Sardinia, for innovative Startups. SMEs the challenge of Switzerland
Call for internationalisation promoted by the Regional Department of Industry in cooperation with Ice and the Italian Chamber of Commerce for Switzerland
Key points
Support for innovative companies and SMEs in the Swiss ecosystem. This is why the Region of Sardinia has launched the Acceleration Programme for start-ups, innovative companies and SMEs outside Italia.
The initiative is led by the Department of Industry with the support of the Ice Agency and the Italian Chamber of Commerce for Switzerland. All this by leveraging 'a market with a high rate of technological innovation and macroeconomic stability such as Switzerland's'.
A double objective
The initiative, as emphasised by the Region, has a twofold objective: "to trigger a learning mechanism for Sardinian start-ups through the expertise of Swiss operators (founders, corporations, investors, coaches); to increase the international network of Sardinian start-ups through the Swiss ecosystem, thus gaining access to meetings with potential investors, principals, industrial players or potential users who can validate the proposed technology and solutions". The companies will be involved in a coaching and acceleration process on the Swiss ecosystem with ICE experts from the Italian Chamber of Commerce for Switzerland and the support of Kickstart Innovation, one of the leading open innovation platforms in Europe.
A bridge between Sardinia and Swiss investors
"This initiative defines a direct and structured path to connect the Sardinian ecosystem with the innovation needs of Swiss companies and investors," reads the announcement. The overall objective is to support the internationalisation and commercial growth of Sardinian companies, actively positioning the region as a key source of innovation for the Swiss market: a global hub for finance, technology and industry'.
The programme phases
The selected companies will participate in a two-stage process. The programme offers high-level access to the Swiss market to define pilot projects, Proof of Concept (PoC) and business partnerships, facilitating the creation of business agreements, investment opportunities and long-term partnerships. The articulation of the plan ranges from the submission of applications and registration of the company profile on the dedicated page https://italiantech.ch/connecting-sardinian- innovation-with-the-swiss-ecosystem/ curated by the ICE Agency and the Italian Chamber of Commerce for Switzerland with the support of Kick Start innovation, to the preparatory initiatives for the days in Sardinia aimed at "understanding the market and the matchmaking mechanism.
