Impact Puglia: final projects developed by students unveiled

The initiative “Impact Puglia” concluded with a day dedicated to presenting the projects developed by students from H-FARM College and the University of Foggia, who over the past weeks collaborated to tackle 11 real-world challenges proposed by local entrepreneurs from Puglia. A journey that allowed students to develop innovative solutions across different sectors: hospitality, agriculture, renewable energy, agri-food, food safety, biotech, industrial automation, food distribution, food, and manufacturing.

Guided by mentors and faculty, the teams developed innovative solutions within the three thematic clusters of the initiative — Marketing & Communication, Business Strategy, and Artificial Intelligence — presenting them in a 7-minute pitch, followed by 5 minutes of questions from the jury. The jury included Zeno Tosoni and Allegra Masciarelli (Startup Center), Diego Pizzocaro (CEO H-FARM AI), Cristina Di Letizia and Annalisa Mastroserio (University of Foggia), who evaluated the projects based on customer centricity, innovation, feasibility, and presentation quality.

The first prize, an international Spring Summer School on the Tremiti Islands, was awarded to the teams Sigma Smart Wind, Mercati di Città and Γenia.

–Sigma Smart Wind developed a predictive maintenance platform for photovoltaic plants.

–Mercati di Città proposed an AI Agent to optimize flyer creation and engagement initiatives targeting Gen Z.

–Γenia created an AI Agent that identifies the best genetic tests on the market to support faster and more accurate diagnoses.

The second and third prizes — a stay at an Apulia Hotel property — recognized other teams that stood out for solidity, creativity, and vision.

Impact Puglia demonstrated how the collaboration between education, businesses, and innovation can generate ideas capable of addressing real challenges while enhancing the potential of the territory. The initiative highlights the importance of building connections, opening new perspectives, and providing students with concrete opportunities to apply their skills in practice.