1 1 Living Labs in Piedmont Region Dr. Erica GAY Director Directorate Innovation, Research and University OPEN DAYS, 5 October 2010

2 2 Summary Piedmont Region: basic facts & figures The Regional Innovation Policy Living Labs projects

3 3 Piedmont Region: facts & figures 4,4 million inhabitants 8 Provinces Municipalities 124 billion GDP (8,1% of national total) 1,8% of GDP invested in R&D 1st Italian region for private investment in R&D Over 200 private and public R&D centers, 380 laboratories, 4 universities, 6 science and technology parks, 12 Innovation Poles

4 4 The Regional Innovation Policy The Regional Government of Piedmont recognizes research and innovation as a crucial factors in fostering local development. Since 2005, the Piedmont Region has developed a regional innovation policy, and in 2006 the first regional Law for Research and Innovation was approved, aiming at organizing, promoting and coordinating the regional R&I system. The rationale of the Regional R&I system is that public policies should be limited to areas where market dynamics alone are seen to be unable to promote innovative products, processes and services. Piedmont Region is fostering innovation through different initiatives and projects at regional level (e.g. Innovation Poles), as well as at European level (e.g. trans national and cross borders projects in the framework of the VII Framework Programme for R&D and territorial cooperation programmes).

5 5 The Regional Innovation Policy: Priority axes Three years Research Plan (R.L. 4/2006, Art. 5) Three years Research Plan (R.L. 4/2006, Art. 5) International Network Exchanges Collaborative PhD Programs Post-PhD Fellowships Life long learning A) Human Resources (25%) Science Push Calls Pre-competitive research Calls C) Supporting Knowledge generation (30%) D) Encouraging Knowledge Utilization (10%) Investments Valorisation Investments Support E) Technical Assistance (5%) Support for the development of Intellectual Property Development of Analytic Tools Development of Analytic Tools Strengthening Bridging Institutions Life long learning Technological Platforms Innovation in Supply Chain Enterprises Growth B) Productive Structures Evolution (30%) Total resources allocated to the five axes ( ) : 460 ml

6 6 The Regional Innovation Poles AREAS 1.AGRO-FOOD (AREAS OF CUNEO AND VERCELLI) 2.BIOTECHNOLOGY AND BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING (AREAS OF CANAVESE AND VERCELLI) 3.SUSTAINABLE CHEMISTRY (AREA OF NOVARA) 4.NEW MATERIALS (AREA OF ALEASSANDRIA) 5.DIGITAL CREATIVITY AND MULTIMEDIA (AREA OF TORINO) 6.SUSTAINABLE ARCHITECTURE AND HYDROGEN (AREA OF TORINO) 7.RENEWABLE ENERGY AND BIOFUELS (AREA OF TORTONA) 8.FITTINGS, SYSTEMS AND COMPONENTS FOR RENEWABLE ENERGIES (AREA OF VERBANO-CUSIO-OSSOLA) 9.RENEWABLE ENERGIES AND MICRO HYDRO (AREA OF VERELLI) 10.ICT (AREAS OF CANAVESE AND TORINO) 11.MECHATRONICS AND ADVANCED PRODUCTION SYSTEMS (AREA OF TORINO) 12.TEXTILE (AREA OF BIELLA) Common infrastructure External enterprises Managing Body External enterprises Enterprise Common services Research Body

7 7 Living Labs in Piedmont At European level: Alcotra Innovation project At regional level: WI-PIE pilot project C.LAB: C. LAB Agri C.LAB Health European Network of Living Labs

8 8 Living Labs in Piedmont WI-PIE is a multi-year regional project aimed at equipping the region with a widespread broadband connection system and innovative services. WI-PIE initiative – It was launched in 2005 as pilot project in a mountain area with the aims at: – transforming isolated mountain areas into digital territories – promoting sustainability and digital convergence – identifying a model to overcome hard digital divide WI-PIE has been carried out as a Living Lab: an open air lab to test a complete digitalization process in Orco and Soana Valleys, a trial area selected in order to maximize the models transferability into other similar regional areas.

9 9 Living Labs in Piedmont C.LAB are Thematic Laboratories for the innovation community of Piedmont with the aim at promoting ICT technologies in the regional entrepreneurial system of small and medium companies. C.LAB started in 2006, and are promoted by Piedmont Region, CSI Piedmont and Piedmont Universities. C.LAB - Piedmont Community Labs The development of strategic projects of innovative contents and the exploitation of innovative technologies are for example in the following sectors: – C.LAB Agri : Food, Agriculture for the traceability of agricultural products – C.LAB Health : Telemedicine, innovative devices and new services in the health sector.

10 The strategic project Alcotra Innovation was approved in June 2010 in the framework of the Cross-border Territorial Cooperation Programme between Italy and France (ALCOTRA). Piedmont Region (Lead Partner) Aosta Valley Region Provence Alpes Côte dAzur Region Rhône-Alpes Region Liguria Region Province of Turin Partners: Living Labs in Piedmont Alcotra Innovation strategic project Duration: 3 years Total budget: ,00

11 Projects objectives: At Territorial / Cross border level (clusters and enterprises): Improve the capacities to cooperate in the field of knowledge transfer and innovation Strengthen the exploitation of cross-borders business and research cooperation opportunities At Policy making level (regional governments): Foster the exploitation of cross-borders cooperation potentialities in Regional Innovation Programmes and Policies Alcotra Innovation strategic project Methodology and activities: Setting up of cross border pilot actions while exploiting the Living Lab methodology at a cross border level.

12 Potential area for future Living Labs: Creative Industries Piedmont Region is a Partner of the Region of Knowledge Project (VII Framework Programme R&TD) CReATE: Creating a Joint Research Agenda for promoting ICT innovations in Creative Industries across Europe ( The project ( ) has been developing strategies and actions to improve cooperation, at both regional and European levels, to enhance the innovative capabilities of small and medium size companies from the creative sector. 5 Research Priorities for European CIs have been identified: Visual and Interactive Experience Tools of Productivity and Intelligent Automation Digital Distribution Mobility and Interoperability User-Producer Interaction in Development

13 Living Labs in Piedmont Region Thank you for your attention Erica Gay