PNRR, it starts to get serious. The first evaluations by the parliamentary committees of the projects presented in the call for the National Recovery and Resilience Plan have already started. The progress of the works, reported by openpolis and correlated to the deadlines imposed by the European Community, sees the Green Revolution and Ecological Transition in clear advantage over the other Missions.
The highest score, 125 points, in the call dedicated to the Green Revolution and Ecological Transition was obtained from the Ecosystem for Sustainable Transition in Emilia-Romagnathe regional project to support the ecological transition of the economic and social system of the territory.
During R2B, the International Research and Innovation Exhibition held in Bologna from 8 to 15 June, the representatives of the Universities of the Region, the CNR, ENEA and INFN (National Institute of Nuclear Physics) together with ART-ER – the regional consortium company for sustainable growth, innovation and attractiveness – have signed the deed for the establishment of the Foundation that will manage the project worth over 100 million euros which is now entering the detail phase, with the guarantee that the activities will have to start by summer 2022 and end by early 2026.
Presented by the University of Bologna, the project is the result of a great teamwork involving 23 partners in total, coordinated by the Region through ART-ER. The entire network of regional universities was successfully involved – the University of Ferrara, the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, the University of Parma, the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart and the Milan Polytechnic in the Piacenza offices. , the CNR, ENEA and INFN (National Institute of Nuclear Physics).
In short, a great team, between institutions and universities, which demonstrates how it is possible to systematize the skills and technological infrastructures of the Emilia-Romagna Data Valley – this is the name of the district of technological realities engaged in the field of big data, supercomputers and supercomputing capacity -, through the regional high-tech network and technopoles and how investment in research and innovation represents a fundamental asset for the ecological transition.
Particular attention to the creation of skills for sustainability
The project intends to support the ecological transition of the regional economic and social system in favor of research centers and businesses, for a transfer of knowledge that contributes to the reconversion of production processes, the creation of good employment and more effective actions for the protection of environment.
In particular, we intend to work on advanced and sustainable materials, on green manufacturing, on systems and components for the conversion and use of energy from renewable sources, on intelligent mobility, on housing and energy solutions for a carbon free society, on circular economy and blue economy and, finally, on data analysis and supercomputing to enable the ecological transition.
The “creation of good employment” indicated in the beginning of the project is not a secondary element. In particular, it is expected to involve over 750 professional figures, of which nearly 300 are women and young people who have obtained a PhD. For this reason, the Foundation is committed to promoting the activation of specific degree programs at the participating universities, post-doc scholarships, curricular and extra-curricular internships on the issues of ecological transition.
Furthermore, thanks to a permanent scouting activity, we want to intercept innovative ideas to be supported with training, consultancy and coaching, thus favoring the entrepreneurial initiatives of startups, SMEs and spinoffs in the area. Open Innovation Scouting, on the other hand, aims to promote collaboration between laboratories and research institutes, to meet the technological needs of small and medium-sized enterprises.