In just over a month, on 19-20 November 2026, the Simonelli Group Campus in Belforte del Chienti will host the first edition of Science Driven Coffee Cup, the international conference promoted by Simonelli Group and the University of Camerino through their joint research center, Research & Innovation Coffee Hub (RICH), which for the past ten years has been fostering scientific knowledge of coffee and encouraging dialogue between academia and industry.
More than a conference dedicated to coffee, Science Driven Coffee Cup will provide an opportunity to explore the questions driving innovation across the coffee value chain and shaping the future of the coffee experience.
Where Do Coffee Sweetness, Bitterness, and Body Come From?
Which molecules are responsible for the sensations we perceive in the cup? And how do they influence coffee quality?
During the Chemistry & Flavor session, international researchers and specialists will explore the relationship between chemical composition, aroma, and sensory perception, providing new insights into what makes a coffee unique.
The session will also address an increasingly important topic for the industry: how to verify the authenticity of a blend marketed as 100% Arabica and which scientific tools can support quality control throughout the supply chain.
Featured speakers include:
- Devin G. Peterson – From Molecules to Meaning: Understanding Coffee Flavor Through Chemistry
- Agnese Santanatoglia – Brewing Innovation: Insights from Coffee Chemistry
- Evangelos Vasileiou – Influence of post-harvest processing variations on the volatile profile and odor-active compounds of roasted specialty coffee
- Erica Liberto – Seeing Coffee Chemistry: Computer Vision-Assisted GC×GC Fingerprinting Reveals Origin-Related Volatile Patterns
- Marino Petracco – Authentication of coffee blends: old problem, new methods
From Aroma to AI: How Can We Understand and Predict Coffee Quality?
How are aroma compounds retained and released from roasted and ground coffee, and what role does temperature play?
The Data Science & AI session will combine aroma analysis, extraction modelling, and artificial intelligence, covering topics from predicting consumer preferences and expert quality assessments to optimizing roasting parameters through human-guided AI.
Speakers include:
- Philipp Weller – Coffee volatilomics: from cutting-edge platforms to point-of-need applications
- Jean-Xavier Guinard – AI prediction of coffee consumer liking and expert quality from sensory data
- Vaidyanath Ramakrishnan – From roast & ground to the cup: measuring transport and partitioning of coffee aroma compounds
- Alessio Benavoli – Human-Driven AI Parameter Optimisation in Coffee Manufacturing
- Josephin Giacomini – Espresso extraction: from modelling to customisation
How Can Grinding Help Us Get More from Every Coffee Bean?
Can extraction be improved and raw materials better utilized through a deeper understanding of grinding?
The Emerging Trends in Coffee Beverages session will present new simulation models and methodologies capable of guiding technologies toward a more efficient use of coffee resources.
The discussion will also extend to the colloidal structures of espresso and their relationship with beverage body, as well as metabolomic studies on coffee leaves.
Speakers include:
- Tomonori Suzuki – Development of Coffee Bean Grinding Simulation for Sustainable Coffee Manufacturing
- Stefan Salentinig – A Shot of Science: How Espresso Organizes Itself
- Davide Rovelli – Tradition selects, metabolomics extends: valorization of coffee leaves beyond the authorized preparation
How Much Does Fermentation Shape Coffee Identity?
Do spontaneous and controlled fermentations produce different results in the cup?
A study presented at Science Driven Coffee Cup will compare spontaneous fermentations and fermentations using selected yeasts through the analysis of volatile compounds and sensory profiles of roasted coffee.
The Industry, Vision & Technology session will also address coffee roasting and new opportunities for by-product valorization, from recovering bioactive compounds from coffee silverskin to developing food packaging materials and biofertilizers derived from appropriately treated spent coffee grounds.
Featured speakers include:
- Samo Smrke – Coffee Roasting: Toward Sustainable and Intelligent Roasting
- Enrico Valli – Volatile compound profiling and sensory analysis of coffee beans subjected to spontaneous or controlled fermentation
- Gianni Zoccatelli – Valorization of Coffee Silverskin: Ultrasound-Assisted Extraction and Design of Experiments Optimization of Bioactive Compounds
- Lucia Panzella – Spent coffee grounds as a source of functional compounds for food packaging applications
- Gregorio Peron – Solid-state fermentation of spent coffee grounds with Trichoderma spp. as a biorefinery strategy for the recovery of bioactive phytochemicals
- Antonietta La Terza – From raw spent coffee grounds to a granulated biofertilizer: soil, lettuce and rhizosphere microbiome responses
How Much Does Context Influence the Way We Experience Coffee?
Can the color of a cup, the sounds around us, or the images we observe influence what we perceive?
The Neuroscience & Sensory session will explore the role of multisensory perception and neuroscience in the coffee experience, demonstrating how the brain contributes to constructing what we define as “flavor.”
Among the featured studies will be research examining how elements associated with Italian culture influence emotional engagement and memories evoked during coffee tasting. Additional presentations will investigate cognitive and emotional responses during food consumption, compare caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee in a study involving 20 regular consumers, and analyze the sensory profiles of filter coffees.
Featured speakers include:
- Charles Spence – The Multisensory Experience of Coffee
- Vincenzo Russo – From Context to Flavor: A Consumer Neuroscience Approach to Coffee Experience
- Alessandro Fici – Consumer Neuroscience of the Eating Experience: Cognitive and Emotional Processes During Consumption
- Mateja Lesar – Caf or decaf? Regular coffee has almost the same effect as decaf
- Tuğba Özdal – Sensory Profiling and Comparative Acceptance of Commercial Filter Coffees Using Ranking Test and Quantitative Descriptive Analysis
In addition, the Poster Sessions will showcase numerous scientific contributions and provide opportunities for direct discussion with authors.
For two days, researchers, companies, and coffee professionals from around the world will exchange ideas on how chemistry, neuroscience, artificial intelligence, technology, and scientific research are deepening our understanding of coffee and unlocking its potential.
19-20 November 2026 | Simonelli Group Campus, Belforte del Chienti
Science Driven Coffee Cup represents a unique opportunity to foster dialogue between science and industry, encouraging knowledge sharing that helps shape the future of coffee.
What new perspectives can research open for your work in coffee? Discover them at Science Driven Coffee Cup.
