Overview of the Ecosystem
Emilia-Romagna At the forefront of innovation in Italy according to the European Commission’s Innovation Scoreboard
This system is open, dynamic and accessible as a result of a strong collaboration among Educational and Training Institutions, Universities and Higher Artistic, Musical and Choreutics Education, Research Centres, Private Companies and Public Administration.
All of them aimed at creating an environment supporting knowledge, innovation, attractiveness of investments and talents to support a sustainable and inclusive development.
Within this innovative environment, Emilia-Romagna Regional Administration – including In-house Agencies and Foundations – supports Research & Innovation and provides the strategic vision for the future.
Population : 4.5 million
Enterprises
- 400,000 companies
- 42,000 manufacturing companies
- 4,000 multinational companies
Excellences
- Motor Valley
- Food Valley
- Wellness Valley
- Data Valley
Regional In-house Agencies and Foundations
- ART-ER – Attractiveness Research Territory – Consortium for innovation and technology transfer
- Lepida – Public operator for information and communications technology
- Arpae – Regional Agency for Prevention, Environment and Energy
- ITL – Transport and Logistics Institute
- Regional Agency for Employment
- R.GO – Regional Agency to promote higher education
- APT – Regional tourism promotion company
First Region in Italy for
- Patent applications per capita
- Exports per capita
- Essential health services
International and National Agencies in Emilia-Romagna
- EFSA – European Food Safety Authority
- ECMWF – European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasts
- ItaliaMeteo – National agency for meteorology and climatology
Networks and Open Innovation
Incubators and Accelerators
- 35 Incubators and Accelerators – In-ER Network
- 43 Private Structures
- Incredibol – Creative Innovation in Bologna
Network for the Digital Transition
- Technical Assistance Centres
- Innovation Centres
- Digital Innovation Hubs
- Bi-Rex Competence Centre
- ER2Digit, the European Digital Innovation Hub of the Emilia-Romagna Region
- Pid – Digital Info Points
Partnerships and Networks
- 70 European and International Partnerships and Networks
ART-ER is a Member of
- APRE – Agency for the Promotion of European Research
- Asvis – Italian Alliance for Sustainable Development
- KIC – Knowledge Innovation Communities of EIT – European Institute of Innovation and Technology
- Innovation Country Centre of the Knowledge Innovation Community for Cultural and Creative Industry – ICC
- Enterprise Europe Network
- EPSI – The European Platform for Sport Innovation
- ERRIN – European Regions Research and Innovation Network
- Eurada – European Association of Development Agencies
- National Technological Clusters
- New European Bauhaus
- Science|Business international forum
- TCI – The Competitiveness Institute Network
- Vanguard Initiative
Open Innovation
The Region supports open innovation in digital and physical form to promote connections between the regional innovation system and the international innovation community:
- Match-ER – Data Driven Innovation International program
- EROI – Emilia-Romagna Open Innovation digital platform
- R2B – Research to Business International Exhibition
- Digital Open Laboratories for smart cities and citizens
Education System
The regional education system is spread throughout the territory, providing highly qualified human resources and talents. Universities and training centres are the key players enhancing high competences and skills related with the regional research and innovation ecosystem.
Universities and Training Centres
Regional Universities and AFAM
- 6 Universities + Johns Hopkins University
- Bologna Business School (Master/Mba)
- Fooder – School of advanced studies in Food safety
- Muner – Motorvehicle University of Emilia-Romagna
- 13 AFAM – 8 conservatories, 3 academies, 1 higher institute for artistic industries, 1 institute authorized to issue AFAM degrees
- 539 courses (three-year and master degrees)
- 150 masters
- 194,032 students enrolled in bachelor’s, master’s, specialization and doctoral programs
- 4,611 PhDs and 6,469 specializing doctors
- 5,792 AFAM students
- Erasmus and exchange students – 4,856 incoming, 5,145 outgoing
Higher Education and Training System
- 7 ITS – Higher Technical Institutes Foundations with 70 courses
- 163 accredited training centres
- Super – University School for Technical Professions
Attractiveness of Investments
and Talents
The Regional Law 14/2014 “Promotion of investments in
Emilia-Romagna” supports innovative investments, research
structures and laboratories of the companies and promotes
sustainable innovation of the regional ecosystem.
In parallel, the Regional Law 2/2023 “Attraction, retention and enhancement of highly specialised talents in Emilia-Romagna” offers with its “Manifesto” a coordinated framework for policies, programmes and services to increase the talent attraction of Emilia-Romagna and its R&I ecosystem.
Research and Innovation System
Research and innovation system in Emilia-Romagna is a highly dynamic community where key players are opened to enhance partnerships with Institutions, companies and other research centres. Thanks to Regional Laws n. 7/2002 and 7/2019, Emilia-Romagna Region has created new labs, innovation centres and foundations to increase research and innovation capacities of the regional system.
National and International Research Centres, Technopoles, Laboratories and Infrastructures
Research Centres
- CINECA – National leading hub for HPC and digital innovation services which hosts the Leonardo Supercomputer
- CNR – National Research Council
- INFN – National Institute for Nuclear Physics
- ENEA – National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development
- 5 IRCCS – Scientific Institutes for Research, Hospitalization and Healthcare
- CICLOPE Wind Tunnel
- 27 hubs of ESFRI Research Infrastructures
- 104 accredited Industrial Research Laboratories and
Innovation Centres of High Technology Network - INAF – National Institute for Astrophysics
- CMCC – Euro-Mediterranean Centre on Climate Change
- INGV – National Institute of Geophysics
and Volcanology - Cineteca Bologna – one of the most important
European film library, specialized in film restoration
Clust-ER Associations
Smart Specialisation Strategy Clust-ERs, where research
centres, companies and professional training institutes
share ideas, skills, tools and projects.
- 11 Clust-ERs, including Big Data Association and Muner – Motorvehicle University of Emilia-Romagna
Technopoles and Infrastructures
- 12 Technopoles and more than 20 locations: DAMA
Emilia-Romagna Data Manufacturing Technopole,
Bologna CNR, Bologna-Ozzano, Forlì-Cesena,
Ferrara, Modena, Parma, Piacenza-LEAP, PiacenzaMUSP, Ravenna, Reggio Emilia, Rimini - INAF Radio Telescopes
- ENEA Brasimone
New Players
- IFAB – Big Data and AI for Human Development International Foundation
- IT4LIA AI Factory – Strategic AI Platform of the European
Commission - ICSC – National Research Centre on High Performance
Computing, Big Data and Quantum Computing - Ecosister – Emilia-Romagna Territorial Innovation
Ecosystem - UNU – Institute on Big Data and Artificial Intelligence
For information www.fesr.regione.emilia-romagna.it/erdf
Key Projects and Initiatives
Collaboration Opportunities
- Joint R&D
- Tech Transfer and Valorization of Applied Research Results
- Training (faculty and student exchanges, joint educational programs)
- Start-up Ecosystem (mentoring, acceleration, access to capital)
- Export and Industrial Agreements
- Investment Attraction
Delegation at the Forum
- Elena Mazzoni, Regional Minister for Digital Agenda, Legality, and Poverty Reduction, Emilia-Romagna Region
- Dimitri Tartari, Head of the Digital Agenda Policy Coordination Area of the Emilia-Romagna Region (ADER)
- Adriano Gilli, Head of Regional Production System Internationalization – Department of Attractiveness, Internationalization and Research (SAI), Emilia-Romagna Region
- Enrico Saltarelli, European and International Unit, ART-ER
- Lucia Mazzoni, Digital Transition UnitEDIH ER2Digit, ART-ER
- Carlo Pignatari, Research Manager, Associazione Big Data
- Laura Morselli, Solution Architect @ HPC Department, Cineca
- Silvia Rossi, Cluster Manager, Clust-ER Build
- Massimo Garuti, Cluster Manager, Clust-ER Create
- Maria Chiara Rioli, Associate Professor in Contemporary History, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia
- Andrea Guizzardi, Cluster President, Clust-ER Tourism / Professor, University of Bologna
- Michele Colavito, Cluster Manager, Clust-ER Tourism
- Marta Luesma, CEO & Co-Founder, Includia
- Enzo Francesca, Co-Founder, Includia
- Paola Salomoni, Full Professor Department of Computer Science – Science and Engineering, University of Bologna
- Damian Molyneux, Director of International Development, IQC
- Francesca Zanella, Associate Professor of Contemporary Art History – Department of Engineering “Enzo Ferrari”, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia
- Enzo Castellaneta, Founder and Chief Commercial Officer, Builti S.r.l.
Additional Resources or References
- www.regione.emilia-romagna.it
- www.art-er.it
