Open Innovation programmes

Open Innovation is one of the most effective opportunities for all economic players engaging in innovation, as it allows them to gain a competitive advantage in their industry through cooperation with other players.

The University of Milan fosters collaborative networks and strategic partnerships with institutions and companies for the development of innovative solutions. It promotes projects that can accelerate the application of research findings, in order to respond to new challenges through close synergy with the economic and social realms. 

Via Festa del Perdono 7
Seed4Innovation
Logo Seed4Innovation

Seed4Innovation – S4I is the first scouting programme of the University of Milan, created with the UNIMI Foundation: it aims at identifying University projects with high potential for industrial development.

CirculAgri Lab
Centro Nazionale Agritech

CirculAgri Lab is a living lab established as part of Agritech spoke 8, in collaboration with the University of Milan. Its mission is to promote technology transfer by creating synergies between researchers, universities and companies, in order to accelerate the development and implementation of innovative solutions in the agricultural sector.

Projects
immagine locandina premio 2031

Applications are now open for Premio 2031, formerly known as Premio Gaetano Marzotto, a contest aimed at identifying and supporting promising ideas with the potential to change the future of our country.

Premio 2031 is a network of prizes with a long-standing mission to promote and sponsor projects capable of generating a positive impact on society, environment and economy.

Participation is open to individuals, project teams, startups as well as long-running companies, cooperatives and associations. All business projects must be based and legally established in Italy. 

 

 

 

For the 2024 edition, the contest awards the following prizes:

  • 9 special prizes offered by sponsors and corporate partners;
  • 33 acceleration programmes offered by Italian innovation centres;
  • the 2031 Startup Award;
  • the Premio Primo Round.

Premio 2031, which has now reached its 14th year, is an initiative promoted by the 2031 Association in collaboration with a long list of partners and sponsors, including InvitaliaRepowerUniCreditJacobacci & Partners and InnovUp. The final event will take place in Milan in December.

Please note that there is a single application form for all prizes. Applications close on 31 October 2024.

locandina i-Days Milano 2024

Registrations have opened for the i-DAYS 2024: Hackathon SYNLAB, which explore the potential impacts of AI, cybersecurity and data science on ageing and chronic diseases.

The contest is a joint initiative of SYNLAB and EIT Health, a knowledge and innovation community of the European Institute of Innovation & Technology (EIT). The EIT is a body of the European Union whose mission is to drive innovation by fostering community networks within the EU. Participation in the Hackathon is open to university students, recent graduates and young people who are currently enrolled in a postgraduate course or vocational master.

The EIT Health i-Days — the "i" stands for innovation — are organised in partnership with Cariplo Factory, Federated Innovation @MIND and Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, and will be held on 5 and 6 November in Milan Innovation District (MIND). Before the two hackathon days, students will be invited to attend a series of webinars with innovation experts and keynote speakers from start-ups and universities.

The title of this year's contest is "Ageing Population and Chronic Diseases: AI, cybersecurity and data science to improve patients' quality of life". Participants will have to come up with solutions that leverage technology to address the issue of ageing population and improve the quality of life of patients suffering from chronic diseases. Under the guidance of coaches and mentors, they will have two days to discuss and perfect their innovative ideas, with the ultimate goal to develop smart prototypes and practical solutions applicable in the area of healthcare services.

The winning team will then be invited to participate in the final step of the competition in Budapest (28-29 November), where they will meet the winners of the other EIT Health i-Days organised all over Europe.

Registrations are open until 25 October 2024.

Iniziative passate

Applications are now open for "Red Bull Basement", a contest for young people who want to propose and develop innovative ideas, also with the support of artificial intelligence, with a view to promoting positive changes within our society.

"Red Bull Basement" is open to people from 18 years old onwards who are proficient in English and live in one of the countries participating in the contest (including Italy).

You can participate by yourself or with another partner, and you can propose more than one idea.

Projects should cover one of the following topics: sustainability, education, body and mind, smart cities, career, accessibility, healthcare, empowerment, creator economy.

Successful applicants will have the opportunity to collaborate with mentors and compete in the national final. The winner of each national final will be invited to the World Final, which will be held in December 2024 in Tokyo.

The prize for the winner or winning team of the World Final is a paid trip to Silicon Valley and Los Angeles, where they will have the opportunity to receive personalised mentorship and connect with top industry leaders.

Applications can be submitted until 31 October 2024.

Disclaimer: The contest is subject to the terms and conditions set out by Red Bull. Each applicant is responsible for reading the terms and conditions unilaterally established by Red Bull within the scope of the contest "Red Bull Basement", and for complying with the University regulations.

The University of Milan is not part of the relationship between the applicant and Red Bull, and disclaims any liability resulting from the applicant taking part in the contest.

For information on the contest and how to apply:

Applications are now open for Batch 19 of Berkeley SkyDeck Europe, Milano, a start-up accelerator programme designed to foster the Italian innovation ecosystem in Milan Innovation District (a.k.a. MIND).

SkyDeck Europe welcomes applications from start-ups from all over the world who have an ambition to grow on the European market.

Thanks to an international network of advisers, experts and talents, this six-month accelerator programme offers start-ups a chance to access invaluable resources in European technology ecosystems and the Silicon Valley.

Participating start-ups will receive an initial investment of €145,000, and will have the opportunity to obtain additional funding in the future. The programme will take place in Berkeley, California and in Milan, in the MIND area. 

This is the sixth year of the programme, which is promoted by UC Berkeley SkyDeck, the accelerator of the University of California, Berkeley, in collaboration with the Italian innovation hub Cariplo Factory and Lendlease.

An info session has been scheduled for Monday, 5 August.

Applications will close on 23 August.

Maker Faire Rome 2024

Maker Faire Rome is looking for exhibitors for its 12th edition. Maker Faire is an annual event open to the public and dedicated to innovation, technology and creativity. It is held in Rome and brings together innovators, makers, researchers and enthusiasts from all over Europe. Besides seeing projects and inventions, participants can attend workshops, conferences and labs to acquire technical skills and do some networking.

The deadline for applications has been extended to 20 June 2024. Submit your project!

The topics of this edition are: IoT & Electronics, Smart Cities, Circular Economy, Biohacking, Aerospace, Artificial Intelligence, Big Data, Smart Robotics, Digital Manufacturing, Education, Robotics and AI, Mobility and Drones, Agritech & Food and Gaming.

To apply, you’ll need to fill in a specific application form. At the end of the application stage, a panel of experts will evaluate the projects based on their originality, technological innovation potential, social or environmental impact and feasibility. Selected applicants will have the opportunity to showcase their project during Maker Faire Rome 2024, which will take place from 25 to 27 October in the area of the Ostiense Gasometer. They will have a free exhibition space for the whole duration of the event, where they will be able to present their ideas and prototypes, and organise workshops and demos.

For information: [email protected]

IP consulting firm Studio Torta has launched its 12th national contest for Master’s and PhD theses on industrial property. The three winners will receive €2,000 each.

The goal of the award is to acknowledge research works focusing on industrial law, the protection and commercialisation of intellectual property, and the management of corporate intangible assets.

The contest is open to Master’s and PhD graduates from legally-recognised Italian and foreign Universities, provided that they defended their thesis between 1 May 2023 and 31 July 2024.

Applications and all attachments must be sent by 31 July 2024. 

Falling Walls Lab is an international initiative designed to promote outstanding ideas of young researchers, and to connect scientists and entrepreneurs globally, with a view to breaking down the walls in science and society.

Its Italian segment, Falling Walls Lab Italy, is organised by the University of Milan-Bicocca in partnership with MUSA scarlLiftt, the University of Milan, Bocconi University, the University of Bergamo, the University of PaviaPoliHub, the Polytechnic University of BariCa' Foscari University of Venice, the Università Cattolica of MilanMITO TechnologySocial Innovation TeamsBiMNetval, the University for Innovation Foundation and the Italian Embassy in Berlin.

Falling Walls Labs are organised globally throughout the year, to identify outstanding ideas in a variety of fields, from science to arts, from sociology to economy. During Falling Walls Labs, students, scientists and young talents take the stage to pitch their research work, business model or start up, with one condition: they have just three minutes to complete their presentation and explain which wall they want to break, which problem they want to solve with their project.

A committee of experts is tasked with selecting the best proposals, which will be pitched on 30 May 2024 at the University of Milan-Bicocca.

There, a jury of academics and representatives of the business sectors will judge the presentations and identify the best one. The winner will be awarded a paid trip and a ticket to the Falling Walls Science Summit, i.e. the final event of Falling Walls, which will be held in November in Berlin.

The winner of Falling Walls Lab Italy will have the unique chance to present his/her work to a global audience at the Falling Walls Science Summit 2024 in Berlin, together with the 75 winners of the other Falling Walls Labs organised around the world.

We are pleased to inform all-start-ups that applications to Berkeley SkyDeck Europe, Milano are now open. 

Berkeley SkyDeck Europe, Milano is a start-up acceleration programme designed to foster the innovation ecosystem in Italy. The University of Milan collaborates on the project in the framework of MIND, Milan Innovation District. 

The programme, originally launched by Berkeley SkyDeck — the accelerator of the University of California, Berkeley — with the Italian innovation hub Cariplo Factory and the company Lendlease, is also sponsored by Fondazione Cariplo and Regione Lombardia. 

For this fifth year of Berkeley SkyDeck Europe, Milano, activities will take place partly in Berkeley and partly in Milan, in MIND.

The 10 winning start-ups will join a 6-month acceleration programme, with an initial investment of €145,000

Interested start-ups can apply until 14 February.

Healt&Biotech Accelerator

Health& Bio Tech Accelerator è la proposta di Deloitte officine Innovazione finalizzata a reclutare le migliori startup/scaleup a livello nazionale e internazionale,  in ambito salute e biotech.

Il programma vuole sviluppare progetti pilota integrando le competenze già presenti nelle startup/scaleup con quelle del partners per lanciare nuove soluzioni sul mercato

L’Università degli Studi di Milano per il secondo anno è Scientific Research Partner dell’iniziativa.

Possono partecipare start-ups e scale-ups nei seguenti ambiti:

New Drugs & Therapies

Biomarkers & Diagnostic Tools

Bio Carriers & Delivery Systems 

Digital & Advanced Diagnostics

Prevention

Telehealth

Healthcare Robotics & Smart Prosthetics

Corporate Welfare

Healthy Lifestyle

Digital Patient Journey

ESG in Healthcare

 

La call si è aperta il 14 dicembre 2021:  consulta il sito dell’iniziativa per proporre la tua candidatura!

 

Smart and health cities for a better quality of life

La competizione internazionale di tre giorni si rivolge a studenti universitari da tutta Italia che sono chiamati ad affrontare, con un approccio innovativo, le nuove sfide nel settore sanitario. Nell'edizione del 2023, i partecipanti si sfideranno sui temi dell’innovazione in ambito healthcare con una challange dal titolo " SMART AND HEALTH CITIES FOR A BETTER QUALITY OF LIFE.
Scopo di questo hackathon è sviluppare soluzioni innovative, che sfruttino l'intelligenza artificiale, l'IoT (Internet of Things) o altre tecnologie, per rendere i servizi sanitari più accessibili, efficienti ed efficaci all'interno di una possibile città intelligente.
L'EIT Health i-Days si svolgerà a Milano presso il Milano Innovation District (MIND) dal 7 al 9 novembre 2023 e contemporaneamente in altre 24 città europee. La squadra vincitrice parteciperà al Winners’ Event, la finale che riunisce studenti provenienti da tutta Europa.

Partecipare a questo Hackathon offre agli studenti l'opportunità di testare, assieme ad altri studenti, le loro capacità di problem solving, di interagire con i leader del settore healthcare e migliorare il proprio curriculum per future opportunità nel mondo lavorativo.

È possibile iscriversi all’iniziativa fino al 20 Ottobre 2023.

Aperti i bandi per il Premio di Eni alla ricerca scientifica nei campi dell'energia e dell'ambiente. Anche per l’anno 2024, Eni Award è composto dai tre Premi principali Frontiere dell’EnergiaSoluzioni Ambientali Avanzate e Transizione Energetica, dal Premio Giovane Ricercatore dell’Anno, dal Premio Debutto nella ricerca: Giovani Talenti dall’Africa e dai Riconoscimenti all’Innovazione Eni riservati ai nostri ricercatori. 

La scadenza per la presentazione delle domande è il 24 novembre 2023.

Eni è partner del progetto MUSA dell'Università degli Studi di Milano.