Technological challenges more and more complex and rapidly evolving. This is the scenario described by the top management of the University to the 62 companies that were welcomed at Politecnico di Milano on the 1st of December.
In Aula Magna Pesenti, in the new Architecture Campus where, as highlighted by rector Ferruccio Resta , University and institutions meet periodically companies and Alumni, the first JRC Annual Meeting was held, a moment of discussion with the University's partners to showcase the results achieved thanks to agreements with companies. The PNRR guidelines and the need to invest in research, education and innovation. How?
“Complexity requires us to create a system”, comments Daniele Rocchi , delegate of rector of Corporate Relations , at the beginning of the event. On stage together with the rector, there was pro-rector and research delegate Donatella Sciuto , the Alumnus Renato Lombardi (VP Huawei Italia and R&D Director Huawei Italia), the Alumnus Renato Mazzoncini (CEO of A2A), the Alumnus Andrea Ruckstuhl (Director EMEA of LENDLEASE), Roberto Tomasi (CEO of Autostrade per l'Italia) and Francesca Zarri (ENI Director of Technology, R&D & Digital).
"Politecnico has in its DNA the inclination to applied research which involves the industrial world: in academic jargon we call it Third Mission (the first two are teaching and research), it is the ability to transfer research from laboratories to the social context ”, comments Rocchi.
From the departments, the heart of scientific development, to technology transfer, Politecnico makes use of various tools such as the Switch2Product ideas competition and the Polihub, one of the best business accelerators to the world, as well as a series of venture capital initiatives that serve to support the necessary growth in investment volumes.
The objective of these tools is measurable: to increase the TRL ( Technology Readiness Level , an index that measures the maturity of a technology with respect to the market) of polytechnic inventions and more, since these are initiatives involving start-ups and entrepreneurship from all over the territory.
Among the various models of collaboration with businesses, the Joint Research Center , strategic partnerships with immediate repercussions both in terms of research and training (in particular with the support for PhDs and young researchers).
“Between now and the next 3 months the first match of the PNRR will be played, for 6 billion euros ”, comments the rector Ferruccio Resta. "The first guidelines issued by the Government for Measure 4, the one intended for universities, pay particular attention to the university-business relationship. They indicate concrete tools for approaching civil society and the world of production in a supply chain perspective through the creation of public-private partnerships on cross-cutting issues; the establishment of national centers dedicated to key technologies; the strengthening of ecosystems for the development of territories and greater integration between research and innovation infrastructures to increase competitiveness on a national and European scale. A decisive step of openness and extended collaboration that our university has been pursuing for some time."
To date, in fact, 185 research agreements between companies and Politecnico are active, for a compressive value of 150 million euros per year . A tradition for the University, which with the meeting on 1 December wanted to share with the territory: in essence, to open the works to create a consortium of universities and companies that allow them to intercept resources and investments expected in the coming months, with a shared, multidisciplinary and multi-stakeholder approach. Resta looks to the future of the country: "The goal is to go beyond the PNRR and ensure that this contribution creates lasting value for the system, even beyond 2026".
