Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie e Ambientali (DiSAA)

What Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie e Ambientali (DiSAA) does

DiSAA is an academic department of the Università degli Studi di Milano dedicated to agricultural and environmental sciences, established circa 1870 and operating within Italy's national public-university system. The department employs approximately 36 faculty and researchers and serves students, regional government bodies, the agricultural industry, and partner research institutions. Its "core products" are degree programs (undergraduate, master's, and doctoral), applied research outputs, and technology-transfer services to industry and public agencies.

The department's research portfolio spans animal science, plant pathology, environmental sustainability, agricultural economics, and food systems. Active projects include CleverMilk (dairy innovation), Fish-AI (Horizon Europe aquaculture research), PIGinnova (swine production systems), and DEMOCAPRA (goat population management). DiSAA collaborates with industry players including Skretting (aquaculture feed), DeLaval (dairy equipment), and Parmalat (dairy), alongside public partners such as Regione Lombardia, ARPA Lombardia, and the University of Vermont, and operates an Erasmus+ consortium with Turkish and Portuguese counterparts.

DiSAA does not sell products or services commercially. Its funding mechanics consist of public block grants from MUR, competitive research awards (EU Horizon Europe, regional programs), industry-sponsored research contracts, and tuition flows that the parent university administers centrally. In 2022, MUR designated DiSAA a "Department of Excellence," a peer-reviewed status that unlocks additional multi-year programmatic funding and reinforces the department's standing within Italy's higher-education system.

Name

Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie e Ambientali (DiSAA)

Legal name

Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie e Ambientali – Produzione, Territorio, Agroenergia (DiSAA)

Website

https://disaapress.unimi.it

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

DiSAA is an academic department of the University of Milan conducting research and teaching in agricultural and environmental sciences. It serves students, regional government, and industry partners through funded research projects, and was designated a MUR Department of Excellence in 2022.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education and Agricultural Research

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Administration of Conservation Programs (92412)

SIC

Agricultural Services (700), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Technical Universities with Energy, Materials & Sustainability Focus (EDAHAEAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Sustainable/Regenerative Agriculture & Conservation Practices (EDAOAOAO)

Keywords

• Agricultural sciences research
• Environmental sciences education
• Sustainable farming research
• Animal genetics laboratory
• Viticulture biotechnology

Headquarters

HQ city

Milan

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Public University Funding: As a department of the University of Milan, DiSAA receives institutional funding from the Italian Ministry of University and Research (MUR) as part of the national university system
2. Research Project Funding: External research grants from EU programs (Horizon Europe, Erasmus+), Regione Lombardia, and other public funding bodies supporting specific research projects

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

DiSAA is an academic department of the University of Milan that delivers higher education programs (bachelor's, master's, PhD, and postgraduate courses) in agricultural and environmental sciences, and conducts fundamental and applied research across animal genetics, aquaculture, plant biotechnology, viticulture, sustainable livestock management, and environmental monitoring. It also performs technology transfer to the agricultural industry through research projects, technical publications, and extension services.

Product overview

Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie e Ambientali (DiSAA) is an academic department at the University of Milan offering educational programs and conducting research in agricultural and environmental sciences. Its portfolio includes the Master Course in Sustainable Natural Resource Management, various undergraduate programs in agricultural sciences, and specialized postgraduate courses. Research activities are organized through multiple projects including CleverMilk (sustainable dairy farming), Fish-AI (sustainable aquaculture), and PIGinnova (swine farming sustainability). The department also produces knowledge products such as the DEMOCAPRA technical sheets for goat farmers and organizes educational initiatives like Farm Days for hands-on training at university farms.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Master Course in Sustainable Natural Resource Management A two-year master course teaching students how to assess, manage, and restore natural resources to achieve environmental, social, and economic sustainability. Targeted at graduate students seeking advanced training in sustainability.
• Postgraduate Course in Dairy Cattle Nutrition and Management Advanced postgraduate course on nutrition and management of high-producing dairy cows and technical-economic management of modern farms, led by Prof. Matteo Crovetto.
• Precision Dairy Farming Seminars Seminars covering automation and precision livestock farming applications, presented by industry experts such as Dr. Marco Cattaneo from DeLaval, addressing current applications and future development perspectives in dairy farming automation.
• DEMOCAPRA Technical Sheets 90 technical sheets covering various aspects of goat farming and dairy product production, including feeding, milking, health, genetics, reproduction, housing, and animal welfare. Prepared with ARAL and disseminated freely through the DEMOCAPRA project website for practical farm application.
• Farm Days Innovative hands-on educational initiative held at University of Milan agricultural farms for undergraduate students in agricultural sciences, involving professionalizing activities.

Quantifiable outcome

• Development of 90 technical sheets for goat farmers, freely downloadable for practical farm application
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Skretting Aquaculture Research CentrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on rainbow trout intestine research for developing sustainable aquaculture feed formulations. The research group led by Prof. Fulvio Gandolfi worked with Skretting to study rainbow trout intestine morphology and physiology under standardized farming conditions to improve feed characteristics.
• University of VermontcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational research collaboration on bobcat conservation through epigenetics. The study involved DNA extraction and methylation analysis from bobcat liver samples, coordinated by Prof. Paola Crepaldi at DiSAA's Animal Genetics Laboratory.
• ARAL (Associazione Regionale Allevatori della Lombardia)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on the DEMOCAPRA project (Participatory dissemination of sustainable management models for dairy goat farming in Lombardy). DISAA staff worked with ARAL technical staff to prepare 90 technical sheets for goat farmers.
• Regione LombardiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional government funding and collaboration on agricultural research projects including CleverMilk (technology for low environmental impact milk production), PIG Innova (sustainable pig farming), and FARM-INN (aflatoxin management in dairy farms).
• DeLavalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Marco Cattaneo from DeLaval conducted seminar on automation and precision livestock farming at DiSAA, presenting current applications and future development perspectives in dairy farming automation.
• EUPAHW (European Partnership for Animal Health and Welfare)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDiSAA joined the European Partnership for Animal Health and Welfare, representing a significant investment in research for infectious disease control and animal welfare promotion.
• ParmalatminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDiSAA collaborated with Parmalat on the GO PEI MAGA project to demonstrate sustainable business models in dairy farming operations at their facility in Parma province.
• ARPA LombardiaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with ARPA (Regional Agency for Environmental Protection) for seminars on environmental monitoring, rural and agricultural management, and Earth Observation technology applications.
• Erasmus+ Consortium Partners (Turkey, Portugal)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational collaboration on Welfaruminant project for dissemination of animal welfare practices in farmed ruminants, involving partners from Turkey and Portugal.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Agroscope: Swiss federal agricultural research institute conducting applied research in livestock, crops, and sustainable agriculture. Comparable as a public-sector research body with industry partnerships and similarly structured EU-funded project portfolios.
• ETH Zurich - Department of Environmental Systems Science: One of Europe's top research universities with significant agricultural and environmental science research capacity. Comparable given pursuit of EU funding, similar postgraduate program structure, and leadership in plant biotechnology and sustainability research.
• INRAE (Institut national de recherche pour l'agriculture, l'alimentation et l'environnement): France's national research institute for agriculture, food, and environment. Comparable given its scale of EU-funded research projects, animal welfare and aquaculture research, and direct partnerships with regional agricultural industries.

Direct peers

• University of Padua - Department of Agronomy, Food, Natural Resources, Animals and Environment (DAFNAE): Italian university with a similar named agricultural and environmental sciences department. Direct peer given overlapping research areas in animal genetics, viticulture, and sustainable agriculture within the Italian public university system.
• Wageningen University & Research: Global leader in agricultural and environmental sciences research and education. Wageningen is the most direct peer because DiSAA offers similar undergraduate to PhD programs, EU-funded applied research projects, and industry partnerships in sustainable agriculture, livestock, and aquaculture.
• University of Hohenheim: Germany's premier agricultural university with strong programs in animal science, plant biotechnology, and sustainable agriculture. Direct peer given similar research focus on livestock, crop science, and EU-funded sustainability projects.
• University of Bologna - Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences: Italy's other leading agricultural university with overlapping research in viticulture, animal science, and sustainable agriculture. Direct peer given shared geographic focus on Italian agriculture, similar degree programs, and joint potential for cross-faculty research collaborations.

Regional players

• Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore - Faculty of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences: Italian university with a strong agricultural faculty also located in Lombardy (Piacenza campus). Direct regional peer overlapping on dairy, livestock, and food science research with shared industry partners in the Lombardy agricultural ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/disaa_press
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC0nzFLvEXpyXj48BhIJ3Aw
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dipartimento-di-scienze-agrarie-ambientali

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie e Ambientali (DiSAA)