ITALY – CHINA SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION WEEK 2016 >FOUR DAYS REPORT

Focus in Bergamo – 25 October 2016

The first stage of the Italy-China Science, Technology & Innovation Week 2016 was held on 25 October 2016 in Bergamo at the presence of 200 Chinese delegates and over 300 Italian attendees, not to mention many representatives by Confindustria Bergamo and local enterprises.

The focus was on Advanced Manufacturing Systems and Healthcare Technologies.

The day started with the institutional ceremony, followed by a plenary session at the presence of delegates and representatives of the organizer entities and partners of the event. Many important personalities delivered a speech: Remo Morzenti Pellegrini, Rector of the University of Bergamo, Huang Ping, Vice Director of the Beijing CITTC, Fabrizio Cobis of the Ministry of Education, University and Research, Giorgio Gori, Mayor of the City of Bergamo, Professor Sergio Cavalieri of the University of Bergamo, Wang Dong from the Consulate General of People’s Republic of China in Milan and Vincenzo Lipardi, Chief Executive Officer of Città della Scienza. In particular, the Mayor of the City of Bergamo restated how the alliance among Bergamo and Naples, promoted by Città della Scienza and the University of Naples Federico II and University of Bergamo, represents a model for the whole country.

At the end of the plenary session three parallel sessions were held on the following sectors:

Adaptive & Flexible Manufacturing Systems for Mechatronics Solutions; Industry 4.0 in the Automotive Sector; Healthcare Technologies.

In the afternoon, Remo Morzenti Pellegrini, Vincenzo Lipardi and Huang Ping revealed the CITTC-Italy’s plaque, located in the Kilometro Rosso Technological Park, and officially inaugurated the Bergamo headquarters of the Italy-China Technology Transfer Center, second hub of the Italy-China Technology Transfer Center after the one in Città della Scienza of Naples.

Moreover, in the afternoon some of the Italian and Chinese delegates went to the POINT S&T park (technological innovation pole) located in Dalmine. During the visit the delegates had the chance to visit Bergamo Sviluppo – Special Agency of the Chamber of Commerce of Bergamo – and its incubator for manufacturing and services enterprises.

Focus in Bologna – 26 October 2016

On 26 October 2016 the second stage of the Italy-China Science, Technology & Innovation Week was held in Bologna, at the Terza Torre of the Emilia-Romagna Region, that was focused on the agrifood sector, an essential Made in Italy asset that has a wide industrial base, outstanding results in the export field and a constant interaction system among enterprises, excellences in the research world and institutions that included the agrifood sector in their “Smart Specialization Strategy”.

At the focus there were over 300 Italian and Chinese delegates representing enterprises, research centers, universities, startups, innovative districts, research and enterprise cluster, scientific and technological parks, associations, all active in the innovation and quality of the agrifood system.

The day started with institutional addresses delivered by Francesco Ubertini, Rector of the Alma Mater Studiorum – University of Bologna and Patrizio Bianchi, Regional Councillor of the Emilia-Romagna Region, that opened the event stating the importance of it as an important opportunity in terms of exchange, confrontation and launch of new relations among the Italian and Chinese research, enterprises and institutions.

After the institutional addresses it started the plenary session dedicated to policies and to agrifood system’s priorities at the regional, national and international level, during which competences and structures of the agrifood sector were discussed. The Italian delegates’ speeches outlined the regional activities in the food safety and traceability, sustainability, fighting climate change, irrigation efficiency, the role of the Cluster Agrifood as a national aggregator, as well as the European bio-economy, and highlighted the strategic role played by the cooperation with China in this sector.

During the four plenary sessions, Italian and Chinese experts of the research and enterprises world delivered speeches on: health and wealth, food quality and safety, sustainable and competitive food production, technologies and productive systems for the agrifood industry.

The parallel sessions were articulated according to the trajectories identified in the Cluster Agrifood’s roadmap, confirming how research on agrifood could be an engine of continuous innovation.

In conclusion, it was organized a taste itinerary of regional products in regulated quality, with a menu that highlighted the culinary excellences of the Piacenza territory.

Sino-Italian Exchange Event, Naples 26 October 2016

On 26 October, simultaneously with the event in Bologna, at Città della Scienza it was held the first day in Naples of the Italy-China Science, Technology & Innovation Week 2016 that celebrated the 10th edition of the Sino-Italian Exchange Event. There were more than 650 Chinese delegates and 1.200 Italian delegates coming from almost 800 different realities.

The inaugural ceremony was opened by the welcome addresses by Vincenzo Lipardi, Chief Executive Officer of Città della Scienza, who highlighted the importance on scientific and technological cooperation with China and of the Chinese investments in R&D activities. Moreover, among the participants there were Ambrogio Prezioso, President of the Industrial Union of Naples, Gaetano Manfredi, President of CRUI, Tian Wen, Vice President of BAST and Cao Jianye, Scientific Counsellor of the Embassy of People’s Republic of China in Italy.

In conclusion the President of the Campania Region’s Regional Council Rosa D’Amelio emphasized the long cooperation among Campania Region and China, on the importance of investment in startups and innovation as a fundamental part of the political agenda of Campania Region’s President De Luca.

At the end of the institutional session, a video for celebrating the tenth anniversary of the SIEE preceded the plenary session on Beijing-Italy Investment Environment And Headquarters Economic Development: Startup, Innovation And Internationalization, opened by Valeria Fascione, Regional Councillor for Internationalization, Innovation and Startups of the Campania Region.

Following, during the morning, 5 thematic sessions were held: Opportunities for China-Italy cooperation in research and innovation, combining tradition and advanced R&D, Smart Cities, Smart Transportation, Technological Parks and Industrial District, Promotion of the Italian-Chinese Solid State Alliance.

Moreover, in the afternoon, it was held a roundtable on Chinese Traditional Medicine, as well as more than 200 B2B meetings, that represents the core of the event, a possibility for the creation of joint projects and enterprises internationalization.

This edition’s news were the special events that concerned the investment opportunities on young talents and innovative startups, a digital fabrication zone and an exhibition area.

Italy-China Innovation Forum, Naples 27 October 2016

On 27 October it was concluded successfully the second and last day in Naples of the Italy-China Science, Technology & Innovation Week 2016 dedicated to the Italy-China Innovation Forum.

The conclusive ceremony was held at the presence of many Italian and Chinese investors, entrepreneurs and researchers, as well as Ministers of Research Stefania Giannini and Wan Gang.

After the musical performance of Italian and Chinese students from the Music conservatories of Naples San Pietro a Majella, the Chief Executive Officer of Città della Scienza Vincenzo Lipardi delivered the opening speech. Following, Yan Aoshuang, General Director of the Beijing Municipal Science & Technology Commission; Marco Gay, President of Confundustria’s Young Entrepreneurs through video conference, the Ambassador of People’s Republic of China Li Ruiyu and the Mayor of the city of Naples Luigi de Magistris delivered a speech.

After two video projections about the stages of the event in Bergamo and Bologna, with the comment of Remo Morzenti Pellegrini, Rector of University of Bergamo, and of Alessandra Scagliarini, Vice Rector for International Relations of Alma Mater Studiorum-Università di Bologna, Valeria Fascione, Regional Councillor for Internationalization, Innovation and Startups of the Campania Region, Marco Cantamessa, President of PNI Cube and Giuliano Noci, Vice Rector for China of the Polytechnic of Milan, highlighted the cooperation on startups among Italy and China, in particular through two initiatives launched with the Week event: the Italy-China Best Startups Showcase and the China-Italy Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition.

Following, the Ministers Wan Gang and Stefania Giannini delivered a speech and in conclusion they both revealed the plaque of the CITTC-Italy’s headquarters in Naples.

Then, the 2nd edition of the Award Ceremony of 8 Chinese excellences who distinguished themselves in the scientific and technological cooperation among  Italy and China. In conclusion, the Signing Ceremony of 10 Bilateral Agreements reinforced the cooperation among the two countries.

At the beginning of the plenary session, Wu Jianjun, Director of the Department of Research and Development on 5G from the European Institute for Innovation of Huawei, one of the most relevant Chinese theorists and researchers, introduced the future of the connection in the new digital economy aiming at 5G network infrastructure for a better cloud connectivity. In conclusion, the session dedicated to the cooperation among China and European Union in Research and Innovation with the aim of creating new horizons and a new development model that focuses on the European strategy on Research included in the Horizon 2020 Plan and the Chinese strategy included in the “Made in China 2025” plan.

Following the plenary session, 11 parallel thematic seminars that focused on: Strategies for Prevention in Health, Advanced Healthcare in Action, Aerospace, Smart Living Technologies, Green Chemistry, Clean Tech and Environment, Smart Communities, Open Innovation, Design, Education Programs and Chinese Traditional Medicine. Moreover, in the afternoon 3 roundtables were held on education, higher education and science popularization.