Our Vision

In 2023, the "Pathways to Innovation and Entrepreneurship" project was selected and funded with $50,000 by the US Embassy in Italy. The initiative aims to foster collaboration between universities and businesses in Southern Italy, addressing the region's unique challenges and opportunities.

The project is designed and coordinated by Mita Marra, a professor of Economic Policy at the University of Naples Federico II, with the support of a committee of international experts. This dynamic team has developed a non-traditional training initiative focusing on several critical areas:

• Entrepreneurial ecosystems

• Sustainability

• Responsible Research & Innovation

• Energy transition

• Valorization of cultural heritage

Exploring global ideas and experiences ...

This initiative began with an international expert meeting held in New York in July 2023 at the Italian Academic Center, in collaboration with Cornell Tech and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), focusing on the role of university institutions in promoting entrepreneurial ecosystems. Then, in November 2023, another session was held within the online event of the European Evaluation Society, involving the University of Naples, the OECD, the SBCD program within Massachusetts University, the Austrian Platform for Research and Technology Policy Evaluation, and Fondazione G. Brodolini. 

Our Roadmap

Paving local path to innovation and entrepreneurship

A standout feature of the project is its itinerant training program, which has spanned four distinct locations in the Campania region, each chosen for its unique contribution to local production systems within urban peripheral zones or rural areas, currently experiencing a severe phenomenon of depopulation. The four meetings took place in:

• the San Giovanni Campus of University of Naples within the Eastern peripheral area of the city January 31, 2024)

• at the Monumental Complex of San Giovanni of the Municipality of Cava de’ Tirreni (February 1, 2024)

• at the Municipality of Altavilla Irpina, in Irpinia (March 20, 2024), and,

• at the Guiscardo Norman Castle in Caggiano, within the Diano Valley (May 24, 2024)

Nine young researchers with different backgrounds, from Social Innovation, Industrial Engineering, and Chemical Sciences, have participated in the project, presenting their research, ranging from drones and marine microalgae to anti-cancer agents and artificial intelligence for predictive maintenance, as well as studies on the socioeconomic impact of performing arts and policies to combat educational poverty. 

The young researchers have interacted with business managers and CEOs from aerospace, electronics, agri-food, and arts and culture. 

The aim was to facilitate cooperation to foster innovation in production and entrepreneurial skills among researchers.  

Going global again!

The program's culmination will be a study week at the Italian Academic Center in New York from June 24 to 28, 2024. This international component aims to bridge local entrepreneurial ecosystems with global networks of researchers and entrepreneurs.

Empowering Young and Emerging Researchers

The Summer School "Bridging the Atlantic: Pathways to Innovation and Entrepreneurship" in New York, in collaboration with Cornell Tech, aims to enhance participants' skills in technological and social innovation, broadening collaborative networks between businesses and research at both local and international levels. Besides the young researchers, other participants—including entrepreneurs, experts, and managers—will engage in five modules exploring macroeconomic trends, entrepreneurship in deep-tech and social enterprises, high-impact investments, and the evaluation of sustainability transitions. One module is dedicated to networking with companies and researchers in the New York metropolitan area.

During the training program, participants will develop a project focusing on the valorization of DOCG villages in Irpinia, inspired by the workshop conducted in Altavilla Irpina with local wine and agri-food companies.

Upon completion, a Certificate of Learning Achievement will be awarded by the University of Naples Federico II and Cornell Tech.