Conference Agenda

This systematic review evaluated sustainable preservation methods for transporting fresh fish between 2020-2025, with a focus on efficacy, sustainability, and feasibility in tropical climates. Following PRISMA guidelines and the PICOC strategy, thirty peer-reviewed articles from Scopus and SciELO were analyzed. Findings showed that emerging technologies—including solar-powered refrigeration, edible coatings, and modified atmosphere packaging (MAP)—outperformed conventional ice-based preservation in extending shelf life and reducing environmental impact. Solar refrigeration operated at 85.6% efficiency, chitosan-based coatings preserved freshness for up to 16 days, and MAP helped slow down spoilage. In contrast, ice-based methods were energy intensive and carbon heavy. Overall, sustainable approaches improved fish quality, safety, and cost-effectiveness while mitigating CO₂ emissions. The review concludes that adapting these technologies to tropical conditions, where cold chains are insufficient, is essential to ensure reliable fish preservation, enhancing food security, and supporting climate goals.

The interest in converting fermented beverages into powder has increased due to the need to extend shelf life, facilitate transport, and preserve bioactive compounds. This process requires maintaining physicochemical, sensory, and microbiological properties to ensure their functional and nutritional value. This systematic review evaluated the most effective technologies for producing powdered fermented beverages, using a descriptive non-experimental design based on PRISMA and PICOC, and including studies published between 2020 and 2025 in Scopus, Web of Science, and EBSCOhost. Spray drying was the most commonly used technique, standing out for its efficiency, low cost, and ease of industrial scaling, achieving preservation of more than 70% of bioactive compounds. Freeze-drying, although less frequently applied, optimally preserved probiotics, heat-sensitive compounds, and aromas, achieving 90–100% retention in beverages such as water kefir, craft beer, and fermented yogurt. Other techniques, such as vacuum or hot-air drying, showed variable effectiveness and are mainly applied in artisanal contexts. Beverages such as chicha de jora, kefir, craft beer, yogurt, and fermented guava and noni juices have been successfully powdered while maintaining sensory and functional stability. The most common maize varieties include yellow, white, morocho, and chulpi. It is concluded that spray drying and freeze-drying are key tools to innovate and valorize fermented beverages, enabling functional and stable powdered products for the food industry.

This paper analyzes decision‑making strategies in agricultural firms in the province of Córdoba (Argentina), focusing on regional differences and the extent to which generational turnover conditions the adoption of Research and Development (R&D) strategies. Based on 102 surveys conducted across six agro‑productive clusters, the study examines the sociodemographic characteristics of decision‑makers (such as age, education level, and management structure) and their relationship with innovation investment, perceived barriers, and organizational models.

The results indicate that decision‑making strategies are not homogeneous at the provincial level. Both territorial location and generational structure significantly influence how decisions are made, the openness to innovation, and the strategic role assigned to R&D. Distinct territorial poles with younger and senior management profiles are identified, along with intermediate localities that operate as organizational transition spaces. Higher educational attainment emerges as a key factor enabling more sophisticated diagnoses of innovation barriers, moving beyond explanations based solely on lack of interest.

Overall, the findings show that agricultural firms in Córdoba are undergoing a process of decisional and organizational transformation, strongly shaped by generational renewal and territorial context. These results highlight the need for innovation policies that incorporate territorial and generational perspectives, aimed at strengthening local capacities and fostering more competitive and sustainable agricultural development.

The Catia v5 software has an embedded finite element solver known as the “Elfini” package specifically targeting the users in the early stages of the design process. Since bolted connections are very common in product development, such functionality is made available in three variations. These are known as Bolt Tightening, Virtual Bolt Tightening, and Virtual Spring Bolt Tightening Connections. This paper deals with some subtle issues regarding first two of these connections. The intention is shedding light on these connections particularly due to the scattered information or better put, the lack of it, in the public domain.