The Global Cold Chain Alliance (GCCA) has partnered with Manni Group, YAC with the Patronage of SACE, and Fondazione Promozione Acciaio to launch the third edition of the Manni Group Design Award. This year’s competition looks at the development of the cold chain in Africa, specifically the design of the Ghana Food Innovation Center. 

 The cold chain is one of the key nodes in the challenge to the planet's nutrition. Currently, it is estimated that over 33% of food produced worldwide is wasted. This generates huge emissions, energy losses and missed opportunities. While in Europe over 90% of the harvest is properly processed and stored in the first mile through efficient cold chain technologies, in Africa the percentage drops to only 3%.  

 This is why in the African scenario and in line with the objectives of the United Nations, Manni Group and InspiraFarms are preparing to set up the GHANA FOOD INNOVATION CENTRE, a technological and cultural hub, where it will be possible to share knowledge and technologies with the population to meet their needs, develop new strategies to make their activities more competitive, and generate thousands of high-quality jobs. 

 The third edition of the Manni Group Design Award challenges architects and engineers worldwide to create the best design for this cold hub and educational center. Their projects will be evaluated from top tier Architectural Studios such as Eduardo Souto de Moura, Giancarlo Mazzanti of El Equipo Mazzanti, Mariam Kamara of Atelier Masomi and Andreas Fries from Herzog de Meuron. 

The high value of this initiative is proved by the strong partnership between GCCA, of SACE, the Italian Export Credit Agency, that supports sustainable projects in Italy and abroad, and also of Fondazione Promozione Acciaio, a cultural institution promoting the advancement of steel building and infrastructures.  

About Global Cold Chain Alliance (GCCA)

GCCA serves more than 1,100 companies in 85 countries who serve the food, pharmaceutical and other industries by providing third party, temperature controlled supply chain services. Over 40 percent of GCCA members are outside North America. GCCA serves as the focused voice of the cold chain industry GCCA is a platform for communication, networking and education for each link of the cold chain. Each of the Core Partner associations was founded years ago IARW in 1891, IRTA in 1994, and CEBA in 1978. In 2007 these organizations came together under the united umbrella organization, the Global Cold Chain Alliance.

 About Manni Group

Manni Group provides innovative and patented systems, products and skills for the dry construction industry.  It promotes new scenarios in order to remove energy waste and polluting emissions in the existing estate stock. With new building or retrofit interventions, Manni helps the Real Estate field and design firms to reach higher standards in their projects thanks to sustainability principles and the construction process know-how. Thanks to its 75+ years’ experience, its commitment, its long-term vision and remarkable dedication, the group has dealt with several market changes. It was able to wisely adapt to new international business scenarios and embrace the Circular Economy philosophy. This entailed the processing of materials such as 100% recyclable steel to make products that contribute to meet the standards to obtain LEED and BREEAM certifications, the national CAM, the EPD publication and to be the first ones in Italy to obtain ILFI’s DECLARE label (International  Living Future Institute) for their products LEAF and Green Roof.  

About SACE

SACE is the financial insurance company specialized in supporting the growth and development of businesses and the Italian economy through a wide range of tools and solutions to improve competitiveness in Italy and worldwide. For over forty years, SACE has been the partner of reference for Italian companies exporting to and expanding in foreign markets. SACE also cooperates with the banking system, providing financial guarantees to facilitate companies’ access to credit. This role has been reinforced by the extraordinary measures introduced by the so-called Liquidity Decree and Simplification Decree. These measures have added important elements to SACE’s role, expanding its scope beyond its traditional role in exports and internationalization, to the domestic market and green projects. 

SACE has always paid particular attention to the sustainability of the projects it supports, evaluating environmental, social and economic impacts on the basis of OECD guidelines, in a logic of inclusiveness and shared value. Values that are reaffirmed in SACE’s Sustainability Report and strengthened by the introduction of the Climate Change Policy: these include measures aimed at improving the contribution of business activities supported by SACE to the reduction of climate-changing emissions. SACE serves over 26 thousand companies, especially SMEs, supporting their growth in Italy and in around 200 foreign markets, with a diversified range of insurance and financial products and services. 

About Fondazione Promozione Acciaio

Fondazione Promozione Acciaio represents the steel construction sector in Italy, from production to installation: the Foundation's intense cultural activity contributes to making knowledge and skills on steel design and construction accessible, broadens the base of professionals and investors working with steel and increases the quality of our building and infrastructure stock.