At the start “From research to business for a sustainable future”, the two-day event dedicated to the National Award for Innovation (Pni), the prestigious award established in 2003 by the Italian Association of University Incubators and Business Plan Competitions – PniCube, to spread the business culture in the research system, support the creation of highly innovative companies and shorten the distance between research and market. Organized this year by the University of Rome ‘Tor Vergata’, Pni 2021 starts on Tuesday 30 November and will be “an important moment of discussion and planning on the issues of collaboration between universities and businesses, a crucial topic for the country and among the priorities of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan” as commented by the Rector of Tor Vergata, Orazio Schillaci.
To the award – realized this year thanks to the support of the Lazio Region, Lazio Innova, Unindustria, with the main partnership of the Iren Group and the main sponsorship of Intesa Sanpaolo, Intesa Sanpaolo Innovation Center and Gilead Sciences – the 63 winning business projects of the 15 regional Start Cups activated by the 51 universities that adhere to PniCube compete. Numbers, underline the promoters of the competition, “which confirm the Pni as a unique generative path at a local and national level, and as the largest and most widespread Italian business plan competition”.
The total prize money amounts to 1.5 million euros: around 500,000 euros in cash and 1 million euros in services offered by the universities and incubators that are members of PniCube along the entire path that leads from the regional competitions to the final challenge. Broadcast in live streaming on the Youtube channel of the University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, on the Facebook page of the PniCube association and through the unitorvergata-pni2021.ibrida.io platform, the 2021 edition kicks off with a rich program of contents, of pitch and business matching challenges in the Innovation Expo virtual area.
Three main panels of the first day: in the morning ‘Social Innovation: Creating Impact Business for Recovery and Resilience’, in the afternoon ‘Research, startups and open innovation for a sustainable recovery’ and ‘Student entrepreneurship: the challenges for young and female startups’.
December 3 – in presence at the University of Rome “Tor Vergata” and in streaming – the discussion with the institutions represented by the ministers Maria Cristina Messa of the University and Research, Enrico Giovannini of the Infrastructures and Sustainable Mobility, and by the Deputy Minister Gilberto Pichetto Fratin of the Economic Development will be central. At the center is the role of the university in the transition “from research to business” within the new socio-economic context and also within the framework of the objectives of the NRP. And, of course, spotlights on the final challenge and the awards ceremony: the finalists will compete in 4 sectoral prizes of 25,000 euros each – Iren Cleantech & Energy, Ict, Industrial and Life Sciences-MedTech – and the title of overall winner of the Pni 2021, which will guarantee the Pni Champions Cup to the academic institution of origin of the team.