At its Italian Innovation Day, EIT Digital reviewed its key results for 2016 and presented a forward looking projection focussing on its Italian activities. Key players from across the Italian Innovation ecosystem attended to discuss digital innovation and corresponding transformations in public administration, industry and business. Over 30 exhibitors, including scaleups supported by EIT Digital, showcased demos of disruptive innovative products and services directly resulting from innovation activities.
EIT Digital focuses its efforts on activities that drive economic growth. These activities are split over four Action Lines: Digital Industry, Digital Cities, Digital Wellbeing and Digital Infrastructure.
2016 saw EIT Digital and its network of over 130 partners from across Europe working together to foster and deliver innovation. Its plan for 2017 will include mobilising some €340M worth of investment at the European level, of which €84M comes from the European Union. Of total, around €60M will be mobilised in Italy.
"EIT Digital is about filling the gap between knowledge and the market" said Roberto Saracco, EIT Digital Italy Node Director, "Accelerating scaleups and bringing innovative products to the market is our main focus. We help scaleups in accessing new markets and funding not only in Europe, but, through our hub in San Francisco, internationally as well."
"EIT Digital's presence in Trento is strategic not only in terms of internationalisation, but also in supporting the process of transforming the knowledge created in the research sector into products ready for market" highlighted Alberto Lui, from the Autonomous Province of Trento.
"Italy has to improve its innovation policy" added Marco Bicocchi Pichi, President of Startup Italia and a keynote speaker at the event, "Italy is in second position in the manufacturing sector at the European level and innovation is the only way to step up to first position. Today you can’t simply live from profit anymore, you have to innovate. Investment in knowledge and in accelerators is the only way to ensure economic growth."
