Out of 264 submitted proposals, Agrifood Hub was one of the 7 that were approved by the Agency for Territorial Cohesion.

The project will lead to the creation of an Innovation Hub in Corato within three years: a center for research, development and high-level training that will bring new life to the former “Molini e Pastifici Basile” complex, property of Molino Casillo S.p.A. The structure – which includes a mill, a pasta factory and a 19th-century building – will be completely reclaimed and recovered. Agrifood Hub will focus on specialized, high-level training for the agri-food industry, and will become a beacon of collaboration between corporations and academia on the national and international level.

The center will allow for deep innovation in all activities regarding the production, processing, distribution, sales and consumption of grains and legumes. In addition, the Hub will offer training and research courses for high-school and university graduates, as well as for operators specialized in food production and processing. The teaching staff will include professors and researchers from three different universities (Bari Polytechnic, Bari University and Salento University).

Proud by this achievement, the President of Molino Casillo S.p.A. Francesco Casillo commented, “Our company firmly believes in the new impulse to economic growth, employment and social development that Agrifood Hub can bring to our region, and to the entire grain supply chain in general. By developing technologies that enable an Industry 4.0 approach in mills, applying high-precision farming techniques, and launching opportunities for high-level, specialized training in pasta, bread and pastry making academies, the center in Corato will become the main hub for education and technological transfer dedicated to the grain supply chain.”