Innovation and territory: success for NODES’ Tech Sharing Days at Politecnico

Over 500 participants, 61 applied research projects, dozens of interventions including pitches, roundtables, and direct meetings with stakeholders. These are the numbers for the NODES’ Tech Sharing Days, the event organized on May 27 and 28 at the Politecnico by the NODES – Nord Ovest Digitale E Sostenibile (North-West Digital and Sustainable) Innovation Ecosystem, with the aim of connecting universities, territories, and the productive world to generate concrete solutions to the challenges of digital and ecological transition.

The heart of the initiative was the over 60 academic Proof of Concept (PoC) projects, developed by research teams from eight universities and divided by thematic areas – aerospace, green tech, health, culture, mountains, agro-industry. The projects were presented in 5-minute pitch sessions, in a true high-intensity innovation marathon that generated great interest among businesses, investors, incubators, and visitors.

“Innovating, today, is the most concrete form of designing the future, and doing it together, in an inclusive ecosystem, means generating real value for territories and society,” commented Rector Stefano Corgnati, President of NODES, while presenting the Academic PoCs to the public.

The program also included two thematic roundtables. The first, moderated by Il Sole 24 Ore journalist Filomena Greco, was dedicated to "Innovation and technology transfer: NODES and academic research as a business driver". It featured interventions from university representatives and entities such as Compagnia di San Paolo, LifTT, Claris Venture, Club degli Investitori, and incubators I3P and 2i3T. The second, moderated by La Repubblica journalist Cristina Palazzo, focused instead on "Sustainability and innovation in the NODES territories". This roundtable saw the participation of Visit Piemonte, UNCEM Piemonte, CCIAA Torino, Eleva, and HUB NODES.

Alongside the institutional and scientific moments, the event offered informal networking spaces and light lunches with local products, also aimed at enhancing the agri-food identity of the North-West.

NODES is one of the eleven Italian Innovation Ecosystems, funded by the Ministry of University and Research as part of the PNRR – NextGenerationEU. It is a project worth over 112 million euros that involves more than thirty partners including universities, research centers, innovation hubs, incubators, and accelerators, with the goal of transforming scientific knowledge into concrete and shared solutions.

“The Tech Sharing Days are a concrete opportunity to show what happens when academic research meets businesses and investors,” declared Chiara Ferroni, General Director of NODES, at the close of the event. “It was important to see the potential of the PoCs, the direct involvement of stakeholders, and the enthusiastic response of the participants firsthand. The collaboration with Politecnico di Torino, the ecosystem leader and active organizer, gave great strength to the initiative. These two days confirm that technology transfer is a strategic lever for the future of our territory and that synergy among universities, institutions, and businesses is fundamental for generating concrete impact”.