Italia-Croatia

Introduction

In this section you can find all the deliverables produced by TESTEAT project.

D.2.3.2 - Cross-border exchange camp

Cross-border exchange camps were organised in each country (Croatia and Italy) in Venice, Trieste and Pula. Designed to bridge cultural heritage, modern education, and digital innovation, two of these camps were dedicated to university students, while one focused on vocational education and training (VET) schools. These interactive sessions provided future hospitality, agri-food, and tourism professionals with unique insights into sustainable practices, local culinary heritage preservation, and circular economy principles.

Discover the detailed highlights of these three extraordinary exchange programmes below:

• TRIESTE: Organized by: Scuola Centrale Formazione (SCF) & CIVIFORM Date: September 29 – October 3, 2025

• PULA: Organized by: Juraj Dobrila University of Pula – Faculty of Economics and Tourism “Dr. Mijo Mirković” Date: May 26 – 30, 2025

• VENICE: Organized by: Venice School of Management, Ca' Foscari University of Venice 

D.1.5.6 Scientific journals publications

This document is an academic paper written by Francesca Checchinato, Vladi Finotto, and Christine Mauracher from the Venice School of Management (Ca' Foscari University of Venice, Italy) alongside Anica Dobran Černjul from the Faculty of Economics and Tourism "Dr. Mijo Mirković" (Pula University, Croatia). The paper was prepared for the Sinergie-SIMA 2025 Management Conference held at the University of Pavia, Italy, on May 28th and 29th, 2026. 

Document Download: D.1.5.6 Scientific journals publications

O.3.1 Integrated Tourism Action developed

This document serves as the final consolidation and operational framework for Work Package 3 
Its primary purpose is to transition from the experimental, event-based "pilot actions" previously conducted across various Italian and Croatian territories into a structured, transferable, and standardized model for sustainable enogastronomy tourism. The document establishes minimum quality standards and provides a practical toolkit to allow other regions to replicate the model beyond the project's lifetime.

Document Download: O.3.1 Integrated Tourism Action developed

O.2.1 Joint training and vocational activities for upskilling and reskiling tourism workforce in each area

The report outlines cross-border experiential learning initiatives designed to strengthen the competencies of future tourism professionals—primarily students from higher education and vocational institutions.

The core of the document describes three distinct exchange camps held in 2025, involving a total of 121 participants, which exceeded initial project targets.

• Pula, Croatia (May 26–30, 2025): Focused on sustainable tourism and regional identity. Activities included academic lectures at the Juraj Dobrila University of Pula, field visits to rural development sites (AZRRI), and team-building at historical attractions like the Morosini-Grimani Castle.
• Venice, Italy (November 24–27, 2025): Emphasized the promotion of local gastronomic heritage. Students from the Ca' Foscari University of Venice and Pula worked in international teams on strategic proposals, such as comparing and marketing traditional Venetian frittella and Croatian fritula.
• Trieste, Italy (September 30–October 2, 2025): Targeted vocational students in the restaurant sector. The central feature was a zero-waste culinary challenge, where multinational teams designed sustainable menus based on circular economy principles.

The document highlights several positive outcomes from these exchanges:

• Skill Development: Enhancement of practical skills in sustainable gastronomy, circular economy, and digital marketing.
• Intercultural Competence: Promotion of cross-border dialogue and collaboration among future tourism professionals.
• Theory-to-Practice: Successful integration of academic research with hands-on applications, such as professional kitchen work and field visits to food markets like Rialto

O.2.1 Document Download

D.2.1.4. Creation of video interviews with students (by AZZRI, Croatia)

Interviews conducted by AZRRI (Agency for Rural Development of Istria) with students at the Eugen Kumičić VET School in Rovinj, Croatia.

D.2.2.4. Creation of video interviews with tourism workforce (by City of Ston, Croatia)

Conversations and interviews with tourism workforces following workshops by City of Ston, Croatia.

D.2.2.4. Creation of video interviews with tourism workforce (by University of Venice, Ca’ Foscari - Italy)

Conversations and interviews with tourism workforces following workshops by Ca' Foscari University of Venice, Italy.

D.2.1.4. Creation of video interviews with students (by SCF’s member Lepido Rocco in Caorle - Italy)

Valentina Bellacima, lead teacher at the Lepido Rocco School in Caorle (Italy), speaks with her students about their experience following the TESTEAT project workshops.

D.2.2.4. Creation of video interviews with tourism workforce (by University of Pula, Croatia)

Conversations and interviews with tourism workforces following workshops by the Faculty of Economics and Tourism 'Dr. Mijo Mirković' at the University of Pula, Croatia.
 

D.2.1.4. Creation of video interviews with students (by CIVIFORM, Italy)

In these interviews, CIVIFORM students (Cividale del Friuli, Italy) share what they learned through the Testeat project—specifically, how to use their smartphones to take professional-quality photos that truly enhance the presentation of a dish.

D.2.1.4. Creation of video interviews with students (by DURA, Croatia)

On the occasion of the Dubrovnik Food and Wine Days (17–19 October 2025), to celebrate the event and explore the educational impact of the initiative, a series of video interviews (Deliverables 2.1.4.) were conducted by Ana Matušić, offering an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at Croatian food and wine. The interviews bring together the voices of the protagonists who made this edition special, highlighting the link between haute cuisine and professional training.

D.2.1.2 Virtual/hybrid course for the teachers’ trainers

Deliverables 2.1.2 

3 training modules for teachers (10) organised in Italy and online participation of other responsible PPs. Module 1. Sustainability, Circular Economy & Zero Waste; Module 2. Adapting Restaurant Offerings to Consumer Needs; Module 3. Digitalization in the Food Sector

D.1.5.4 Illustration framework of innovative enogastronomy offer

Creation of a single graphic concept that will then be adapted into two main formats to ensure a consistent visual image across all project partners: Unique Design: a single graphic proposal (‘framework’) will be developed; Multiple Formats: this design will be specifically adapted for: digital format for online use; poster format for printing; roll-up format.

Document Download: D.1.5.4 Illustration framework of innovative enogastronomy