The short chain of innovation

With almost 350 million euro allocated by public and private players, investment in research and development accounts for 1.46% of Trentino's GDP (against the national average of around 1.4%). And, with research centres of European importance that employ almost 5,000 people, a university with over 16,000 members, and public and private accelerators, the Alpine region boasts one of the most vital innovation ecosystems in the Northeast and in Italy. This is also proven by the density of start-ups: 9.4 per 1,000 capital companies (regional figure including South Tyrol), more than in Friuli-Venezia Giulia (8.9) and Lombardy (9.1). It is no coincidence that in the European Commission's Regional Innovation Scoreboard 2023 Trentino is classified as a Strong Innovator, on a par with Friuli-Venezia Giulia and better than Veneto, which is considered a Moderate Innovator+. The land where the famous Council was held, in short, has managed to emerge at European level, also thanks to the international quality of its research. In fact, researchers and students having an aperitif in Piazza Duomo or Via Belenzani speak English, Spanish and French in addition to Italian. This is confirmed by a couple of students enrolled in the master's degree in computer science: 'here we have colleagues from China, Latin America, Africa'. In short, an ecumenical atmosphere for an ambitious province.

"Trentino has long been committed to building an innovation ecosystem capable of supporting the economic and social development of the territory," says Achille Spinelli, Councillor for Economic Development, Labour, University and Research of the Autonomous Province of Trento. "Through collaboration between the research system, the production system, and territorial institutions, our ecosystem seeks to facilitate technology and knowledge transfer and to accelerate the digital transformation of production processes with a view to economic, social, and environmental sustainability. The councillor mentions Fem and Fbk, among others. Two acronyms now familiar to the Trentino public that indicate the Edmund Mach Foundation, a European point of reference in agricultural and agri-food sciences, and the Bruno Kessler Foundation, known for its scientific work in areas such as Ia and microelectronics. Spinelli also mentions 'the launch of a hydrogen hub, with spaces and technologies related to the use of clean fuel for energy production, and the creation of a hub dedicated to life sciences and another to information technologies'. The aim is to 'create a context that generates and attracts entrepreneurial projects capable of growth and job creation'.

Ivonne Forno, president of the Hit Foundation, the province's instrumental body for technology and knowledge transfer, points out the importance of what she defines as the short supply chain: 'the proximity between research centres, universities, companies and institutions facilitates dialogue and collaboration, accelerating innovation processes and strengthening the link between training and the labour market'. An example of this can be seen in Povo, the hill where Fbk and various university departments, such as engineering and information science and integrated biology, are concentrated in a single street; Hit itself is located in Povo, in Piazza Manci. Over the years, the hill's scientific effervescence has helped generate successful start-ups. For example, Optoi, a group specialising in microelectronics born as a spin-off of Fbk, or Sibylla Biotech, a spin-off of the Universities of Trento and Perugia, and the National Institute of Nuclear Physics. Another strong point is indicated by Alfredo Maglione, a former researcher at the helm of Optoi and vice-president with responsibility for innovation at Confindustria Trento: 'Ours is an area similar to the Länder of Germany, which have invested in innovation and created centres such as Fraunhofer. Furthermore, there is a predisposition for open innovation, for innovating together'.

However, there is no shortage of critical issues. Forno notes, for example, that 'despite a solid ecosystem, the relatively small size of the local market can be a challenge for start-ups and innovative companies aiming to scale up. Trentino is fostering openness with national and international collaborations, but it is essential to strengthen them further'. The Alpine province, like the rest of the country, also suffers from limited access to private investment, "especially in the life sciences and biotechnology sectors, where large investments and long development times are required". Maglione also notes that, against a backdrop of a national decline in investment in R&D, Trentino is unfortunately not outdone. "A decade ago we invested around 1.7% of GDP, but this figure has fallen. The trend must be reversed'.