The Francisco de Vitoria University will host the Alliance’s intensive in-person module, a week-long program designed to transform previously acquired knowledge into practical skills through a real-world challenge in the wine industry.
Over the course of five days, the students will work in multidisciplinary teams to develop a proposal based on real data provided by the Virgen de la Viña winery, related to the composition of byproducts, production processes, and opportunities for their recovery and reuse. The challenge was designed by the faculty to present participants with a real-world case study from the industry.
The " programme " combines collaborative work, seminars, introductory lab sessions, tutorials, and project development. Given the multidisciplinary background of the participants, the lab sessions are designed at an introductory level and prioritize conceptual understanding, interpretation of results, and safety over advanced technical execution.
Week 2 — On-site Module
Goal for the week: To turn theoretical knowledge into practical skills. The intensive in-person session takes place over three days—Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday—generally from 9:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., preceded by a welcome session on Monday and concluding on Friday with project presentations.
Location: Francisco de Vitoria University (UFV).
Origin of the Challenge
The challenge that the groups will tackle will be presented by the faculty based on real data provided by the Virgen de la Viña winery: the composition of byproducts, processes, and recovery needs. In this way, the teams will work on a real-world industrial case study without having to travel.
Laboratory Focus
The lab sessions are designed at a basic, introductory level, given that the group is multidisciplinary and includes students with no prior lab experience—from engineering, law, and other disciplines. The instructors will guide students through each step. Emphasis will be placed on observation, simple interpretation of results, safety, and understanding of concepts rather than on advanced technical skills.
Day 1 — Monday: Welcome Day
Organized by: Alianza. Format: In-person at UFV.
- 9:00–9:30 a.m.: Registration and institutional welcome. Introduction of the faculty.
- 9:30–10:15: Introduction to the in-person course: objectives, competencies, methodology, and assessment criteria.
- 10:15–11:00: Review of the week's key concepts from the online session and a Q&A session before the lab.
- 11:00–11:15: Break.
- 60-minute session, to be held at the programme at 1:00 p.m.: Introduction to the in-person course and presentation of the challenge by the instructors, based on data from the winery. Assignment of the challenge to each team.
- 12:15–1:30 p.m.: Team-building exercise: group bonding, assignment of roles, weekly planning, and initial hypotheses for solutions.
Total duration: Approximately 4 hours and 30 minutes. Overview and launch of the challenge. The laboratory safety seminar will take place online during the previous week and is mandatory.
Day 2 — Tuesday: Analytical Techniques and Lab I
- 9:30 a.m.: Departure by bus for the Las Moradas de San Martín winery.
- 10:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m.: Tour of the winery. In-person event.
- 1:30 p.m.: Return to UFV.
Total duration: Approximately 4 hours and 30 minutes. An introductory, guided lab session with no prerequisites.
Day 3 — Wednesday: Analysis of Results and Lab II
- 9:30–10:15: Seminar on analytical techniques for studying bioactive compounds: basic principles of extraction, spectrophotometry, and basic chromatography. Review of the laboratory protocol. In-person at UFV.
- 10:15–11:15: Guest speaker: Extraction of polyphenols from grape pomace. Lab session.
- 11:30–12:00: Break.
- 12:00–1:30 p.m.: Lab Session I, beginner level: simple extraction of polyphenols from grapes or grape pomace and qualitative observation of color and antioxidants. All steps will be guided by the instructors. In-person at UFV.
Total duration: Approximately 4 hours and 30 minutes. Demonstration lab and guided tour, open to students from any discipline.
Day 4 — Thursday: From the Lab to Production and Applications
- 9:00–10:00: Intensive group work to develop the challenge and prepare the presentation. Tutoring sessions with faculty. In-person at UFV.
- 10:00–11:30: Lab Session II, beginner level: simple measurement of total phenols or antioxidant capacity using a demonstration kit. Step-by-step guided procedure. In-person at UFV.
- 11:30–12:00: Break.
- 12:00–13:00: Seminar on Applications in Nutrition and Cosmetics: Functional Foods, Nutraceuticals, and Market Case Studies.
- 1:00–2:00 p.m.: Work on the challenge.
Total duration: Approximately 4 hours 30 minutes. Application seminars—nutrition, cosmetics, and medicine—as well as the design and development of the solution.
Day 5 — Friday: Project Presentations
- 9:00–9:30 a.m.: Final preparations and last-minute adjustments to the presentations. In-person at UFV.
- 9:30–11:30: Group project presentations, approximately 15 minutes each, followed by questions from faculty and the interested stakeholder.
- 11:30–11:45: Break.
- 11:45–12:30: Continuation of the group presentations and a question-and-answer session.
- 12:30–1:15 p.m.: Course wrap-up, satisfaction survey, and presentation of certificates of attendance.
Total duration: Approximately 4 hours. Final evaluation based on each group's presentation of its proposal.
