A Partnership built on Trust, Technology, and Engineering Excellence
Unigrà & Desmet
For over 25 years
Unigrà is an Italian food company specialized in the transformation and sale of vegetable oils and fats and in the production of margarines, chocolate, cocoa coating, compound chocolate, spreadable creams, fillings and semi-finished products for confectionery industry. With more than 50 years of experience and a strong global presence, product quality and process reliability are central to its success.
“The quality of our raw materials and finished products is essential,” explains Simona Leoni, R&D Head at Unigrà. “That’s why we collaborate with industry leaders who can ensure reliable results, advanced process know-how, and attention to detail. Desmet is one of those partners.”
A Collaboration that evolved into a Technology Journey
The collaboration started in 1996 with Desmet’s first project for Unigrà. What began as a single installation soon evolved into a long-term, science-based partnership across oil modification technologies.
“We didn’t know it was the beginning of a long journey,” recalls Maxime de Ville, Managing Director, EMASA at Desmet. “Over time, Unigrà fully embraced Desmet’s technology and process know-how. It became a collaboration driven by expertise, innovation, and continuous improvement.”
Today, recurring projects and long-standing collaboration reflect a shared approach to technology development, where industrial operations and engineering expertise continuously inform each other.
Pioneering Fractionation Technologies Together
Unigrà has consistently been among the first to adopt new Desmet technologies. It was the first in Europe to install Statolizer technology for cocoa butter substitutes and later became the first worldwide to implement Desmet’s continuous dry fractionation technology, iConFrac.
“Unigrà was the cradle of iConFrac,” says Gijs Calliauw, Global Technology Manager - Fats Modification at Desmet. “Even today, every visit reminds us how this collaboration helped shape a technology that is now installed more than a hundred times worldwide.”
Through close cooperation between specialists on both sides, advanced technologies were researched, tested, and successfully translated into industrial-scale solutions—delivering premium fat ingredients for a wide range of applications.
Engineering Collaboration at every level
Beyond technology itself, the partnership is defined by strong human connections and hands-on collaboration—from R&D to project execution.
“Unigrà is a family company built on trust and people,” says Simona Leoni. “With Desmet, we have strong connections at every level. Our experts work together on quality and new ideas, and our engineers continuously look for the best ways to optimize operations.”
This approach is especially valued during project implementation.
“Desmet was already a household name here when I joined Unigrà,” says Simone Mazzini, Project Manager at Unigrà. “During execution, you feel their commitment - being present on site, supporting discussions, start-up, and commissioning. It shows they care about the people who will work with the technology and about making the installation reliable.”
Driven by Expertise, Shared Knowledge, and Innovation
Collaboration also extends deeply into research and development. Regular interaction between Desmet’s Innovation Center and Unigrà’s R&D teams enables continuous learning, testing, and refinement.
“Working with Unigrà allows us to see how our research directly supports real industrial production,” says Andrea Pallares, R&D Engineer at Desmet. “It’s rewarding to know that the work done in our Innovation Center contributes to such an impressive portfolio of products.”
From Unigrà’s perspective, having a technology partner that truly understands fats and oils chemistry makes a tangible difference.
“We really feel we have a partner in Desmet who actively supports our research,” adds Lucia Gramigna, R&D Manager - Oils & Fats at Unigrà. “It’s comfortable to collaborate with a supplier who understands our challenges and helps us think through efficient ways to achieve specific product properties.”
Looking Forward
After more than two decades of collaboration, Unigrà and Desmet continue to build on their shared experience - developing new ideas, refining processes, and pushing technological boundaries together.
“Such a strong collaboration creates real value for both organizations,” concludes Maxime de Ville. “It is a partnership that continues to inspire innovation and engineering excellence.”
Desmet & Unigrà — Engineering trust, crafting quality, shaping tomorrow.
