From research to business: MATCHIN kicks off in Piedmont
The Piedmont Region has approved “MATCHIN,” a measure that allocates €5 million from the 2021–2027 ERDF Programme to encourage the integration of highly qualified researchers into small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Piedmont.
The goal is clear: to strengthen the region’s research, development, and innovation capacity by building a stable bridge between the world of public research and private enterprise.
The call for proposals, which will be published by the end of 2025, includes two lines of intervention:
- Grants for the direct hiring of researchers by SMEs with an operational or production site in Piedmont.
- Support for the temporary collaboration of personnel from universities and research organizations.
Through this dual approach, MATCHIN aims to foster the circulation of skills and knowledge between universities and businesses, while supporting new opportunities for professional growth for researchers and applied innovation processes for companies.
A strategic link between education, research, and enterprise
“The goal of the Region is to create an ever-closer link between research and business, between academic innovation and productive application,” stated Alberto Cirio, President of the Piedmont Region. “In Piedmont we have outstanding universities and research centers that nurture innovation and talent: bringing this wealth into practice means giving the entrepreneurial system concrete tools to face the challenges of future growth and competitiveness.”
Echoing this view, Elena Chiorino, Vice President and Regional Minister for Education, Labor, and Training, emphasized that MATCHIN represents an investment in people: “Innovation is not born by decree, but from the meeting of knowledge and know-how, from the talent of researchers and the courage of entrepreneurs. With MATCHIN, we want to strengthen that strategic bridge between education, research, and business, which is the key to the competitiveness of our production system. Investing in people means investing in the future of our Region.”
Innovation for SMEs, value for the territory
According to Andrea Tronzano, Regional Minister for Productive Activities, the measure represents “another key step in strengthening the local production system.”
Integrating university researchers into small and medium-sized enterprises, he explained, “offers an extraordinary opportunity to stimulate innovation and foster business growth, allowing companies to access advanced knowledge and skills to face an ever-evolving market.”
Matteo Marnati, Regional Minister for Innovation, also highlighted that “more skilled work means more technology and greater innovative capacity,” reaffirming the importance of human capital as the engine of technological progress.
Support from the Piedmont university system
The initiative has been welcomed by the heads of Piedmont’s universities, partners of the NODES Ecosystem:
Stefano Corgnati (Polytechnic University of Turin), Cristina Prandi (University of Turin), and Menico Rizzi (University of Eastern Piedmont) described MATCHIN as “an innovative measure, unprecedented at the national level, which recognizes the value of researchers as a bridge between universities and enterprises.”
The rectors emphasized that the initiative allows the talents trained in Piedmont’s universities to be fully valued, providing companies with cross-cutting technical and scientific skills, problem-solving abilities, and interdisciplinary collaboration.
It is therefore an opportunity to enhance the competitiveness of local businesses while offering researchers professional development and shared growth opportunities.
An opportunity for the NODES network
For the NODES – Nord Ovest Digitale e Sostenibile (Digital and Sustainable North-West) ecosystem, MATCHIN is a strategic lever consistent with the technology transfer and talent development activities carried out during the 2022–2025 project period.
Thanks to this new measure, researchers involved in the Innovation Ecosystem will also find new opportunities for direct collaboration with Piedmontese SMEs, further strengthening the public–private innovation network launched by NODES.
MATCHIN positions itself as a key element for consolidating the alliance between research, enterprise, and the territory, transforming scientific expertise into a driver of innovation and sustainable development for Piedmont.
FACT SHEET
MATCHIN Call for Proposals – Summary
- Promoter: Piedmont Region
- Available funds: €5 million (ERDF 2021–2027)
- Beneficiaries: SMEs with an operational or production site in Piedmont
- Eligible actions:
- Direct hiring of researchers
- Temporary collaborations with staff from universities and research organizations
- Objectives: strengthen R&D capacity, innovation, and skills for industrial transition
- Call publication: by December 31, 2025
NEWS SOURCES
(DGR) 3 November 2025, No. 18-1782 – Approval of measure fact sheet
