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.

Research Centres and Infrastructures

National and international Research Centres are located in the regional territory: their initiatives and the synergies and collaborations with the regional research system contribute to configuring Emilia-Romagna as a pole of scientific excellence. These institutes operate in fields ranging from nuclear physics to astrophysics, from new technologies to sustainable energy, up to geophysics and climate change. Within this structured system of bodies involved in research activities, Emilia-Romagna counts on 27 hubs included in the ESFRI - European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures Roadmap: this network contributes to the development of a coherent strategy for the development of research infrastructures in Europe.

Clust-ER

The Clust-ER associations are 11 communities of public and private entities: research centers, businesses, and training institutions work as a team according to the open innovation model, collaborating to develop medium to long-term strategies and joint projects with high regional impact in the areas of Smart Specialisation Strategy. These associations share ideas, skills, resources, and results, multiplying growth opportunities.

By associating with the Clust-ERs, industrial Research Laboratories and Innovation Centers, businesses and startups, consortia and institutions, ITS foundations and training bodies have the opportunity to connect with networks to participate in regionally, nationally, and European-funded projects, activate synergies with similar public-private aggregations at national and European levels, and support the creation of new research infrastructures.

New Players

The ecosystem is constantly growing, continuously enriching itself with new actors, projects, and infrastructures dedicated to research and innovation. In this context, Regional Law 7/2019 was introduced to promote the investments of the Emilia-Romagna Region in the sectors of Big Data, Artificial Intelligence, meteorology, and climate change.

Technopoles and Infrastructures

Technopoles are territorial access points for the innovation ecosystem, where the demand from businesses finds solutions offered by the regional research system. These spaces host and manage research activities and services to support innovation; they offer facilities for dissemination, guidance, and reception for businesses, along with spaces for spin-offs and private laboratories. The Techopoles Network, composed of 12 infrastructures distributed across more than 20 locations in Emilia-Romagna, is managed by Universities, Research Institutions, and Innovation Centers, serving the economic system of SMEs. One of the points of international excellence is DAMA Emilia-Romagna Data Manufacturing Technopole, in Bologna, which is the international reference for supercomputing, Big Data, and Artificial Intelligence.

Emilia-Romagna Technopole Network