REAL LABORATORIES & PRACTICE

Real-world laboratories and practical projects form the application area of ​​the research work.
Here, concepts are not only implemented but consciously understood as learning processes. Practice serves to test, relativize, or further develop theoretical assumptions. It reveals where models work, where they fail, and which factors are crucial in a real-world context.

  • Real-world laboratories

    Testing approaches under real-world conditions.

  • Exchange

    the dialogue with local stakeholders.

  • Systemic

    Learning from conflicting goals and uncertainties.

  • Transformative

    Research and practice do not exist side by side, but rather in a continuous interplay.

  • Experiences

    Over twenty years in the profession. Multispectral horizon.

  • Open and collaborative

    The platform as a dynamic workspace, not as a static showcase.

Self-employed and independent

Torre San Teobaldo

Under the name Torre San Teobaldo, projects at the intersection of research, practice, and societal transformation have been developed and implemented for several years as part of independent work. This work is not conceived as a traditional service, but rather as a project-based working and thinking space for complex issues in the areas of food systems, sustainability, and regional development. Activities include event management, consulting and development processes, lectures, and the leadership of interdisciplinary projects. The focus is on the conception, organization, and facilitation of formats that combine knowledge transfer, reflection, and practical experimentation. Torre San Teobaldo also serves as an organizational framework for real-world laboratories, collaborative projects, and international cooperation. The independence of this structure allows for flexible work across academic, institutional, and practical contexts and enables the exploration of new forms of collaboration.

Ahrtrüffel eV

president

As Chairman of Ahrtrüffel eV, I am responsible for the strategic direction, organizational leadership, and substantive development of the association. The association is dedicated to building, maintaining, and establishing a regionally rooted truffle culture as an integral part of sustainable land use and rural development. My responsibilities include coordinating the association's activities, moderating decision-making processes, and representing the association externally to members, partners, institutions, and the public. A key focus is on connecting technical expertise, practical cultivation practices, and long-term development goals. The association positions itself as a knowledge and exchange platform for truffle cultivation, soil ecology, mycorrhizal systems, and site-adapted management concepts. The aim is to create viable structures for ecologically responsible, regional truffle cultivation and to integrate this into broader issues of biodiversity, resilience, and value creation. The role of Chairman requires the ability to integrate diverse interests, connect professional and organizational levels, and further develop the association as a learning organization.
For documentation

Eifel, Rhineland-Palatinate

Property manager

In my role as property manager in the Eifel region (Rhineland-Palatinate), my work focuses on the sustainable management and development of a rural, ecological estate, with a particular emphasis on reforestation and subsistence farming. My work combines elements of ecological land use, resource-efficient habitat design, and the long-term stabilization of local ecosystems.
A key aspect of this work is the planning, coordination, and operational implementation of measures to restore and enhance natural forest structures. This includes selecting site-appropriate tree and shrub species, tending young stands, and integrating biodiversity and soil improvement concepts. Within the framework of this reforestation work, ecological functions such as water retention, biodiversity, and carbon sequestration are specifically strengthened and embedded in a long-term management and utilization concept. In parallel, the property management encompasses the development and testing of subsistence farming methods in the immediate living environment. The goal is to establish supply systems that utilize local resources regeneratively while simultaneously building resilience against external supply risks. This can include gardening, fruit and vegetable cultivation, animal-assisted harvesting, food storage, and the organizational and spatial structuring of small-scale production units. The job requires a wide range of skills: ecological knowledge of forest and land use, practical experience in landscape management, planning and organizational skills, and the ability to integrate complex ecological and social systems into a coherent management concept.
For documentation

Ahrtrüffel eV

Truffle cultivation & care

As a board member of Ahrtrüffel eV, the professional focus is on truffle cultivation and management. This work combines agroecological expertise with organizational and strategic responsibility for establishing and developing a regionally rooted truffle culture. Key tasks include providing expert guidance on cultivation and management concepts, examining site factors, soil ecology, and mycorrhizal systems, and supporting members in establishing sustainable truffle plantations. The focus is not on short-term yield optimization, but rather on developing resilient, site-adapted systems. Furthermore, board members contribute to shaping the association's strategic direction, particularly regarding knowledge transfer, networking, and public relations. The goal is to strengthen truffle cultivation as an integral part of sustainable land use, regional value creation, and ecological diversification.
To the club

Sapio Culinary Discovery Tours

Web Launch Coordinator

As web launch coordinator, I provided content-related and organizational support for the digital relaunch of Sapio Culinary Discovery Tours. The goal was the structured translation of the travel and educational offerings into a coherent digital space.
The responsibilities included coordinating between editorial, design, and technical implementation; structuring the content of offerings; and ensuring a consistent presentation of the organization's stance, standards, and program profile. Particular emphasis was placed on clarity, in-depth content, and avoiding purely marketing-oriented presentation.

Sapio Culinary Discovery Tours

tour guide

Emilia-Romagna · South Tyrol · Piedmont

In my role as a tour guide at Sapio Culinary Discovery Tours, the focus was on the conceptual and content-related support of culinary educational and discovery tours in selected regions of Italy. This work combined culinary practice with cultural, agricultural, and regional economic context.
The focus was on conveying the connections between food production, landscape, regional identity, and craft culture. The trips were not conceived as a tourist event, but rather as learning environments where participants gained insights into production methods, value chains, and local knowledge systems.
In addition to organizational responsibility, the role primarily required the ability to explain complex cultural and economic contexts in an understandable way and to moderate dialogic learning processes.

ORS Group

Project developer

In my role as a project developer at the ORS Group, I focused on the conception and development of innovative approaches at the intersection of digitalization, sustainability, and value creation systems. Key areas of focus included blockchain-secured certification, token-based incentive and compensation models, and the use of AI-supported systems for evaluating and rewarding performance. My work addressed, in particular, how digital technologies can be used to increase transparency, traceability, and trust in complex value chains. Blockchain-based certification approaches served as tamper-proof documentation of origin, quality, and sustainability criteria, while token models were developed as a tool for differentiated compensation and incentives. Another focus was on integrating AI-supported evaluation mechanisms to analyze performance, contributions, or environmental impacts using data and to incorporate this analysis into adaptive compensation systems. The goal was to consider technological innovations not in isolation, but to embed them within viable organizational and economic models.

Fiorital SpA

Quality Manager

During my time at Fiorital SpA, I focused on the quality analysis of food products and the connection between industrial food processing and gastronomic applications. My work operated at the intersection of product quality, sensory evaluation, and practical use in the gastronomic context. My responsibilities included the analytical monitoring of products along the value chain, particularly with regard to quality assurance, sensory properties, and processing suitability. Quality was not understood solely in technical terms, but also considered in relation to origin, processing, usage contexts, and culinary requirements. This work demanded a nuanced understanding of both industrial processes and gastronomic practices, and contributed to communicating and aligning quality criteria across production, processing, and application.
Button labels

La Banca del Vino di Pollenzo

Tour Guide

As a tour guide at La Banca del Vino di Pollenzo, the focus was on conveying the cultural, historical, and regional economic context of wine. The work viewed wine not primarily as a product, but as a culturally, geographically, and socially embedded asset. A key task was guiding and providing substantive support to visitors through the institution, including placing wines within their respective regions of origin, production methods, and cultural contexts. This involved conveying topics such as terroir, artisanal practices, storage, temporality, and value creation, as well as institutional approaches to preserving wine heritage. The role required the ability to structure complex information clearly and communicate it in a dialogue-oriented manner, while productively addressing diverse levels of knowledge and interests.

Genuine Education Network

Project Manager & International Cooperation

As part of my work with the Genuine Education Network, the focus was on issues of structural change in rural regions, as well as sustainable agriculture and product innovation in an international context. My work operated at the intersection of education, research, and practice, combining European and Japanese perspectives on regional development and food systems. Key themes included the analysis of rural transformation processes, the role of traditional knowledge systems, and the further development of agricultural products, taking into account cultural, ecological, and economic frameworks. Particular attention was paid to how innovation can emerge from existing structures without undermining local identities and ecological foundations. A visible expression of this work was the presentation at Expo 2015 in Milan with the contribution "Triad of Japanese Culinary Arts." This presentation illustrated the interplay of product, culture, and landscape in Japanese cuisine and demonstrated how food systems can be understood as culturally embedded and adaptable structures.

Kleines Meer, Kempinski, Hilton, Dorint, Die Bank, Restaurant Sonne, Boccabuona

Kitchen, service and hotel

Working as a chef in diverse gastronomic contexts formed an early and formative practical phase of my professional development. The work encompassed both classic kitchen organization and the handling of fresh produce, artisanal preparation techniques, and team-oriented work processes under real-world time and economic constraints. The establishments mentioned presented varying gastronomic requirements – from hotel-based restaurants and urban restaurant formats to regionally rooted kitchens. This diversity allowed for a nuanced understanding of production logics, quality standards, and the working realities of gastronomic systems. Practical work in the kitchen sharpened my early understanding of food as the product of complex value chains, the relationship between product quality, processing, and consumption, as well as the social and organizational dimensions of food systems. These experiences continue to form an important foundation for my analytical and research-oriented engagement with nutrition, sustainability, and transformation.

  • lectures

    “Slow Life” Food Education Forum, Japan
    “Herbarium of Yamagata Prefecture” UNESCO Network, Japan
    “Circular Rural Development” Makerere Business School, Uganda
    “Mycology and de-sealing: The invisible ecosystem services beneath our feet” HFGG, Germany
    “Truffles of the Eifel” Ahrtrüffel eV, Germany

  • Expo 2015

    As a keynote speaker at Expo 2015, in the Slow Food Pavilion in Milan. Topic: The triad of Japanese cuisine, traditional medicine, and culture. A lecture on sustainability in gastronomy and the importance of seasonal ingredients. The result of a research trip to Mie Prefecture in Japan. This received enthusiastic feedback from industry experts and led to new initiatives for environmentally conscious cooking.

  • Publications

    “Hunting for Black Gold”, “Slow Summer Menu” and “Piedmontese Delicacies at Christmas” Wild & Hund

WORK MATERIALS

Buy and support the project. Foster vision, craftsmanship, and sustainability.

View all