Digital Innovation and Sustainability in 5.0 Catering
Location: Lecce (LE)
Academic Biennium: 2025–2027
National Figure: 9.1.4 Higher Technician for the management of guest support services
Program Overview
The highly specialized program in Digital innovation and sustainability in 5.0 Catering aims to train a professional capable of managing all activities related to the food service offer and enhancing typical local excellence, both in direct contact with the customer and through web and social platforms.
Context
With 35 Slow Food Presidia, 26 Geographical Indications for food products, and 36 for wines (DOCG and DOC), 299 Traditional Food Products, and as many as 20,207 active restaurant businesses, Puglia confirms itself as a prime destination for food and wine tourism. There is growing attention to sustainability in catering and authenticity, and a more dynamic and accessible catering model is emerging. Added to this is tourism linked to events, such as wedding venues, which serve as important promotional channels for Puglia’s food and wine heritage. The course in Digital Innovation and Sustainability in 5.0 Catering aims to train a professional capable of ensuring high service standards, enhancing the territory, and meeting the new expectations of experiential and conscious tourism.
Professional Profile
The professional profile coming out of the course in Digital Innovation and Sustainability in 5.0 Catering is a Food & Beverage Manager who oversees all activities related to the food service offer. They are capable of developing culinary proposals that enhance local excellence, also through social media and the web. AI is used to optimize the analysis of customer flows, inventory management, and the personalization of food and wine experiences through predictive systems for menu recommendation and customized nutritional suggestions. The Professional also handles commercial aspects and oversees supplier management.
What you will learn
During the course in Digital Innovation and Sustainability in 5.0 Catering, you will gain specific skills related to sustainability in catering, including:
- Use chatbots for customer service, image recognition tools, and smart platforms for menu design
- Guide business decisions toward obtaining sustainability labels and quality certifications
- Design new catering solutions and implement innovative layouts for venues and spaces
What you will study
Throughout the course in Digital Innovation and Sustainability in 5.0 Catering, you will study core topics essential for innovation and sustainability in catering, such as:
- Configuration and setup of spaces
- Economic and organizational management of food, dining room, and bar services
- Coordination of human resources
- Event planning and menu design
The course in Digital Innovation and Sustainability in 5.0 Catering opens up diverse career paths in the field of sustainability in catering, such as:
- Restaurants, wine bars and other food service formats
- Businesses operating in food service, including agritourism companies, masserie, and other accommodation types
- Corporate canteens, catering companies, banqueting and event agencies
- Communication companies and agencies promoting food and wine tourism
- Companies in the agro-food processing and food and wine sectors
The course includes a total of 1800 hours over two academic years, structured as follows:
- 1080 hours dedicated to classroom lab teaching, case studies in the lab and/or professional settings, seminars, educational visits, and project work
- 720 hours of internships in work environments
The daily schedule will be determined according to the operational program and may vary from 5 to 8 hours.
Attendance is mandatory for at least 80% of the training activities. Failure to comply will result in exclusion from the final exam, which will take place according to the guidelines of the Ministry of Education and Merit.
Upon completion of the course, and after passing final evaluations, students will be awarded a Specialization Diploma in Applied Technologies, EQF Level V (European Qualifications Framework).
The diploma is issued by the Ministry of Education and Merit along with the Europass Diploma Supplement, valid across the national territory and recognized as a qualification for public competitions.
Where applicable, and depending on the study path, students will gain the skills needed to take the following certifications:
- Certifications for sector-specific software use
- English and second foreign language certifications according to CEFR levels
- Certifications related to workplace safety
- HACCP Certification
- Advanced EIPASS, upon passing the exam (ITS acts as a certifying body)
The ITS program is also valid for ITP Competitions from 2025 and for Public Administration positions.
