30 September 2025 - Corporate
At Villa Filippo Berio, 15 Years of Research Are Celebrated with the Presentation of Results from 3 Major Projects
30 September 2025 - Corporate
At Villa Filippo Berio, 15 Years of Research Are Celebrated with the Presentation of Results from 3 Major Projects
An event hosted by the Salov Group at Villa Filippo Berio, dedicated to the partners involved in the most significant research projects of recent years. The results of the V.A.L.E., LONG LIFE OIL, and Enzymatic Splitting projects were presented: important outcomes for the production of nutraceutical oil from circular economy processes, extended shelf-life, and sustainable processing methods.
Massarosa, 30 September 2025 – A celebratory event was held yesterday at Villa Filippo Berio, the agricultural estate owned by the Salov Group in the countryside of Vecchiano (PI), marking more than 15 years of research conducted in collaboration with academic, scientific, and technological partners that have led to the development of significant projects.
The initiative offered the opportunity to present research results, explore future possibilities, and thank those who contributed to these achievements.
Among the attendees were representatives from DISAAA-a (Department of Agricultural, Food and Agro-Environmental Sciences) of the University of Pisa, Scuola Normale Superiore, Polo Tecnologico della Magona, Enertech, Bioclass, and Sintecnica Engineering.
The Projects and the Partners
The morning featured presentations of the results from the following research projects:
V.A.L.E. Project
(Regional Operational Programme ERDF 2014–2020)
Partners involved: University of Pisa, Polo Tecnologico della Magona, University of Siena.
This study focused entirely on circularity and the development of a new nutraceutical product with health benefits.
The product’s effectiveness was verified and validated by DISAAA-a of Pisa throughout its entire shelf-life, demonstrating that it remained stable also from a physical standpoint.
The success of the V.A.L.E. project has been such that it is now ready for presentation and subsequent evaluation for commercial and industrial scale-up.
LONG LIFE OIL Project
Partners involved: DISAAA-a of the University of Pisa, Lab Nest of the Scuola Normale Superiore of Pisa, La Magona Technological Hub, Bioclass, Sintecnica Engineering, Enertech.
The LONG LIFE OIL project aimed to identify innovative technologies for maintaining the analytical and organoleptic characteristics of olive oil over time, with the goal of optimizing the product’s shelf-life and stabilizing its properties.
The study identified improved and economically sustainable solutions for preserving product quality over time, which could potentially increase the declared shelf-life. This included the development of innovative, cost-effective packaging, as well as new storage and bottling techniques.
Furthermore, solutions were found to trace and monitor supply chain KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) related to the qualitative degradation of the product along its journey outside the company.
This aspect is of great interest, not only for identifying critical control points and corrective actions but also as a tool to support overall supply-chain monitoring.
Enzymatic Splitting Project
The Enzymatic Splitting project is the third internal initiative developed since 2018; its preliminary phase began as part of the Long Life Oil research and was later completed in-house.
The splitting (separation) process is crucial in refining: it allows the avoidance of processing waste and leads to obtaining a higher-quality commercial by-product.
Traditionally, the refining process, used in oil plants worldwide, requires a chemical reagent.
With this new project, Salov has almost entirely replaced the chemical reagent with a blend of natural enzymes.
The results demonstrated the feasibility of the method and offer multiple advantages:
- a significant improvement in the quality of the by-product,
- a drastic reduction in pollutants in wastewater,
- and, importantly, greater overall process safety.
The project is now ready for industrial scale-up.
“We are very proud to have with us today the academic, scientific, and technological partners who have supported us over the years in our research activities,” said Gianmarco Laviola, CEO of Salov.
“Our company has always been committed to research, and in light of the results achieved—and those we will be able to achieve—we are more convinced than ever of the importance of this work, the strength of the network, and the value of sharing specialized expertise for the development of high-quality agri-food production.”
Villa Filippo Berio: where “olive oil is at the center” of everything
The chosen venue, Villa Filippo Berio, carries strong symbolic significance.
The Salov agricultural estate is designed and equipped to be the true “heart” of all agronomic and scientific research activities carried out by the Group.
Located in the plain between Lucca and Pisa, near the Migliarino, San Rossore and Massaciuccoli Natural Park, the olive grove at Villa Filippo Berio is a fully functional open-air laboratory.
Here, in collaboration with various Italian and international academic institutions, innovative projects are carried out on new precision agriculture techniques, sustainable agriculture, and biodiversity enhancement.
