An investment of 1.3 billion euros with which the Ministry of University and Research has supported the creation of 12 Innovation Ecosystems at the territorial, regional or supra-regional level, of which five are in the Southern Italy.
The ecosystems are characterized by the following elements:
- Innovative training activities in synergy between universities and the private sector aimed at reducing the mismatch between skills acquired during university studies and those required by companies.
- Conduct of research activities in collaboration between universities and small and medium-sized enterprises in the area.
- Support for startups.
- Involvement of the local community on sustainability and innovation issues.
Presented by Politecnico di Torino together with a network of 24 public and private partners NODES has a budget of 110 million euros and aims to create research and innovation chains by increasing competitiveness in the seven areas that represent the entrepreneurial vocation of the territory:
Industry 4.0 for sustainable mobility and aerospace, Industrial sustainability and green technologies, Tourism and culture industry, Digital and sustainable mountain, Health industry and silver economy, and Primary and secondary agro-industry.
The project operates through an implementing entity, the company NODES Scarl - so-called Hub - which is responsible for managing and monitoring results and impact, consisting of all public universities in Italy's Northwestern area. The implementing entities, in turn - called Spoke - are coordinated by the same universities that formed the Hub and are supported by partners involved in the implementation of specific projects and initiatives.
Politecnico di Torino plays several roles within the NODES ecosystem:
- It coordinates Spoke 1 focused on the technological domains of Aerospace and Sustainable Mobility, on which the ecosystem has a strong industrial and skills legacy
- Participates as a partner in Spoke 2 - Industrial Sustainability and Green Technologies, Spoke 4 - Digital and Sustainable Mountains, Spoke 5 - Health Industry and Silver Economy, and Spoke 7 - Secondary Agroindustry
