Olive Sound: A Sustainable Radical Innovation

Abstract

Olive Sound is the acronym of a Horizon 2020 European Project aimed at the development of a high-flow oil extraction plant, the Sono-Heat-Exchanger, which combines ultrasound and heat exchange in order to break, through a radical innovation model in the oil mill, the historical paradigm that sees as inversely correlated the oil yield and the content of bio-phenols. These compounds are biologically active molecules that transform the product, extra virgin olive oil, from a mere condiment into a functional food. The primary objective of the project, financially supported by the European Union through the “Fast Track to Innovation” program, is the development of a product “ready for the market” (TRL 9) capable of making the involved companies more competitive while increasing the competitiveness of European extra virgin olive oil in the international context.