The award for ideas that revolutionise the industry
Lorenzo Cagnoni Award: recognition for excellence in the Out of Home sector
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INNOVATION THAT MAKES A DIFFERENCE IN OUT OF HOME
The Lorenzo Cagnoni Award 2026, created in partnership with ANGI – National Association of Young Innovators and ITA – Italian Trade Agency, returns to Beer&Food Attraction to celebrate the most innovative ideas in the Out of Home sector.
The initiative is open to both start-ups – which represent a driving force of innovation thanks to their pioneering vision and disruptive approach – and to all exhibiting companies committed to developing cutting-edge products and services that contribute to the advancement of the Food & Beverage sector.
All submitted projects will be evaluated by a specially appointed Evaluation Committee.
The six most innovative projects will be awarded, one for each category:
- Beer
- Spirits
- Soft drinks, Low & No
- Food
- Technology
- Service and Digital Innovation
WHO CAN PARTICIPATE
The Lorenzo Cagnoni Award is open exclusively to companies exhibiting at Beer&Food Attraction 2026 with projects developed to improve the quality and sustainability of products and services in the foodservice sector.
More details will be available soon.
The Jury
Annamaria Pastore
Carlo Corazza
Alessandro Coppola
Domenico Nuzzo
Pasquale Pignalosa
Alessandro Pastore
Annamaria Pastore
Head, Private Sector Partnerships, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Annamaria Pastore is Head of Private Sector Partnerships at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
She holds a degree in Diplomacy from the Faculty of International and Diplomatic Sciences in Trieste, a Master’s degree in International Relations from the Sorbonne in Paris, and has completed several management courses at the London School of Economics. She also earned a Master’s degree in Peacekeeping from the Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies in Pisa. She has taught human rights at Northwestern University and was a Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School, where she focused on the relationship between complex emergencies and human rights.
Carlo Corazza

Head of the European Parliament Liaison Offices in Italy
Carlo Corazza joined the European Commission in 1983, where he held several senior positions within the Directorate-General for Financial Control, responsible for auditing EU Structural Funds. In 1995, he was appointed to the Cabinet of European Commissioner Emma Bonino. He also collaborates with the Master’s Programme in European Integration at the University of Padua.
Alessandro Coppola
Director of Innovation and Development, ENEA (MSc Eng.)
Alessandro Coppola is a mechanical engineer with extensive experience in turbomachinery for the energy sector and an executive with a strong passion for science, technology, and innovation.
He currently heads the ENEA/TTEC Directorate for Technology Transfer and Innovation, with the mission of enhancing ENEA’s role by leveraging its assets and expertise and fostering collaborations with institutional partners and companies. He previously held senior executive roles at leading multinational companies in new technologies and innovation, including General Electric, First Solar, and Hilti Corporation.
His expertise includes programme and project management, best practices in technology transfer with companies and institutions, research and innovation funding, institutional affairs and international development cooperation, valorisation of intangible assets and intellectual property, and partnerships with industry associations.
Domenico Nuzzo

Researcher at the National Research Council of Italy (CNR)
Domenico Nuzzo is a biologist and researcher at the National Research Council of Italy (CNR).
His scientific career has developed primarily within the CNR, where he has been involved in numerous research projects, often holding positions of responsibility. He is currently Head of the “Bio-Based Innovation for Neuroscience” Laboratory at IRIB-CNR, where he coordinates studies on natural biomolecules and their potential role in combating neurodegenerative diseases and brain ageing.
Pasquale Pignalosa
Institutional Relations and Communication, Invitalia
Pasquale Pignalosa is an expert in public incentives and subsidised finance, as well as a promoter and Senior Business Analyst at Invitalia – National Agency for Investment Attraction and Business Development S.p.A.
Alessandro Pastore

Executive Director of Business Development, Cambridge, Bologna Business School
Alessandro Pastore co-founded Camfridge Ltd in 2005, a spin-off of the University of Cambridge (UK), where he serves as Executive Director of Business Development and is a member of the Board of Directors. At Cambridge, he won the European Venture Contest in 2012 and raised approximately £15 million in funding.
Before becoming an entrepreneur, he worked for major multinational companies including Siemens Com, CIR Group, and Telecom Italia, holding senior management positions and living in Italy, Argentina, France, Brazil, Germany, and the United Kingdom.
He has contributed to the creation of numerous innovative start-ups, with two successful exits: Talaia Networks (a spin-off of the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, acquired by Auvik Networks Inc. in 2018) and Talaia Solutions Srl (acquired in 2021 by Eurisko Formazione Srl).
At Bologna Business School (BBS), he co-founded in 2011 the Sustainability and Innovation track of the Global MBA, where he currently serves as Industry Leader. Since the 2020/21 academic year, he has also been Academic Co-Coordinator of the English-language online Executive Master in Sustainability Transition Management.
In 2015, he contributed to the design and launch of Italy’s first university-based entrepreneurship accelerator, UNIBO LaunchPAD, now known as ReActor. Since the 2019/20 academic year, he has been an Adjunct Professor of Mineral Resource Economics and Management at the University of Bologna.
Alessandro Pastore holds an MBA from the Collège des Ingénieurs in Paris, as well as a PhD and a Master’s degree in Electronic Engineering from the Polytechnic University of Turin. In his spare time, he enjoys cycling across Europe.