“Ancalau” is a term from the dialect of the Alta Langa territory, in the Italian region of Piedmont, that indicates those who have the courage to dare and innovate, overcoming shyness and reluctance. From this spirit was born in 2014 in Bosia, a small village in the heart of the Langa landscape in the province of Cuneo, the Premio Ancalau (Ancalau Award), now a national benchmark for youth innovation and sustainable development.
The overall winner of the Tournament of Ideas 2025, an Ancalau Award initiative that each year rewards the best under-35 entrepreneurial ideas from all over Italy, was the project ZeoFlow, which originated at Politecnico di Torino (the Polytechnic University of Turin) and is supported by I3P, aiming to develop and commercialize green technologies for the future of aquaculture.
ZeoFlow's team and mission
The ZeoFlow project is developed by a multidisciplinary team of students from Politecnico di Torino, composed of Nicole Marina Paloschi, a student in the Master's degree program in Management Engineering, Rita Calabro, a student in the Master's degree program in Energy and Nuclear Engineering, Davide Pregliasco and Riccardo Biglino, both students in the Master's degree program in Digital Skills for Sustainable Societal Transitions. The group was formed as part of the Challenges@PoliTo, where they had already achieved an important first success by winning the initiative's overall prize.
With the support of the Innovative Companies Incubator of Politecnico di Torino (I3P), ZeoFlow has consolidated its entrepreneurial vision and shaped a highly sustainable filtration technology designed to remove microplastics from aquatic environments and aquaculture facilities. It is a solution that combines scientific research, positive environmental impact and social sustainability with prospects for evolution into an innovative start-up.
ZeoFlow's mission is to revolutionize water purification in aquaculture facilities and fish farms by offering innovative and environmentally sustainable filtration technologies based on the synergy between Zeolite 4A and activated carbon. The team's ultimate goal is to obtain a “Microplastic-Free” certification applicable to food products, with an initial focus on the Seafood Production chain, thus helping to promote higher standards of safety and sustainability in the seafood sector.
The victory of the Ancalau Award 2025
After a first day in Bosia, the final event of the Ancalau 2025 Prize took place on June 22 in Diano d'Alba, at the San Sebastiano estate, in the setting of an exhibition of the area's food and wine and artisan excellence, “Langa in vetrina”. The jury, chaired by Oscar Farinetti (founder of Eataly), awarded the total prize pool of €20,000 provided by sponsors Fontanafredda, Banca d'Alba and Reale Mutua. The tournament was also supported by La Stampa and Fondazione CRC.
The ZeoFlow project, among six finalists selected from 72 applications from all over Italy, won over the jury for its innovative potential and ability to provide a concrete response to one of the most urgent environmental emergencies, winning the initiative's highest award, worth €10,000.
“Winning the Ancalau Award 2025 with ZeoFlow is much more than recognition: it is confirmation that innovation means real change,” ZeoFlow's team members said enthusiastically. "Thanks to Alice Rosiello, a clear mind and tireless ally, and to Francesco Lucertini, who with I3P helps us turn vision into reality. Now we aim higher: ZeoFlow will not be one solution among many, but the concrete breakthrough in the fight against microplastics. The future does not wait: we build it now."
“Once again this year, the enthusiasm and quality of the projects submitted confirmed the central role of the Award as a showcase of excellence for the most innovative Italian and foreign start-ups,” commented the organizers of the Ancalau cultural association. "The very high level of the competing ideas made the selection particularly challenging, demonstrating the vitality and creativity of the new generation of entrepreneurs. Special congratulations to the winning start-ups, which stood out for their vision, concreteness and growth potential: their success represents a prestigious achievement and a promise for the future."
