On 23 January 2025, the event ‘The Technopole Network and the new STEP Platform’, organised by the Emilia-Romagna Technopole Network in cooperation with the Emilia-Romagna Region and ART-ER, was held at the Manifattura Technopole in Bologna. The meeting focused on the new European Platform for Strategic Technologies (STEP), proposed by the European Commission to support competitiveness and strengthen the European Union’s strategic autonomy in critical technologies.
After the institutional greetings of Morena Diazzi, Director General of the Emilia-Romagna Region, and the illustration of the role of the Technopoles in the development of the STEP platform, the three thematic panels began, moderated by ART-ER experts Enrico Cancila, Cecilia Maini and Lucia Mazzoni.
Representatives from the various Technopoles discussed key topics within the platform, such as:
- Digital technologies and deep-tech innovation: with speeches by Valeria Pignedoli (Bologna CNR Technopole), Andrea Parmeggiani (Reggio Emilia Technopole), Lorenzo Ciapetti (Forlì-Cesena Technopole) and Michele Monno (Piacenza MUSP Technopole)
- Biotechnologies: with Stefano Bruno (Parma Technopole), Laura Calzà (Bologna-Ozzano Technopole) and Giuliana Gavioli (Modena Technopole – headq. of Mirandola)
- Clean and resource-efficient technologies: with Enrico Bracci (Ferrara Technopole), Antonio Penso (Ravenna Technopole), Antonio Conversano (Piacenza LEAP Technopole) and Lorenzo Succi (Rimini Technopole).
In particular, the Bologna-Ozzano Technopole, represented by Prof. Laura Calzà, highlighted the progress and future prospects in the field of Red biotech and regenerative medicine, and how the STEP Platform could be an important opportunity for contact and collaboration between research bodies and enterprises. Indeed, our Technopole, thanks to the laboratories housed within it, plays a crucial role in advanced medical research and collaboration with national and international institutions.
A highlight of the meeting was the speech by Sanzio Bassini, who presented the contribution of the Manifattura Data Valley Hub. His focus was on the role of advanced digital infrastructure and the potential offered by artificial intelligence and data management to enable new opportunities for innovation and collaboration across the region.
This was followed by the presentation of the important European objectives included in the programme by Isaura Lopes Ramos, Programme Manager of the European Commission (DG REGIO – Unit G4).
The event’s conclusions were entrusted to Vincenzo Colla, Vice-President of the Emilia-Romagna Region, who emphasised the importance of the synergy between research, universities and enterprises in order to tackle technological and environmental challenges, strengthening the regional innovation ecosystem.
The event focused on the importance of collaboration between research, universities and companies to ensure the advancement of knowledge and its transfer to the industrial sector, thus strengthening the competitiveness and economic resilience of the Emilia-Romagna Region.
