Overview of the Ecosystem
Friuli Venezia Giulia (FVG) is the first Italian region to be recognized as a “Strong Innovator” by the European Commission under the Regional Innovation Scoreboard. This achievement reflects the quality of its innovation ecosystem, which is dynamic, open, and at the forefront of technological advancement.
The region stands out not only for its high quality of life but also for its extraordinary natural and scenic wealth. Strategically located in the heart of Europe, FVG is currently experiencing a period of significant economic dynamism.
A robust network of scientific and technological hubs, certified incubators, research institutions, universities, and sectoral clusters makes the region an ideal environment for developing innovative entrepreneurial projects. Thanks to targeted policies and significant growth in venture capital investment, the region has seen a steady increase in foreign investments in recent years.
Friuli Venezia Giulia is an ideal place to launch and grow new business ideas, supported by a dedicated agency for entrepreneurial development and investment attraction, Agenzia Select Friuli Venezia Giulia.
The region offers a solid foundation of structural investments and a clear commitment to innovation, making it attractive to new capital. FVG stands out for the proportion of SMEs introducing product and process innovations, achieving some of the highest indicators among competitors, and ranking among the most dynamic regions in terms of innovative activity. In the scientific sector, Friuli Venezia Giulia also performs strongly in international co-publications.
FVG boasts a cutting-edge environment with an excellent scientific system, including:
- 3 Universities: University of Trieste, University of Udine, and SISSA – International School for Advanced Studies, Trieste
- 3 Science and Technology Parks: Area Science Park, Tec4I FVG, Polo Tecnologico Alto Adriatico, along with certified incubators that facilitate the transfer of technology and knowledge from research to market
- 12 International Research Institutes
The region is further energized by the presence of local economic development consortia and sectoral clusters that support the establishment and aggregation of businesses in sectors such as: agri-food and bioeconomy; mechanical engineering; wood, furniture, and home design; ICT; life sciences; maritime technologies; and culture, creativity, and tourism.
According to strategic monitoring of regional attractiveness conducted in collaboration with The European House – Ambrosetti, Friuli Venezia Giulia demonstrates significant growth dynamics, excellent public administration efficiency, strong geographic diversification of its trade balance, and the capacity to provide businesses with an outstanding innovation and training ecosystem, alongside a steadily increasing employment rate.
Key Projects and Initiatives
The Friuli Venezia Giulia Region has undertaken the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI), including Generative AI, within its overarching digital innovation strategy. While large-scale applications remain in the development phase, the Region has already implemented several pilot initiatives in collaboration with Insiel S.p.A., notably:
• Neural Machine Translation for Friulian Language
Deployment of an advanced neural translation tool to support the Friulian language, achieving highly promising accuracy levels.
• Natural Language Interfaces for Legislative Databases
Introduction of language-based interfaces designed to streamline searches within legislative repositories.
• AI-Powered Virtual Assistants: SUAPilot
SUAPilot represents a multi-year initiative aimed at enhancing public service operations through virtual assistants, with a specific focus on the SUAP (One-Stop Shop for Productive Activities). SUAP is the institutional mechanism established in Italy to implement Directive 2006/123/EC of the European Parliament (commonly referred to as the Bolkestein Directive), which promotes the free movement of services within the European Union internal market. The SUAPilot chatbot functions as a technical and legal support tool for back-office personnel, facilitating efficient management of administrative procedures. The system is fully operational and actively utilized by SUAP staff, including newly hired personnel, who benefit from guided assistance and a contextual knowledge base.
The project is currently undergoing expansion to incorporate additional thematic areas and a dedicated training module. This module is designed to support both novice and experienced operators in mastering SUAP procedures, thereby ensuring a consistent and scalable onboarding process. SUAPilot has been nominated for the “Augmented PA 2025” award within the Forum PA Challenge, underscoring its innovative application of Generative AI, Natural Language Processing (NLP), and Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) to improve public administration services.
• AI4BUSINESS Project
Developed by Agenzia Lavoro & SviluppoImpresa in collaboration with SISSA, this initiative aims to create an AI-based software prototype to assist enterprises in Friuli Venezia Giulia in identifying, in a personalized and efficient manner, the most suitable regional incentive opportunities for their growth and investment projects. The long-term objective includes the development of a dedicated application to attract new entrepreneurial ventures to the region.
• Predictive Models for Educational Planning and Social Impact Assessment
Implementation of AI-driven predictive analytics to support strategic planning in education and evaluate social impacts.
• Deep Learning Systems for Mobility and Environmental Monitoring
Deployment of advanced algorithms to optimize mobility management and monitor environmental conditions.
• Computer Vision Applications
Utilization of image recognition technologies for asbestos detection, precipitation forecasting, and enhancement of physical safety measures for workers on construction sites.
• Web App Development for Contributions and Incentives with IA integration
“Incentivi FVG” is the new web app of the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region designed for companies, professionals, and investors. The platform brings together all information on grants, incentives, and opportunities in a single place, allowing for quick and personalized searches thanks to filters by sector, beneficiary type, and incentive category. An interactive calendar allows you to keep track of deadlines and openings, while a dedicated section lists active measures. A project is underway to integrate the web app with artificial intelligence systems to provide personalized services on the most relevant financing opportunities.
These initiatives are supported by the regional ICT infrastructure, which provides the necessary foundation for research and experimentation in the field of Artificial Intelligence. The Friuli Venezia Giulia Region adopts a gradual and sustainable approach, focused on innovative solutions that address the needs of public services and the territory.
The Agency Select Friuli Venezia Giulia regularly organizes events and participation in international trade fairs, investment forums, roadshows, and international missions abroad, particularly to raise awareness and promote innovative startups operating in the region and attract innovative investments, including SMAU (London, Paris), Viva Technology (Paris), and WAICF (Cannes).
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
- Sebastiano Callari – Regional Minister for Assets, State Property, General Services, and Information Systems
- Patrizia Armaroli – Private Secretary to the Regional Councillor for Assets, State Property, General Services, and Information Systems – Sebastiano Callari
- Marco Padrini – Director General, Assets, State Property, General Services, and Information Systems
- Paolo Perucci – Deputy Director General, Assets, State Property, General Services, and Information Systems
- Mattia Assandri – Press and Communications Office
- Lydia Alessio-Vernì – Director General, Agenzia Select Friuli Venezia Giulia
- Ilaria Crose – Organizational Position: Tenders, Procurement, and Legal Support, Agenzia Select Friuli Venezia Giulia
- Sarah Scuderi – Investment Attraction, Agenzia Select Friuli Venezia Giulia
- Diego Antonini – CEO, Insiel Spa
Additional Resources or References
- www.regione.fvg.it
- https://www.regione.fvg.it/rafvg/cms/RAFVG/ricerca/fare-ricerca/
- ttps://www.selectfriuliveneziagiulia.it/Portale/index.aspx
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/selectfvg/?viewAsMember=true
- https://incentivi.regione.fvg.it/
- https://youtu.be/Y_UTQJsBwl0?si=Y911nty7w_FiDDGZ
- https://www.regione.fvg.it/rafvg/cms/RAFVG/salute-sociale/sistema-sociale-sanitario/FOGLIA16/
- ttps://www.insiel.it/ https://portale.units.it/it
- https://www.uniud.it/it
- https://www.sissa.it/it
- https://www.areasciencepark.it/
- https://www.ditedi.it/
- https://tec4ifvg.it/
- https://www.polotecnologicoaltoadriatico.it/
- https://www.fabfvg.it/
- https://clusterarredo.com/
- https://clustercomet.it/
- https://www.marefvg.it/
- https://www.creativefvg.eu/
- https://erpac.regione.fvg.it/
- https://www.incubatori.fvg.it/FRIULI
- https://www.sisfvg.it/it/
- https://www.informest.it/
- https://www.sistemaitsfvg.it/
- https://www.carniaindustrialpark.it/it
- https://www.cosef.fvg.it/it
- https://www.ponterosso.it/
- https://www.consorzionip.it/
- https://www.coselag.it/
- https://www.coseveg.it/it
