Porto – An all-female research team from southern Italy has received international recognition at the EIT Food Innovator Fellowship Program in Porto for its pioneering work on sustainability in the olive oil sector.
The team, called Fenòlea, presented its project “Transforming Olive Oil By-products into Sustainable Solutions”, which focuses on reusing waste from olive oil production to create high-value, environmentally friendly products. The international jury praised the project for its strong innovative approach, clear environmental impact and multidisciplinary perspective.
Fenòlea is made up of five young researchers from the University of Palermo and one from the University of Córdoba, bringing together expertise in biotechnology, food science, cosmetics, agriculture and engineering. The group includes Camilla Carbone, Monica Di Maria, Francesca Mazza, Giulia Santaluna, Silvia La Scala and Ítala Marx.
The project began earlier this year during EmpowerHer 2025, an entrepreneurship training program designed to encourage female-led innovation in academic research. The initiative, organized by the University of Palermo, offered intensive workshops focused on technology transfer, startup development and research valorization.
With growing attention on circular economy models in agriculture, Fenòlea’s work represents a promising step toward a more sustainable and competitive olive oil industry, capable of turning waste into opportunity.