UNITEC is an international group specialising in the design and implementation of innovative solutions for the processing, calibration, quality classification and packaging of fresh fruit and vegetables.
For nearly 100 years, UNITEC has been committed to improving the quality of fruit and vegetable processing in the many countries around the world where it operates, providing patented, tailor-made solutions dedicated to around 50 different types of fruit and for each stage of the process, with the highest standards of reliability and profitability for its Customers.
A close attention to the needs of each market and the continuous search for solutions aimed at increasing efficiency and reducing costs in fruit and vegetable processing are the basis of UNITEC's "mission".
UNITEC solutions are 100% Made in Italy, produced internally in the company and cover the entire process cycle of fruit and vegetable products: from the definition of the project to the production of mechanical, electrical, electronic components, software, automation systems, traceability and classification of external and internal quality, with high-definition vision systems.
The Group UNITEC It is organized into operational units to closely monitor all the main phases of the production chain, right through to after-sales, with a professional and efficient support service.
At an international level, UNITEC, in order to be close to its Clients and guarantee the full functionality of its facilities, has created a network of 20 operational locations in the most important countries in the fruit and vegetable sector (Washington, California and Oregon in the United States, France, Spain, Chile, Argentina, South Africa, Turkey, Russia, Australia and Canada) and a commercial structure that allows the UNITEC group to connect to the individual needs of its Clients in the more than 65 countries in which it operates.
Since when have you been present in Chile?
UNITEC supports Chilean fruit and vegetable producers with its innovative solutions since 2006, the year in which the first line was installed in this country.
Subsequently, with the aim of supporting the Chilean industry, UNITEC Chile was founded in 2011, which has grown steadily over the years to respond even more quickly and efficiently to the needs of its customers with a national and international team, providing a high-level proactive pre-sales and after-sales service, to guarantee efficient and productive projects, with full functionality during the season.
What technology do you have in the cherry industry?
We began by developing sorting systems to classify the quality of this fruit by optical size and colour and these technologies were immediately and increasingly appreciated by fruit and vegetable centres, as they were highly innovative, precise and delicate and therefore able to guarantee concrete results.
Cherries are undoubtedly a “challenging” fruit that requires special treatment, especially because of their delicacy. We, at Unitec, like challenges and from the beginning we have believed in and worked to develop solutions capable of overcoming the intrinsic critical points in the processing of this fruit and guaranteeing our Clients concrete results.
We have supported Chilean fruit and vegetable centres that wanted to target the Far East, an even more demanding market that requires a much more delicate, precise and reliable classification of the external and internal quality of cherries. This was an additional incentive to continue working and innovating in all stages of the product process: feeding, stem separation, water management, packaging (in bags, in baskets, etc.). These are the results that can only be obtained if close attention is paid to each aspect of the process, since the details make the difference in the effectiveness and efficiency of the entire process: this is why investment in RRD is constant and today leads to the birth of a new centre dedicated to mechanics, electrical, electronics, robotic automation and artificial intelligence.
Today we are able to provide everything that is technological within a warehouse.
In what other parts of the world is UNITEC present in the cherry industry?
In general, in the areas where cherries are produced, UNITEC is always present with the aim of helping all members of this industry to process their production in the best possible way, giving the consumer the best of the best of this precious fruit. In fact, the majority of the world's cherry production is electronically processed with UNITEC technologies.
We are present on 5 continents with more than 3,500 routes. Some of these countries are Argentina, Chile, Canada, United States, Greece, Turkey, Spain, Australia and Italy.
What contribution does UNITEC technology provide to the agroindustry?
UNITEC technologies represent true allies for Chilean fruit and vegetable plants that process this product. The cherry season is short, complex, with many variables (climatic, human, related to the final consumer and the destination market). UNITEC is 100% committed and accompanies its Clients in every step to achieve successful results. Our goal is to make the entire process as easy as possible.
Secondly, but not least, UNITEC solutions enable a reduction in waste. Thanks to Cherry Vision, Cherry Vision 3.0 and UNIQ Cherry, in fact, more than 27 billion cherries are sorted, allowing more than 1 million tonnes of product to be marketed with qualities divided in a coherent manner according to the distances and specificities of the destination markets.
What is the relevance for UNITEC to be part of the Smartcherry platforms?
We have personally seen the contribution of this platform within the Chilean cherry sector and, as UNITEC, we feel and want to continue being true allies of this industry, and we want to be available to all the fruit and vegetable plants that process this delicate and precious fruit.
