Since founding Irritec in 1974, you’ve built it into an integral part of the irrigation industry. Could you share some of the pivotal moments in your journey that have shaped Irritec’s growth and success?
Irritec was born from an ambitious vision for the future of irrigation, a vision that has always been inherent in me and that grew with curiosity thanks to the trade fairs I attended with my father. From the very beginning, I wanted my company to focus on innovation and technological development, putting these skills at the service of sustainability. We specialized in systems for sustainable irrigation, both in agriculture and gardening, as well as in solutions for thermohydraulics and the mining industry. Thanks to the know-how we have accumulated over the years, starting from Sicily, a land at the center of the Mediterranean that has always been a crossroads of cultures and knowledge, we have learned the invaluable value of water and the importance of preserving it. Thus, we were able to bring drip irrigation to the world through our patents and products. When we first started promoting this innovative method among the orange groves of the Plain of Catania many years ago, few believed it would be a game-changer. Yet today, most farms in Sicily have adopted drip irrigation, and this success story has been repeated in many other corners of the world.
In 2022, we formed a partnership with Netsens, a leading company in Italy in the production of monitoring systems for agriculture, meteorology, the environment and infomobility. This agreement allowed us to accelerate the spread of smart farming by introducing advanced technologies for data collection directly from the field, thus improving resource management and agricultural efficiency.
The innovations we have introduced have not only strengthened our commitment to sustainability but have also marked our growth path as a benefit corporation, adhering to the United Nations Global Compact for a more sustainable and responsible world.
When, in 2022, I received the title of “Cavaliere del Lavoro” from the President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella, it was a moment of great emotion. It was an honor that deeply moved me, but it belongs to all those who, with passion and dedication, have contributed to making Irritec a global leader in our industry. Today, our sustainable solutions are present in over 120 countries, and we have 18 offices, both commercial and production sites, worldwide.
What advancements in irrigation technology are you most proud of, and how have they influenced sustainable agricultural practices?
Our journey has been marked by technological evolution, made possible also by the study of specific agronomic conditions in different parts of the world. Each of our products has represented a step in a path of continuous innovation. The implementation and development of these technologies have not only revolutionized the approach to irrigation but have also raised the level of awareness among farmers and companies, leading to a new way of understanding water use and resource management.
I am particularly proud of how we have managed to build a bridge between technology and agriculture, developing cutting-edge sustainable solutions that meet real needs. At Irritec, after all, technology is always at the service of the customer. Our experts, for example, are a reference point for farmers, offering them not just tools, but also the support and know-how to make the most of every innovation. At the same time, farmers provide us with valuable input that drives us to continually improve and innovate.
This approach, focused on technology and added value for the customer, has allowed us to be recognized by Frost & Sullivan as a “customer-value leader” in the microirrigation sector. It is an acknowledgment that emphasizes how innovating and putting technology at the service of people truly makes a difference.
The 2024 Industry Achievement Award recognizes your dedication to research and development. What motivates you to continuously innovate, and how do you envision the future of irrigation evolving?
I’m honored and proud to be nominated for the IA award, which represents an important recognition of my lifetime of service to irrigation. It is an honor that fills me with pride and for which I thank those who proposed me, and those who have supported me over the years in creating and building our business all around the world.
Irritec has always been committed to developing technology and innovation throughout the world for the correct use of water resources in agriculture and landscapes. And it still is.
Today, climate change and growing water scarcity are challenges that daily push us to develop increasingly advanced solutions.
From a circular economy perspective, wastewater reuse represents a crucial research area for the development of new irrigation technologies. Irritec has participated in various projects funded by public entities and in collaboration with several Italian universities, thanks to which new innovative solutions for wastewater reuse through drip irrigation systems have been created.
The introduction of digital technologies is another crucial strategy to face these challenges. As many other sectors, also agriculture benefits from data collection and analysis making work in the fields easier and more efficient. Control units and programmers for managing irrigation shifts and fertigation already provide a valid example but the development and integration of these new digital technologies for the collection of environmental and agronomic data can lead agriculture towards a sustainable and innovative evolution.
Looking ahead, what do you see as the most significant challenges and opportunities for the irrigation industry, particularly as it relates to global water conservation and food security?
In the future the most significant challenges for the irrigation industry will increasingly be linked to the growing water scarcity, to the need to adapt to climate change and to ensure food security for a constantly growing global population. In this context, lots of opportunities arise from the integration and development of new technologies related to the Internet of Things and artificial intelligence. Advanced systems such as agrometeorological stations and sensors, can help up us with the development of predictive models and agronomic intervention plans that provide quick responses to the needs of crops and soil, improving productivity and promoting solutions to the challenges we have to face, reducing water resource waste and contributing to ensuring global food security.
