4th seizmic Hackathon Re-thinks Food Systems in the Anthropocene

Hosted by the University Federico II of Naples (UNINA), the fourth edition of the seizmic Hackathon “Re-thinking Food Systems in the Anthropocene” is one of the most consolidated training initiatives by the social entrepreneurship and innovation team at Aurora universities. Part of seizmic activities, the hackathon is the culmination of a Blended Intensive Programme (BIP) organised by UNINA, in partnership with Copenhagen Business School, University of Iceland, University Rovira i Virgili and Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.

From 21 to 25 October 2024, 50 students from Aurora universities visited Naples and the surrounding rural areas, Pietraroja and Morcone (in the province of Benevento). Thanks to the collaboration with Mario Festa, architect and President of the Rural Design for the Regeneration of Territories association (Ru.De.Ri.), the students were able to visit interesting examples of the regeneration of urban green areas and social promotion such as the orchard maintained by N’sea Yet in Viviani Park and Quartiere Intelligente in Naples.

Assessing Systemic Change

Coordinated by Ramon Rispoli, Adam Arvidsson, Benedetta Toledo and Nunzia Ambrosino, the aim of the seizmic Hackathon workshop was to develop design proposals for the transformation of food production and distribution systems in the Campania region. Students from diverse disciplines like Design, Business, Social Sciences, and Environmental Sciences, fostered a transdisciplinary dialogue to address the potential of real, systemic change within the region.

Through various field trips, students learnt more about local agriculture and tasted local food products. Chefs Peppe Zullo and Annamaria Mastrantuono delighted all participants with their exquisite regional cuisine. These field experiences enabled students to question the new role that particularly fragile rural areas – such as those in the Campania hinterland – could play in reorienting the food chain towards ecological compatibility and social justice.

seizmic Hackathon: A Comprehensive Programme

As a BIP funded by the Erasmus+ programme, the seizmic Hackathon workshop was divided into virtual and in-person components. Both components consisted of lectures which covered the following topics:

• Anthropocene by Adam Arvidsson, full professor of Sociology, UNINA.
• Re‐thinking the City Through Food, and Design for Social Innovation by Ramon Rispoli, associate professor of Design, UNINA.
• Consumer Input in Designing Sustainable Food Supply Chains by Laurence Beierlein, visiting professor from Université Paris-Est Créteil (UPEC).
• Social Innovation and Food Waste by Nunzia Ambrosino and Benedetta Toledo, PhD students, UNINA.
• How to Integrate a Community In a Social Innovation Project by Marco Cecere, architect and designer, Avventura di Latta.
• Introduction to Naples Markets by Adam Arvidsson, and Eugenia Santoro, researcher, UNINA.
• Glocalizing Food: The Informal Kitchens of Piazza Garibaldi by Dario Minervini, Cristina Trey and Najoua El Kasmi.

After a week of lectures, field trips and intense group work, the students presented their systemic design proposals for rethinking food systems in the Campania Region before the Final Jury composed of Laurence Beierlein, Dario Catania and Luca Esposito. These projects will be part of the seizmic Awards 2024, a competition organised by Copenhagen Business School to promote creative and innovative social entrepreneurs.

To learn more about the seizmic Hackathon course content and discover its activities in detail, as well as staying up-to-date on the next editions, follow the seizmic Hackathon instagram page @hackathon_aurora_dbe.