Campania, two calls for investment in strategic technologies launched

The first two public notices of the Campania Region, totalling EUR 80 million, for the use of EU resources to support companies in the development and manufacture of innovative and cutting-edge technologies will be published from mid-June.

The first notice - applications from 24 June to 15 July 2025 - concerns research and development projects with a high technological impact in the aerospace sector in Campania, to support enterprises towards industrial, digital and green transition and increase their resilience. This notice supports investment and research activities by fostering synergies between companies of different sizes and provides for two sections. The first is action 1.1.2 'Aerospace and clean aviation', has a budget of EUR 20 million and the projects eligible for funding must provide for the implementation of industrial research and experimental development, economic exploitation of research, validation and demonstration of products, and technology transfer projects between research and business and between business and business. Micro and SMEs with operational headquarters in Campania are eligible, and the stable aggregation may also include large enterprises and research organisations. Eligible expenses are between EUR 1 and 3 million.

Section 2 'Action 1.6.1 STEP' has a budget of EUR 10 million. Projects must relate to the development or manufacture of critical or cutting-edge technologies and the strengthening of the respective value chains, in particular for the green and digital transition of the sector.Proposed interventions must cover at least one of the following technology areas (STEP): digital technologies and deep-tech innovation, clean and resource-efficient technologies, biotechnology. Eligible for support are enterprises of any size, in single or aggregate form, which are established on the date of submission of the application, and which have an operating centre, active or to be activated, in Campania. The amount of eligible expenses (company land, building works, machinery, intangible assets, personnel engaged in research, patents, etc.) must be no less than EUR 2.5 million. Projects will be selected by a ranking procedure, and the aid is a capital contribution.

The second public notice - applications will be submitted from 16 June to 7 July 2025 - concerns the 'Development and Manufacturing of Critical Technologies-STEP' and the intervention assets are Digital Technologies and Deep-tech, Clean-Tech and Bio-tech. Also related to Por Campania Fesr 2021-2027 - concerns support for the development and manufacture of critical technologies (they are such if they bring an innovative element to the internal market, i.e. they reduce or prevent strategic dependencies of the EU) by favouring high-tech investments promoted by SMEs and large enterprises. The notice has a total budget of EUR 50 million and aims to strengthen value chains in the area of green and digital transition. Eligible interventions must include the realisation of productive investments for the development or manufacture of the proposed strategic technology, possible industrial research and experimental development activities. The amount of eligible expenditure (company land, building works, machinery, intangible assets, research personnel, patents) must be no less than EUR 2.5 million. Projects will be selected on a ranking basis and the aid is a capital grant.

Both public notices are the result of the STEP strategy (European Platform for Strategic Technologies) with which the EU wants to boost European industrial competitiveness by focusing on technologies that can expand the market, foster sustainability and employment, and make Europe less dependent on third countries. In order to adhere to this strategy, the Campania Region has reprogrammed its 2021-2027 ERDF-PR making available 581.1 million - of which 577.8 million on critical technologies and 23.2 million on the development of skills in strategic Step sectors - to be invested in technologies that can help reduce and prevent EU dependence. On this platform, Italy has mobilised the largest number of resources, almost 3 billion (compared to other EU countries), especially from the southern regions. Campania is, after Sicily, the second largest region in terms of allocation.