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September 26–27, 2025 – The European Researchers’ Night returns, an event promoted by the European Commission that brings science to squares, universities, and cities across Europe. This year again, NODES – North-West Digital and Sustainable will be a key player, with researchers from its 7 Spokes present in Turin, Pavia, Como, Busto Arsizio, and Aosta, offering many free and public initiatives.   In Turin – UNIGHT 2025: exhibitions and workshops at Valentino Castle and the Botanical Garden, covering digital communication, health, energy, and smart cities, plus a treasure hunt you won’t want to miss!   In Pavia – SHARPER 2025: experiments, games, and scientific stands dedicated to sustainability, agri-food, biotechnology, and circular economy.   In Como and Busto Arsizio – UNINSUBRIA: NODES projects and PoCs on augmented reality, immersive technologies, and circular economy.   In Aosta – UniVdA: workshops for children and families, lectures, scientific tastings, and sky observations with the Astronomical Observatory. A unique opportunity to get to know the research that is changing our daily lives and to imagine future solutions together. Discover the full program and come visit us!

The Venture Booster Program kicks off, an initiative by NODES – Nord Ovest Digitale e Sostenibile in collaboration with LifeGate Way, designed to support startups and entrepreneurial teams engaged in the dual digital and ecological transition. The program will select 3 high-potential projects, offering an intensive and tailored path that combines assessments, mentorship, targeted training, and strategic networking with businesses, investors, and stakeholders. The goal is to strengthen the growth potential of emerging companies, facilitate access to new market and investment opportunities, and promote innovative and sustainable business models.   The Venture Booster Program is aimed at both teams with entrepreneurial ideas in development and startups established for less than 6 months, operating in one of NODES' strategic sectors: from aerospace and mobility to green tech and sustainable industry, from culture and tourism to mountain-related projects, from health to agroindustry.   The selected companies will benefit from personalized mentorship and consultancy, with support in business plan development, marketing strategy definition, and financial management. Additionally, they will gain access to strategic networking, with direct connections to businesses, investors, and key professionals, participation in exclusive events, and entry into a global network of contacts and partners.   “With the Venture Booster Program, we aim to provide emerging startups and teams – both within and outside the NODES ecosystem – with a tangible growth opportunity, offering tools, expertise, and connections. It is a concrete example of NODES' mission: to transform research and innovation into value for people and territories” – said Chiara L. G. Ferroni, CEO of NODES.   The Venture Booster Program is thus part of the NODES Ecosystem, funded by the MUR within the framework of the PNRR NextGenEU, as one of the tools dedicated to identifying and strengthening local startups and entrepreneurial teams, offering them a tailored path, access to specialized expertise, and concrete growth opportunities.   Timeline     •    October 6, 2025 – Application deadline     •    October 10, 2025 – Winners announcement     •    October 13, 2025 – Start of the acceleration program     •    December 18, 2025 – Final event and program closure   For more information and to apply, please visit the program page    

Please note that the HUB NODES offices will be closed for the summer break from Monday, August 11 to Friday, August 22, 2025, Activities will resume regularly starting from Monday, August 25.   The summer break is a valuable opportunity to recharge and restart with renewed momentum: the coming months will be intense, filled with milestones to consolidate, challenges to face, and new opportunities to seize, together. Wishing everyone a wonderful summer! The HUB NODES Team

HUB NODES S.c.a.r.l. has launched a procedure, through a preliminary market consultation, for the identification of an Economic Operator to potentially entrust with the VENTURE BOOSTER PROGRAM service of NODES.   To participate in the consultation, Economic Operators must submit their financial offer and technical proposal, both digitally signed, no later than August 27, 2025, via PEC (Certified Email) to the address nodes@pec.it.  Applicants must also meet the general and professional suitability requirements indicated in the documentation, demonstrate relevant previous experience, and be registered on the Electronic Marketplace of the Public Administration (MePA).   For all details related to the procedure, please refer to the full Notice.   Go to the page

In Aosta, a day of creative dialogue among key players on results, impacts, and future visions On Friday, 18 July 2025, the NODES – North-West Digital and Sustainable Innovation Ecosystem gathered in Aosta for its sixth General Assembly, hosted at the new University Campus of the Università della Valle d’Aosta (UniVdA). It was an intense, well-attended day that placed shared assessment front and center: taking stock of results achieved, examining the first evidence of impact, and charting the horizon of activities between now and the Program’s conclusion at the end of the year.   The proceedings opened with a video welcome message from Stefano Paolo Corgnati, President of HUB NODES, while Alberto Gaggero, the newly appointed lead of Spoke 4 – Digital & Sustainable Mountain, conveyed greetings on behalf of UniVdA’s Rector, Manuela Ceretta.   With total participation exceeding 110 people, 85 onsite and about 25 online, the day marked an important opportunity for broad-based dialogue across the entire NODES network.

In today’s edition of Il Sole 24 Ore, June 20, the Nord Ovest insert features an in-depth article on the NODES Innovation Ecosystem, highlighting the results achieved thanks to the investment of over €112 million from the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR).   In the article by Filomena Greco, it is emphasized how these funds have made it possible to activate a broad and synergistic network involving 8 universities, innovation hubs, research centers, incubators, and companies, engaging 617 innovation professionals and creating 491 new jobs.   Also featured in the article are the 61 academic Proofs of Concept (PoCs) presented during the Tech Sharing Days at Politecnico di Torino, which for two days was transformed into a true exchange platform between research and industry.  «Technology transfer is a strategic lever for the future of our territory,» says General Director Chiara Ferroni. «The synergy between universities, institutions, and businesses is essential to generate concrete impact.»   Read the article on the newspaper’s website

The NODES Tech Sharing Days, held on May 27–28, 2025 at Politecnico di Torino, confirmed the value of scientific knowledge when it translates into concrete, useful, and shared impact. The initiative transformed the university’s spaces into a vibrant platform for exchange among universities, research centers, businesses, and stakeholders, with the goal of promoting the digital and ecological transition and strengthening the link between knowledge and local development.   It was a two-day event filled with meetings, dialogue, and discussion among research, industry, and the region, featuring over 60 academic Proofs of Concept (PoCs) developed within the NODES Innovation Ecosystem – North-West Digital and Sustainable – which drew significant interest from attendees.

A proposal to strengthen collaboration among universities in the North-West has been relaunched in the pages of La Stampa by the Rector of the Politecnico di Torino, Stefano Corgnati, who aims to establish a federation of universities to jointly address the great challenges of research, innovation, and education, with a cooperative and systemic approach.   The stated goal would be to build a new model of academic governance capable of coordinating educational paths and laboratories, sharing infrastructures and equipment, creating research hubs also open to businesses, attracting greater public and private funding, and enhancing the different territorial vocations.   «Today it no longer makes sense to talk about individual research, we need large infrastructures,» stated the Rector of the Politecnico, who has been appointed President of the NODES Ecosystem, coordinated by the university. «Let’s project ourselves twenty years into the future: those who will succeed will be those able to cover all phases of research, networking technological, humanistic, economic, and legal skills.»   A vision that is already partly a reality   The idea of an academic federation in the North-West could find in experiences like NODES a concrete operational reference. In this scenario, the NODES Innovation Ecosystem — funded by the Italian Ministry of University and Research (MUR) under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) — represents an already active and concrete experience of inter-university cooperation, involving partner universities (including many of the institutions mentioned in the article) together with research centers, businesses, and local territories.   An ecosystem built on a logic of territorial alliance for innovation, capable of a shared governance structure, a common strategic vision, integration between academic skills and the needs of the production system, and the opening up of infrastructures to serve companies and local communities. The Ecosystem is demonstrating that networking people, resources, and skills is not only possible but effective: it accelerates processes, strengthens impact, and enhances each territory in its own uniqueness.   In this perspective, the initiative scheduled for May 27 and 28 at the Politecnico di Torino also fits in: the NODES' Tech Sharing Days, a meeting point between research and industry, during which more than 60 academic Proofs of Concept developed by local universities will be presented. Projects born in university laboratories and already ready to be transferred to the market or society.   These are concrete solutions that demonstrate the value of collaboration among universities, the strength of public research, and the ability to create living connections with the productive world. Discover the full program of the Tech Sharing Days

Technological innovation, sustainability, and knowledge transfer are the pillars on which the NODES 2025 Spring Roadshow is built: a series of events focused on fostering collaboration between academia, businesses, and local stakeholders. From sustainable industry to healthcare, from aerospace to mobility, including agribusiness, tourism, and culture each stop is dedicated to a strategic sector, with the aim of highlighting the contribution of businesses and research to the digital and sustainable transition.   Organized as part of the NODES – North-West Digital and Sustainable project, the Roadshow offers a unique opportunity to explore the results of projects funded through cascade calls, get an up-close look at the developed Proofs of Concept (PoC), and delve into the solutions that are transforming key sectors for the economic and technological growth of the North-West.      

The Innovation Ecosystem Will Speak in the Panel on Initiatives for the Sustainable Transition   The NODES – North-West Digital and Sustainable Innovation Ecosystem confirms its active presence at major events dedicated to the country’s industrial transformation by taking part in the Turin stop of the MICS Roadshow – Made in Italy Circular and Sustainable, scheduled for 26 March 2025 at the Unione Industriali Conference Center in Turin.   During the event — which will bring together representatives from academia, public institutions, and industry — Chiara Ferroni, General Director of NODES, will give voice to the Ecosystem in Panel 3: “World, Europe, Territories: initiatives for sustainability.” She will highlight the concrete actions underway to support the Twin Transition across Italy’s North-West.   MICS and NODES: two pillars of the NRRP for a crcular, digital Made in Italy The MICS Roadshow provides an important opportunity for dialogue among the many actors in the production and research system. Its goal is to explore how innovative technologies can become a lever for a Made in Italy that is increasingly competitive, sustainable, and digital.   NODES’ participation in the Roadshow once again underscores the central role the Ecosystem plays in fostering collaboration among research organizations, businesses, and institutions, helping the production supply chains of the North-West navigate the dual digital and sustainable transition.   Through initiatives like this, NODES strengthens its commitment to accompanying entrepreneurs and SMEs as they adopt cutting-edge technologies, promoting innovative solutions and sustainable business models for competitive and responsible growth.   The 26 March event fits squarely within this mission, offering a full day of deep dives into the potential of additive manufacturing and advanced manufacturing to accelerate the transition of industrial processes. Discover the program

Best wishes to all the women of the NODES Ecosystem! On the occasion of International Women’s Day, we want to send a special message to all the women who are part of our Ecosystem and who, with their dedication, passion, and professionalism, help make it an innovative, inclusive, and sustainable project. We firmly believe that the future of this Project is built day by day thanks to the creativity, expertise, and determination of everyone involved. But today, we want to highlight how the contribution of women can be a driving force in facing global challenges and building a better future for all.   A heartfelt thank you to all the women who, through their vision, inspire and make change possible.   Happy International Women’s Day from the entire NODES team!

On Monday, February 3rd, at the Red Hall of the prestigious University of Gastronomic Sciences in Pollenzo, located between Langhe and Roero, the General Assembly of the NODES Innovation Ecosystem took place. Now in its fifth edition, the event demonstrated the strong response from the NODES community to the invitation, with a large and enthusiastic participation. Over a hundred attendees were present, including representatives from universities, innovation hubs, research centers, incubators, and competence centers, who engaged in discussions on an increasingly crucial topic: the results achieved and their impact on the future. The project, initially set to conclude in September 2025, is now in its 27th month and has received an extension from the Ministry of University and Research until December 31, 2025. What, then, are the expectations for the final year of activities, and what vision is there for the future, even beyond 2025? The Rector of the University of Gastronomic Sciences, Prof. Nicola Perullo, welcomed the Assembly, emphasizing how NODES – North-West Digital and Sustainable – represents a highly significant project for the University, "a long journey that we hope will bear fruit even beyond the NRRP, paving the way for new and exciting collaborations."

In vista dell’aggiornamento del Piano Triennale di Prevenzione della Corruzione e della Trasparenza (PTPCT) per il triennio 2025-2027, da approvarsi entro il 31 gennaio 2025, NODES S.c.a.r.l. avvia una consultazione pubblica per raccogliere osservazioni e proposte sul vigente Piano, reperibile sul sito alla seguente pagina:   https://ecs-nodes.eu/trasparenza/altri-contenuti/prevenzione-corruzione/piano-triennale-2024-2026   Tutti gli stakeholder sono pertanto invitati a far pervenire – entro il prossimo 22 gennaio 2025 – le rispettive proposte di modifiche e/o integrazioni, delle quali si terrà conto nel percorso di predisposizione e adozione interna. Per formulare le suddette proposte è possibile scrivere al RPCT all’indirizzo info@ecs-nodes.eu inserendo quale oggetto della e-mail: "CONSULTAZIONE PUBBLICA – AGGIORNAMENTO PTPCT 2025 – 2027”.