The launch of an online platform in the Italian region of Lombardy is helping to drive forward regional development. The platform provides innovators with tailored tools, contacts and information on opportunities relevant to their needs, helping them bring business ideas to the market.
- 26 September 2016
Our aim is to increase innovation through stakeholder engagement. This novel approach to Open Innovation has already raised interest among other regions in Italy and across Europe. Given the significant success of this experimental phase, the project has been integrated into further strategies as a key tool supporting regional research and innovation and, in the long term, to support sustainable economic development.
How can bright new business ideas become reality? With the launch of a regional Open Innovation Platform, the Italian region of Lombardy hopes to provide the spark. Developed thanks to a EUR 1 072 701 grant from the European Regional Development Fund, this platform is in line with the EU’s Smart Specialisation strategy (RIS3). It aims to attract as many regional stakeholders as possible so as to create the right business environment for ideas and innovations to flourish.
Lombardy is the fourth most-populated region in Europe, with GDP placing it fifth among European regions. The region hosts over 15 % of the total number of Italian businesses along with many important research and development institutions. This means that Lombardy’s Smart Specialisation strategy has the potential to play a key role, not just on regional innovation policies but also on the Italian economy as a whole.
Citizen-led innovation
What makes the platform unique is that it is targeted primarily at individuals – professionals involved in research and innovation, a so-called “social network of innovators” – rather than as a collaboration space for companies. Existing open innovation initiatives tend to focus on infrastructures, platforms and future technology scenarios rather than concrete needs.
The platform is structured around eight strategic themes: aerospace, agrifood, eco-industries, creative and cultural industries, health sector, advanced manufacturing, sustainable mobility, and smart communities. Users select the category relevant to them, and all content published on the platform, from news and discussions through to project proposals, is made available.
Early successes
More than 3 650 regional stakeholders have registered with the platform in just over one year since its official launch. In addition, over 790 discussions have taken place and more than 200 project proposals launched. These have already received some 430 expressions of interest. The possibility of tracking tangible results represents a significant step forward for Open Innovation strategies. A multilingual interface and an open licensing of the code are scheduled for launch in 2016.
Total investment and EU funding
Total investment for the project “Open Innovation Platform in RIS3 context” is EUR 2 706 107, with the EU’s European Regional Development Fund contributing EUR 1 072 701 through the “Lombardia” Operational Programme for the 2007-2013 programming period.