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Rainbow Studio: our Coffee Innovation Hackathon at Imperial College London

21-09-2026 • NEWS

Per la versione italiana, clicca qui



Innovation means being able to look beyond, anticipating future demands and taking inspiration from new ideas, while joining forces with people who can bring a fresh and original new perspective. In this spirit, we were in London from 14 to 18 September with Rainbow Studio, a Hackathon devised and promoted in collaboration with a team from the Department of Aeronautics, Department of Chemistry, and the Dyson School of Design Engineering at Imperial College London, recognised as one of the world’s most prestigious universities.

 

The initiative brought together 31 students across the university and invited them to take part in an intensive marathon of creativity and experimentation hosted at the Chemical Kitchen, the unique laboratory at the university where scientific research meets gastronomic culture.

 

The challenge

 

The focus of the challenge is an ambitious strategic objective: the development of innovative coffee-based beverage concepts for the Food Service industry. Working on extraction techniques and sensory perceptions, we explored potential new directions in terms of flavour, consistency and visual presentation.

The process combined academic research with solid know-how provided by our Group, which remains committed to recognising the value of talent and driving the evolution of coffee culture around the world.

 

«Partnering with universities and institutions enables us to share knowledge and skills while co-creating innovative solutions, bringing together diverse perspectives to generate long-term value. Bringing our know-how the Hackathon at Imperial College London embodies this exact spirit: creating a bridge between research and practical innovation, where science and creativity meet young talent to shape the future of coffee», commented Marco Lavazza, Vice Chairman of our Group.

The culmination of the event was its most eagerly awaited moment: the presentation of the concepts developed. The teams presented their projects to a panel of experts from Lavazza and several special guests from the British food service industry, providing us with valuable technical and creative insights. 

 

The winning group was the one that best combined inventiveness, technical feasibility and excellent taste. To celebrate their talent and feed their passion for quality coffee, the winners were presented with a Tablì coffee machine, symbolising our Group’s ongoing drive for innovation.