NODES - three years of Research and Innovation that leave a lasting mark: the report 22/25
On 30 June 2026, the 30 research programmes funded by the Italian Ministry of University and Research (MUR) under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR), including the NODES Ecosystem, officially came to an end.
This marked the completion of one of the largest investments in Italian research, with €4.748 billion in reported expenditure, as highlighted by Fabrizio Cobis, an official at MUR’s Directorate-General for Research.
Among the programmes reaching the finish line is NODES – Nord Ovest Digitale E Sostenibile, one of the eleven Innovation Ecosystems funded by MUR, which has certainly made a significant contribution. In just over three years, it has transformed more than €112 million into research, technologies, skills and new opportunities for businesses and local communities.
But what will remain once the funding comes to an end?
For NODES, the answer lies in the quality of the results achieved, in its ability to bring universities and businesses closer together, and in the value of the relationships built over these years.
An Ecosystem Worth Over €112 Million
Launched in 2022, NODES brought together universities, businesses, research centres, institutions and local communities across Piedmont, Aosta Valley and western Lombardy, while also fostering collaborations with Southern Italy.
More than 1,400 people contributed to the Ecosystem’s activities, nearly 500 of them through newly created positions and around two-thirds aged under 36. Research, Proofs of Concept, business innovation, training and acceleration were integrated into a single pathway: from the creation of knowledge to its practical application and, ultimately, its connection with the market.
Seven Spokes, from Research to Results
The Ecosystem took shape through seven thematic Spokes, coordinated by partner universities and developed in collaboration with businesses, research centres and local stakeholders.
From aerospace and sustainable mobility to green technologies, tourism and culture, mountain ecosystems, health and the Silver Economy, primary agroindustry and food processing, the Spokes addressed a wide range of challenges with a common goal: bringing research closer to the needs of businesses and local communities.
At the scientific core of this work were 15 Flagship Projects, involving more than 540 researchers and professionals and resulting in hundreds of scientific publications, over 50 prototypes and technology demonstrators, as well as new intellectual property assets. In many cases, these technologies and solutions moved beyond the laboratory to become platforms, infrastructures, services and real-world pilot projects. This process also helped strengthen technological and industrial value chains by connecting scientific expertise, industrial capabilities and market opportunities.
From Innovation to Market
Through its cascade funding calls, NODES funded 183 projects, involving more than 300 companies and mobilising investments of over €56 million. Initial impact data show significant results: 92% of the companies developed new or improved products or services, while 89% introduced process innovations.
On the research side, 61 academic Proofs of Concept helped technologies progress towards more mature applications, while over 470 companies and startups took part in acceleration activities and more than 220 meetings with potential investors. From new products to startups and spin-offs, and from new collaborations to the development of new value chains, NODES supported innovation throughout the entire journey: from research to market.
Skills, Students and New Professional Profiles
NODES also invested in people, delivering more than 200 training programmes and supporting 23 industrial PhDs.
The 25 Students’ Challenges brought together more than 700 students to work in multidisciplinary teams on real-world problems proposed by companies, bringing education and the world of work closer together.
For hundreds of young researchers and professionals, the Ecosystem also provided an opportunity to develop scientific, technological and managerial skills and build new professional networks.
The Greatest Value: Connections
Numbers are essential, especially at the end of a project, but they do not tell the whole story.
Over these years, universities that had rarely worked together before have built new collaborations, small and micro-enterprises have moved closer to the world of research, and universities, researchers, startups and local communities have learned to see themselves as part of the same system, as NODES President Stefano Corgnati and Director General Chiara Ferroni have emphasised on several occasions.
This is the value repeatedly highlighted by all those who have been part of NODES: the relationships and trust built between people and institutions.
One Programme Ends, the Ecosystem Continues
NODES leaves behind laboratories, platforms, prototypes, technologies, startups and training programmes. It leaves behind projects and collaborations already looking towards new opportunities. Above all, it leaves behind a network.
Three years ago, NODES was an ecosystem waiting to be built. Today, it is a legacy of people, skills and relationships that have learned to work together. The programme comes to an end. The connections remain. Because, as our tagline says:
NODES: Where connections shape our future.
