribution of fresh, unpasteurized beer and ASKADA FARM (www.askada.gr) which is active in the production and standardization-packaging of organic dried Kymi figs. The companies are members of the Agri-Food Partnership of the Region of Central Greece. The students had the opportunity to come into direct contact with companies active in subjects related to the field of their studies and to strengthen their knowledge in applied topics of one of the most dynamic branches of the Greek economy, the Agri-Food Sector.
1. Micro-Brewery SEPTEM
Our students were warmly welcomed by the owner of the company, chemist-oenologist Mr. S. Panagiotou who started the tour by referring to the motivations for the creation of the company and its competitive advantages. He presented the company's vision and goals to the students. The vision is for SEPTEM to become the Greek microbrewery whose products will be synonymous with culinary delight in the consumer's mind and will be reference points for differentiated quality beer. The goals focus on renewal, innovation and offering the consumer fresh, safe products with unique differentiated flavors. A discussion was held with the students on issues related to both production and the operation of the business, while the innovations implemented were identified.
Then there was a tour of the entire production process which includes the stages: Malt Extraction-Wash Filtration-Wash Boiling & Hop Addition-Alcoholic Fermentation-Maturation-Filtration-Standardization. Mr. Panagiotou explained at each stage the important points to which attention is paid for the production of quality products. A dialogue with the students followed, while the company's products were then given the opportunity to test.
2. ASKADA FARM: Production and packaging-standardization of Kymi dried figs
Our students enthusiastically watched the standardization-packaging process as well as the multitude of products manufactured by the company ASKADAFARM with Kymi fig as raw material. Kymi dried figs are a high quality product and among the first to be certified PDO by the European Union both for the geographical area where the trees are grown and for the unique processing process. ASKADA in the local dialect means the final shape of two dried open figs that have been pressed together and become a couple. The owners warmly welcomed the students to the mold-packing area and spoke in detail about the philosophy and strategy of ASKADA Farm.
They explained to the students both the production process and all the stages that followed for the creation of the business as well as the experience they gained in the process. An extensive and fruitful dialogue with the students followed, while the company's products were then given the opportunity to test. An important element of the success of business activity is the search for innovation and ways of introducing it into the business and the products it produces. In addition, an update was made on the certification systems implemented by the company.
The visits to production units of the Agri-Food Sector are planned to take place on an annual basis as they are an important and integral part of the educational process in the context of the connection of the university with the productive fabric of our country. In conjunction with this, of particular importance is the start of the practical training from this year, during which the students of the Department will have the opportunity to be employed in companies in the Agri-Food sector and gain their first professional experience.
