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Today, Patricia VILLAVICENCIO, in charge of Development Americas-Pacific and Animation of the Wine Sector and the Packaging Group of ADEPTA, answers our questions.

At what point in its development did ITK join ADEPTA? What changes have you observed?

CIRAD, already a member of ADEPTA, introduced us to the start-up, ITK, which had just been created in 2003 by Eric Jallas, a researcher from the Centre. ITK joined ADEPTA to expand internationally, particularly in the United States. ADEPTA put its network at the disposal of ITK, which invested in this market and has since developed by creating a subsidiary with a local team. A few years later, ITK penetrated this market and gradually consolidated its offer across the Atlantic. Another region where ITK is also developing is Africa.

How did the links between ITK and ADEPTA come about?

We have forged links of exchange and sharing (market information, contacts, …). ITK became “Administrator” by joining the Board of Directors of ADEPTA and participating actively in the life of the association.

This period is marked by the health crisis: What has changed for ADEPTA?

The health crisis linked to COVID-19 immediately led to the closure of the borders with all the countries where ADEPTA works. All events in France and abroad were cancelled or postponed until the 2nd half of 2020 or 2021. Despite this unprecedented situation where face-to-face meetings were forbidden, the entire ADEPTA team mobilized to inform its members of the international situation by e-mail, through our WhatsApp network or by videoconference meetings. We have done everything possible to help companies prepare for the opening of borders in key markets.

On the network side, what trends do you see emerging?

During the health crisis, networking continued and even developed more and more. For example, we were able to organize videoconferences with on-site professionals in different countries. We plan to continue and expand this trend.