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On Monday 12 June, at the University of Sannio in Benevento, the event for the presentation of cascade funding for Spoke 3 - Tourism and Culture Industry  (of which the University of Insubria is the leader) dedicated to companies in the South. After the initial greetings from the mayor, the Honorable Clemente Mastella, the "NODES- Digital and Sustainable North West" project was presented in detail, which will bring about 15 million euros for research activities and cascading tenders in favor of companies in the southern regions of the country. The University of Sannio, through the scientific responsibility of prof. Paolo Esposito, is the only university in Campania and in the South, together with the University of Salento, to be directly involved as a planning and scientific partner in the Nodes project. Also present at the meeting were the rector of the University of Sannio Gerardo Canfora, the director of Confindustria Benevento Anna Pezza and the president of ASI Benevento Luigi Barone.   Speakers: Raffaella Di Nardo, Research and Innovation manager of Nodes S.c.a.r.l, Barbara Pozzo, Research and Innovation manager of Spoke3, Piercarlo Rossi of the University of Turin, scientific director of the CIRIL project, and Luca Farfan, of the cascade funding Nodes Team of Unioncamere Piemonte which had the task of illustrating to the representatives of the companies present the procedures necessary to participate in the tenders. “Initially - explained Prof. Barbara Pozzo - the project envisaged a network of universities in the North but currently extends to universities in the South, including Unisannio. The initiative develops along two lines: that of research and that of development and support for small and medium-sized enterprises in the area; not only Samnite and Campanian, but of the entire South. A unique opportunity to participate in research projects and take advantage of the cascading tenders dedicated to small and medium-sized enterprises that start now and end in September". Furthermore, during the day the CIRIL flagship project was presented which directly involves the University of Sannio as a partner of SPOKE 3. “CIRIL – clarified prof. Piercarlo Rossi – was created to apply emerging technologies such as augmented reality and mixed reality not only in the industrial sector but also in tourism and culture. In particular, a metaverse of culture declined alongside the territories can represent a valid contribution to the development of Italy". The CIRIL project will be conducted on a wider area, such as the Province of Benevento through the experience of the University of Sannio in competition with the development of the activities foreseen within the SHERIL Project (a project financed by the PNRR for the amount of 10 million Euros, of which UNISANNIO is the proponent and leader), reinterpreting the technological, green and digital transformation according to the enhancement of our heritage of art and culture, engine for the birth of new services and the establishment of an industry new generation culture in the South. "The activity - explained the Rector Gerardo Canfora - aims to investigate how to increase visitor attendance in lesser-known cultural areas through the adoption of ICT, as well as to implement new technological architectures that allow the construction of thematic and personalized itineraries, improving the design capacity of cultural sites through innovative tools for data collection and analysis”.  

From 26 May to 6 June 2023 DISSTE  (Department for sustainable development and ecological transition) of the Piemonte Orientale university and the study centre Upontourism host Prof. Harald Pechlaner, full professor of tourism and Director of the Entrepreneurship Center as Visiting Professor within the PNRR NODES Spoke 3 Project at the Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingoldtadt in Germany, Director of the Center for Advanced Studies of EURAC Research in Bolzano. Head is Prof. Stefania Cerutti, who from 1st June will in turn be Digital Visiting Professor of the Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingoldtad. The field research activities include a busy schedule of interviews conducted in the Verbano Cusio Ossola area with people who live in/in the mountains (operators, producers, administrators, representatives, etc.), with the aim of collecting a database to develop research topics, project lines and publications: 29 May in Ossola, 30 May in Verbano, 4 and 5 June in Cusio. Furthermore, on 31 May the webinar titled "Culture & tourism or cultural tourism: perspectives of cultural heritage and sustainability" will be held at 2.00 pm at Villa San Remigio and live online, organized in collaboration with ArsUniVco. This will make it possible to feed the TOEP flagship project platform, to come into direct contact with some companies for cascade funding and in general to contribute to the development of the actions envisaged by Spoke3.   All information in the attached flyer or below link

On May 9, the presentation event of the cascading calls for Spoke 3, Tourism and Culture Industry and Spoke 5, Health Industry and Silver Economy was held in Lecce at the University of Salento. By adhering to the cascading tenders, the companies of the South will have the opportunity to take advantage of 2.5 million euros which can be used in the development and innovation of small and medium-sized enterprises, in the creation of new products and technologies and in research and stimulation of new production processes useful for the country's economic and industrial growth. The event took place in the conference room of the Rectorate which finds its place in a wonderful setting which is the historic center of Lecce in the presence of the Magnificent Rector of the University of Salento, Prof. Fabio Pollice who conveyed his greetings to all present. Representing the Universities and the Ecosystem were the Magnificent Rector of the University of Eastern Piedmont, prof. Gian Carlo Avanzi, the General Manager of the NODES Hub - Eng. Chiara Ferroni, the Project Managers of Spoke 3 and 5, prof.ssa Barbara Pozzo and prof. Marco Invernizzi and the project coordinator for the development of the territory of Unioncamere Piemonte, Dr. Micol Crostelli. At the end of the meeting, an important debate was held with the companies present from which the interest in the subjects dealt with and the need to forge virtuous synergies between companies and universities emerged.   The cascade calls for tenders for Line A - Mezzogiorno - Spoke 3 companies can be consulted below link        

Presented the flagship projects and the "cascade tenders" for companies This afternoon, at the Città Studi Biella Congress Center, the Nodes Project "Digital And Sustainable North West" was presented, selected by the Ministry of University as part of the investments envisaged by the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) and the Spoke 3 – Tourism and Culture Industry. The press conference was attended by the President of Città Studi Biella Pier Ettore Pellerey, the Scientific Director of Spoke 3 Barbara Pozzo, the research and innovation manager of the NODES Hub Raffaella di Nardo, the pro-rector of the University of Turin Giulia Carluccio , Piercarlo Rossi from the University of Turin, Stefania Benetti from the University of Eastern Piedmont and Sara Lucca from ComoNext Innovation Hub. Spoke 3 - Tourism and Culture Industry, led by the University of Insubria, plays a very important role within the PNRR Nodes project "Digital And Sustainable North West". The partners involved in the project are: the University of Turin, the University of Eastern Piedmont, the University of Insubria, the University of Valle D'Aosta, Città Studi Biella and ComoNext Innovation Hub. Through its activities, Spoke3 intends to contribute to improving people's well-being through the use of all the material and immaterial forms in which culture and knowledge are expressed. The intent is to forge synergies between all the actors who work together to respond to these needs such as schools, universities, bookshops, cinemas, creative and cultural industries, museums, libraries, archives, the archaeological areas, the theatres. Spoke3's mission is to develop the territory and local culture by linking them to historical, artistic and architectural factors, to its natural beauties, as well as to other aspects which, in one way or another, are linked to the concept of creativity at the in order to encourage an entrepreneurial culture dedicated to sustainability. The reference research areas of Spoke3 concern the legal and economic aspects of the creative industries, the digitization of tourism companies, the introduction of the culture of sustainability in companies, the success factors of museums and more generally of the creative industries for development of tourism, information technology connected to the development of tourism and the enhancement of Made in Italy.    

The international event that will involve 40 students for three days of training and in-depth study of the territory is just around the corner. The Spring Food School (SFS) will be held from 12 to 14 April in Verbania, which is scientifically based on the work carried out within the "Food, Place and Wellbeing" project conducted by Oxford Brookes University (UK), the University of Insubria (IT) and Hertfordshire University (UK). An international project that sees the involvement of Italian researchers belonging to the University of Eastern Piedmont (IT) and the University of Genoa (IT). The course, structured over three days, was born from the strong desire to develop a training course that aims to offer participants adequate methodological and interpretative tools aimed at understanding the relationship between food festivals, well-being and cultural heritage. The SFS sees the combination of training activities and initiatives aimed at understanding and deepening the territory. The initiative will be very intense as the students will be involved in the creation of a final project work which will be presented at the final SpringSchool event (Geonight). Up to 40 Italian and foreign students will be able to take part in the SFS, some of whom will be able to enjoy scholarships consisting of free hospitality (B&B in shared room) in Verbania from 12 to 14 April.

A day of study and presentation of the Nodes project, «Digital and Sustainable North West» A day of study and presentation of the Nodes Project, "Digital and Sustainable North West", was held today at the University of Insubria, in the Cloister of Sant'Abbondio in Como. The scientific manager of the Spoke is Professor Barbara Pozzo, who together with Professor Mauro Fasano, Delegate of the Rector for Innovation and Technology Transfer, illustrated the activities that will be carried out in the area to the teachers and stakeholders. The Nodes Project, selected within the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, involves seven universities with the aim of creating one of the 11 Innovation Ecosystems that the Ministry of University and Research has identified in order to support growth and the digital and ecological transition in Piedmont, Valle d'Aosta and in the westernmost provinces of Lombardy, namely Como, Varese and Pavia. Within Innovation Ecosystems, the University of Insubria will directly manage 9 million euros. The teachers of the universities collaborating in the kick off took part today: Piercarlo Rossi of the University of Turin, Katia Premazzi, Paolo Gheda and Marco Alderighi of the University of Valle d'Aosta, Stefania Cerutti of the University of Eastern Piedmont , Sara Lucca and Elena Zaffaroni of ComoNext, Paola Negro and Davide Dellarolle of Città Studi. Present and involved for Insubria: Andrea Bellucci, Roberta Pezzetti and Andrea Vezzulli from the Department of Economics; Simone Tini of the Department of Human Sciences and Innovation for the Territory; Sebastiano Citroni, Giuseppe Colangelo, Valentina Jacometti, Roberta Minazzi, Alessandro Panno and Giuseppe Porro from the Department of Economic Law and Cultures. The mayor of Como Alessandro Rapinese and Francesca Quagliarini, councilor with responsibilities for universities and youth policies as well as an Insubria law student, took part.   The vision of the project is to help improve people's well-being through the use of all material and immaterial forms in which culture and knowledge are expressed and to forge close synergies between all the actors who collaborate to respond to these needs: schools , universities, bookshops, cinemas, creative and cultural industries, museums, libraries, archives, archaeological areas, theatres. The mission of the project is therefore to develop the culture of the territories, linking them to historical, artistic and architectural factors, to its natural beauties, as well as to other aspects that are part of the industrial fabric and which are linked to the concept of creativity, to encourage an entrepreneurial culture committed to sustainability. The research areas involved concern the legal and economic aspects of the creative industries, the digitization of tourism businesses, the introduction of the culture of sustainability in businesses, the success factors of museums and more generally of the creative industries for the development of tourism, information technology connected to the development of tourism and the valorisation of Made in Italy. Many stakeholders present today in Sant'Abbondio: Federico Raveglia of Cooperativa Tikvà, Maurizio Moscatelli of Aquedotto Industriale, Alberto D'Errico Mantero of Seta SpA, Costanza Ferrarin of the Unesco Office, Fulvio Alvisi of the Italian Association of Textile Designers, Luca Malinverno and Franco Pigoli of Porini Srl, Edoardo Botta and Giorgio Maspero of Confartigianato companies Como, Alessandro Ventimiglia of the Silk Factory Past Students Association, Sauro Vicini of Cluster Smart Cities-Lombardy, Graziano Pagani of Confindustria Como, Alessandra Orsenigo, Luca Levrini, Graziano Brenna, Elisa Notaristefano and Claudia Striato of the Alessandro Volta Foundation, Andrea Taborelli of the Como Unesco Consulta, Livia Torterolo and Giulia Troglio of Dgs Spa and Porini Srl, Paolo Angelo Galbiati of Cna Lario Brianza, Francesca Rizzi.   The Nodes Project, as can be read in its scientific presentation, intends to strengthen and evolve the territorial Innovation Ecosystem in order to support the sustainable and inclusive growth of the reference territories, pursuing the objectives on the creation and development of research chains and industrial declined in the sectors identified in the research program, in accordance with the smart specialization strategies for regional research and innovation. Among the objectives of Nodes is also to support innovation on high-potential technological trajectories to develop new products and processes in existing small and medium-sized enterprises, stimulating research enhancement and technology transfer processes and increasing their competitiveness also at an international level. The creation of «Deep Tech» start-ups and spin-offs will be encouraged in the identified sectors, attracting additional venture economic resources, and digital transition processes will be supported also through new collaborative innovation paths and tools between start-ups, SMEs, Large Companies and the world of research, validating scalable and replicable intervention models. It will also contribute to the training of talents, up-skilling and re-skilling of personnel employed with advanced training and through innovative teaching approaches and their inclusion in the productive world, with a focus on the involvement of women in the STEM field and the innovation of the role of PhD in Industrial Optics.