In 2014, LACTIMED launched an innovative project competition to reinvigorate the Medi- terranean dairy sector and to illustrate that innovation and entrepreneurship can go perfec- tly hand-in-hand with traditional expertise and local resources. This initiative, which focuses on a strategic sector that embraces clear-cut socio-economic, cultural and touristic challenges, was introduced in the Beqaa and Baalbeck-Hermel (Lebanon), Thessaly (Greece), Sicily (Italy), El-Beheira (Egypt) and Bizerte and Béja (Tunisia) regions. 50 projects saw the light of day; 38 applicants were preselected and benefitted from a two-month coaching phase to develop their business plans and to pre- sent their project to an international jury during a pitching session. The aim of this competi- tion, which was open to micro, small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs), professional associations, federations and research centres, was to promote innovation and create value for typical Mediterranean dairy products, to develop producers and entrepreneurs’ potential through effective coaching, and to encourage exchanges between producers, support bodies and national financial players. At the end of this phase, ten of the preselec- ted applicants were awarded a trophy and €10,000 financial support to launch their innova- tive projects. Agritourism, technical, scientific and ecological innovations, the SMEs from the pilot regions proved their enthusiasm and their pioneering spirit! LACTIMED aims to foster the production and distribution of typical and innovative dairy products in the Mediterranean by organising local value chains, supporting producers in their development projects and creating new markets for their products. The project is implemented under the ENPI CBC MED Programme, and is financed, for an amount of EUR 4.35 million (90%), by the European Union through the European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument. From November 2012 to May 2015, ANIMA and its 11 partners will organise a hundred operations targeting the various stakeholders of the dairy chains of Alexandria and Beheira (Egypt), the Bekaa and Baalbeck-Hermel (Lebanon), Bizerte and Béja (Tunisia), Sicily (Italy) and Thessaly (Greece). Eman Hassan has developed her project A twenty-eight year old female entrepreneur, pioneering several projects, Eman through her start-up specialised in Hassan is also the co-founder and Financial Director of CUBII. A graduate of manufacturing production lines for small the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Mansoura, she also took part in and medium-sized businesses (SMEs). the Goldman Sachs’ “10,000 Women – Entrepreneurship and Leadership” programme. Eman Hassan’s previous professional experience ranges from CUBII operates against a background mechanical and industrial engineering to sales-focused engineering for a North where it is difficult for Egyptian SMEs to American company. benefit from highly-efficient machines. It wishes to develop cutting-edge machines, designed for packaging dairy products and industrial food at a reasonable cost. This project will enable businesses to produce high-quality food, where foodstuffs are totally safe from contamination. Innovative and highly-promising, the project guarantees it will enhance the quality of the goods offered for sale by businesses that use CUBII machines. The LACTIMED award supports the development and commercialisation phase for the workshop. Eman Hassan Address: Ahmed Maher St, Mansoura City, Dakhlia, Egypt “I would like to thank LACTIMED for supporting our project: we are going to Telephone: 002-010-90721903 / 002-010-99821328 42402 be able to improve our production and bring greater satisfaction to our Email: [email protected] Site internet : www.cubii.biz customers and, indirectly, to consumers”. Eman Hassan Sector: Specialised equipment The idea for this project stems from a twofold Entsar Nour El Deen wishes to develop the bond between the world of research desire: to innovate, by designing and creating tools and the business world. To do so, this Doctorate graduate has been conducting for producing healthy food and, at the same time, to research in the fields of food engineering and packaging engineering at the help perpetuate tradition. Entsar Nour El Deen Institute for Technological Research on Food, created in 1991. Entsar Nour El intends to develop tools for manufacturing the Deen is currently working on the design and development of state-of-the-art traditional Karish cheese using contemporary tools that will totally eliminate risks of contamination and will produce healthy materials. food. The aim is, as such, to reduce risks of contamination by microbes and by insect larvae. This groundbreaking project would optimise production and would guarantee better-quality cheese, a lower risk of contamination and, consequently, a decrease in product losses. Above all, it would promote and preserve the traditional Karish recipe. A market for small-scale farmers and for dairies clearly exists. The LACTIMED award supports the research and development costs for this project. Highly-promising and innovative, it addresses an industry and consumer need, by upholding traditional production activities and, at the same time, providing up-to-the-minute improvements. Entsar Nour El Deen Address: 9 University Street Giza, Egypt “Winning this award really boosts my project! My goal is to distribute these Telephone: 51111435138 / 01117430738 tools throughout as many Egyptian governorates as possible”. Email: [email protected] Entsar Nour El Deen Sector: Research and Development Through his project, Xristos Laitsos invites us to discover his origins and the When innovation embraces tradition, original, high-quality products frequently flavours associated with them. By combining local and traditional products, he see the light of day. Xristos Laitsos succeeded in standing out from the crowd has created a highly-original, imaginative butter, which he proposes in various with his production of flavoured goat milk butter. Born into a family where the versions: classical goat milk butter or flavoured with garlic, herbs or even tradition of cheese-making had been passed down from generation to truffles. Xristos Laitsos intends to produce this butter in two formats. A 125 generation, this Greek award-winner capitalises on his exceptional know-how gram one and a 250 gram one. The visual aspect of the product plays a key whilst questing for original ideas and modernity. Pursuing his ambition to make role... it is the initiatory step on a journey to explore Xristos Laitsos’ place of his production an example for the dairy industry, it is here in this peaceful birth. The packaging, designed in the colours of Thessaly, will be informative Thessalian village that FLEGGA cheeses, which benefit from the protected explaining the qualities of goat milk butter. designation of origin label (PDO), are manufactured. A wide range of products, representing the country, is proposed. FLEGGA, which was, until recently, The LACTIMED award offers Xristos Laitsos the opportunity to procure and mainly sold through shops in Volos, Velestinos and elsewhere in Greece, is set up the equipment required for manufacturing this product. Although only now opening up and expanding by making its products available to other marginally present on the Greek market, his goat milk butter will be distributed European countries. on the national market and abroad. By commercialising it at a reasonable price, he intends to make it available to large numbers of people. Xristos Laitsos “ This is a great opportunity for our enterprise to develop these activities. Nikolaos Laitsos & Co. E.E. – “FLEGGA” The LACTIMED project provided considerable support and will be the starting Address: 1st km Velestino-Volos, Volos, 37500, Greece, Téléphone : (+30) 24 25 point for a high-quality and innovative production. ’’ 02 27 88 Email: [email protected] Site Internet: www.feta-flegga.gr Xristos Laitsos Sector: Dairy processing This project seeks to reinterpret tradition. Anastasios Antwniou proposes to Passionate about agriculture since childhood, Anastasios Antwniou has make Feta, the internationally-renowned PDO Greek cheese, in a different traditional know-how. Born into a family, who have been breeders and milk way. Until today, Feta was known and sold in pieces weighing several producers for many generations, he was introduced to agricultural practices at hundred grams, but Anastasios Antwniou wishes to cut it into small, uniform an early age. At the age of 18, following 2 years of studies, he decided cubes, pack it in a highly-original way and enhance it with flavours by instinctively to take over the family business. At the helm of numerous projects, combining various typical ingredients. Preserved in local virgin olive oil and he keeps the momentum for innovation and modernity constantly going in his accompanied by aromatic herbs from Mount Olympus, the Thessalian PDO own production. He brings about changes to the business which is becoming an Feta, manufactured by the cooperative, will be sold prepared and ready to organic production entity. He is also the Chairman of the Voskos Cooperative, garnish salads. These three locally-sourced ingredients ensure a which was established in 2010 and groups together around fifteen breeders: premium-quality product presented as a condensed Thessalian gourmet this initiative was born out of exchanges made with other producers at the Paris product. Agricultural Fair. The LACTIMED award will offer Anastasios