The invitations to apply for funding launched by the University of Trento in August have been extended to 31 October for private companies located in the north east and south of Italy that could support the digital and green transition promoted by the National Recovery and Resilience Plan.
The funds made available by the Ministry of University and Research to the Inest consortium (Interconnected Nord-Est Innovation Ecosystem), of which the University is a founding member, amount to 3 million euro.
Inest is one of the eleven innovation ecosystems created to implement the objectives of the NRRP through public and private universities, public research institutes and highly qualified public and private organizations. The consortium, which brings together nine Universities of the Italian north east, the National Research Council (CNR) and the National Institute of Oceanography and Experimental Geophysics, is structured as a hub and spoke network, with a central hub that coordinates the ecosystem and nine spokes, each led by one university, that oversee the implementation of research programmes in the various areas: industry-manufacturing, agriculture, sea, mountain, construction, tourism, culture, health.
The University of Trento will coordinate the health, well-being and lifestyles area, that is Spoke 2. Its mission is to develop technological and social innovation for local health systems, thanks to biotechnology, robotics and the use of artificial intelligence. The goal is to improve people's quality of life.
The participants must submit proposals to develop highly technological ideas in the areas of human health, medicine and well-being.
To implement the research projects and facilitate technology transfer, the spokes provide funding to manufacturing and industrial companies through the so-called "cascading" calls.
The calls for funding launched by the University of Trento will benefit the North-East and the South of Italy, as required by the general regulation. For the first one, applications are welcome from companies in Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Veneto and the Autonomous Provinces of Bolzano and Trento (Triveneto). These are worth 2 million euros. For the second, the projects must be implemented in the South of Italy (Abruzzo, Molise, Campania, Puglia, Basilicata, Calabria, Sicily and Sardinia). The budged for this call is 1,175 million euros. Applications are welcome from micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), large enterprises, as well as research organizations.
Areas of intervention. Industrial research and experimental development projects must be consistent with the research areas of the two calls: technologies and digital systems for health (in the field of diagnosis, therapy, prevention, quality of life, assistive environments, inclusion); biotechnology and innovative pharmaceutical technologies; health devices; the promotion of well-being and healthy lifestyles through nutrition and the study of nutrigenomics.
The deadline to apply is 31 October 2023.
Visit the Inest consortium website at https://www.consorzioinest.it/bandi/bandi-spoke-2/ to read and download the calls and find the information sheets and application templates.
They are also available on the University board at the following links:
iNest Spoke 2 Cascading calls PNRR Area Triveneto (University Register - document no. 1300 of 29 September 2023)
iNest Spoke 2 Cascading calls PNRR Area Mezzogiorno (University Register - document no. 1301 of 29 September 2023)
The duration of the projects may not exceed 15 months. In both calls, gender equality, the valorization of young people, and the promotion of the principles of Open Science and Fair Data, will be a priority. Applicants can submit the application for funding on the iNEST Consortium platform "Bandi On Line iNEST" (https://www.bandiconsorzioinest.it/). The calls' documents, attachments and forms can also be found on the website of the University of Trento: https://www.unitn.it/ricerca/110218/italia-domani and in the Calls section of the iNEST consortium (consorzioinest.it)
Full details on the calls, including FAQs, can be found on: https://www.consorzioinest.it/bandi/. For information email to assistenza [at] bandiconsorzioinest.it