When I was invited to participate they explained me the secondment possibilities included in the “FODIAC” project, I was immediately enthusiastic and at the same time nervous because it was a new work experience in a industry.
By the end of 2018, I left Braga (Portugal) and moved to Lauria city, in the region of Basilicata, Italy. My mobility was towards EVRA srl. headquartered in the south of the country. EVRA is leader in the field of vegetable extracts, which come from spontaneous or cultivated vegetables that are typical of the Mediterranean area. EVRA production site is located in the territory of the “Pollino” National Park, one of the best natural environments in Italy.
I did not know exactly what to expect, but I knew that an outside experience would give me the chance to expand my work experience with other researchers and help me improve my knowledge on an industrial level, as well as the academic laboratory.
Another advantageous aspect of this mobility was the possibility of familiarize myself with a new language. I did not speak much Italian by the time I arrived but during the secondement period I improved a lot in this respect.
During these 2 months in the company I dealt with fantastic people, from the director to the operators, as well as my laboratory colleagues. The integration was spontaneus and the experience was very positive.
I can not fail to mention all the colleagues from UNICATT (Piacenza) who welcomed me during a short period of this mobilization.
In addition to Lauria and Piacenza, my weekend was used to discover other charming corners of Italy. Clearly Italy has magical places and in this aspect I thank some colleagues who showed me all these beautiful cities (like Matera, Maratea, Naples, etc.) and made me realize that Italy is not just Rome, Milan and Venice.
Thank you very much EVRA, UNICATT, CEB-UMINHO and INL for having me as part of the FODIAC project and for giving me this professional and personal opportunity.
This secondment was for sure, an enriching experience for me.
