Casalasco inaugurates the Innovation Center

Casalasco, a leading agri-food group in the integrated tomato supply chain and a benchmark for the Italian food industry, today inaugurated in Fontanellato (Parma) its new Innovation Center, a hub of excellence dedicated to research, development, and sustainable innovation in the Made in Italy agri-food sector.

The opening marks a strategic milestone in the Group's growth path, which, through the new center, aims to strengthen the competitiveness of the Italian supply chain in international markets and promote a development model based on innovation, sustainability, and enhancement of the local area.

A project shared with institutions and the local community
At the inauguration, which was attended by the Minister of Enterprises and Made in Italy Adolfo Urso—highlighting the strategic value of the project for the innovation and growth of the national agri-food supply chain—also present were Costantino Vaia, CEO of Casalasco, Maurizio Tamagnini, CEO of FSI, and Ferruccio Resta, President of the Tech Europe Foundation. Thanks to the Innovation Center, Casalasco strengthens its role as a key player in modernizing the agri-food sector, reaffirming its commitment to generating value throughout the supply chain and promoting the quality and sustainability of Made in Italy worldwide.

Adolfo Urso, Minister of Enterprises and Made in Italy, commented: “The inauguration of this Innovation Center represents a fundamental step. It's not just a physical place: it's proof that when a region believes in collaboration between businesses, research, and institutions, models emerge that can be replicated elsewhere. We must multiply cases like this, because they are themselves a strategic asset for the country's growth.”

“For us, the Innovation Center is not an arrival point, but a new beginning” - explains Marco Sartori, President of Casalasco SpA and the Casalasco Tomato Consortium -. “It was created to welcome ideas, experiments, and collaborations, giving rise to sustainable and innovative solutions that further strengthen the competitiveness of our integrated supply chain. It is a legacy for new generations and a gift we also want to give to our territory, where we have deep roots, but which looks far ahead.”

An ecosystem where research and tradition meet
The new Fontanellato hub aims to develop new products, improve processes, reduce environmental impact, and promote the well-being of Casalasco's people: “We wanted to create a physical and cultural space where tradition integrates with research, where the knowledge of our people dialogues with the scientific and technological expertise of our partners” - comments Costantino Vaia, CEO of Casalasco S.p.A. - “The Innovation Center is not just a laboratory, but a strategic engine for the entire Group: an investment that translates our vision of sustainable and responsible growth, capable of anticipating the needs of tomorrow's consumers and strengthening the role of Made in Italy in the world.”

“FSI has invested in Casalasco, in partnership with the farmer shareholders and the Cooperative, to create an Italian agri-food leader in the world” - stated Maurizio Tamagnini, CEO of FSI -. At the heart of this shared project, which aims to double in size in the coming years, is the technological research into increasingly high-quality Italian products that can command a premium abroad, while continuing to support the development of a sustainable "tricolor" supply chain for tomatoes and basil. I hope this facility can stimulate a new generation of agritech producers, children of our farmer members, to realize their entrepreneurial projects through many Casalasco-like ventures, including those formed through aggregations, that are close to their local communities, dimensionally significant, and present in all global markets."

Sustainable architecture and design
Designed by the Gazza Massera Architetti studio in Parma, the new building interprets the architectural elements of Po Valley farmhouses in a contemporary key, combining traditional materials with modern technologies in a balance between memory and innovation. The energy efficiency improvements and the re-naturalization of the outdoor areas attest to a cultural approach of responsibility towards future generations.
With a usable area of approximately 1000 square meters, the Innovation Center is a workplace designed to foster collaboration and dialogue. It houses: a laboratory and an experimental kitchen, the beating heart of the facility, where new recipes are developed and product solutions are tested, which are then presented to visitors in the impressive tasting room; a modern multifunctional auditorium intended for meetings, events, and training activities; finally, offices and common areas, designed to promote people's well-being and creativity.

"The Innovation Center is not just a functional building, in line with the criteria of reuse, desealing, and Near Zero Energy Building - explains architect Daniela Gazza - but a generative architecture, where spatial configurations facilitate both experimentation and the building of a shared corporate culture."

A key element of identity is the Sensory Archive, whose installations were curated by Studio Vesperini Della Noce Designers and by Moma Comunicazione: an immersive environment designed to convey, through visual, auditory, and olfactory stimuli, the history and values that guide Casalasco, creating an emotional and engaging experience. Art becomes an integral part of the structure thanks to the mural-manifesto created by the artist Marianna Tomaselli who, with a contemporary language, tells the story and corporate culture of the Group. The artwork spans two floors and welcomes visitors into a surprising and inspiring environment. It is much more than a decorative element: it represents a poetic and visual synthesis of Casalasco's values, which is also "animated" through a multimedia experience.

The redevelopment of the outdoor areas places the building within a park conceived as a contemporary hortus conclusus that alludes to the Po Valley countryside: gardens with native food plants, a greenhouse for exhibitions and events, and lounge areas designed to foster relationships and well-being. In this context, greenery becomes not only a landscape element but also a concrete metaphor for the sustainability strategy that guides the company's philosophy.

Future developments: the agri-voltaic park
The new Fontanellato hub is not an endpoint, but the beginning of a new phase of conscious growth. Next to the structure, a agri-voltaic park, developed in collaboration with the Faculty of Agriculture of the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart of Piacenza, which will combine tomato cultivation with energy production from renewable sources. The energy produced by this plant will power the Innovation Center, completing a virtuous cycle of environmental sustainability and technological innovation.