Extraordinary success in Naples, at Città della Scienza, during the first day of the Neapolitan stage of the Italy-China Science, Technology and Innovation Week 2016, Europe’s largest networking event and business matching in research and innovation – after stages of Bergamo and Bologna – to promote a continuous dialogue between Italy and China on innovation, science and technology and building technological, productive and commercial partnerships, within innovative research-enterprise contexts of the two countries.
550 Chinese delegates and 1,200 Italian delegates from about 700 different realities attended the scientific and technological cooperation program between Italy and China, which sees among the participants the most important universities, research centers, innovative companies, innovative startups and investment funds of both countries.
This morning it was held the opening ceremony with welcome greetings by Vincenzo Lipardi, CEO of Città della Scienza, which focused on the importance of scientific and technological cooperation with China, which has dedicated impressive investments in R&I activities, compared to those of the European Union with Horizon2020 program. The stage of Naples therefore scheduled 600 b2b meaning at least the same possibilities of joint projects and internationalization of enterprises. The sense of the event is just to “build common projects: it’s not about simple relocations, but plans to build job opportunities and innovation in both countries.”
Gaetano Manfredi, President of Conference of Italian University Rector, intervened recalling the ancient cultural roots of Italy and China, two countries that historically have seen in “knowledge the true way to the future”.
Session continued with the greetings of Councillor Enrico Panini which emphasized the strengths of Naples with its investment in research and education, also thanks to the work of Città della Scienza which promotes, on behalf of the Ministry of Education, co-operation program with China .
Then intervened Tian Wen, Vice-Chairman, Beijing Association for Science & Technology and Cao Jianye, Counsellor for Science and Technology, Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Italy for the greetings from Chinese side.
In closing, the President of Regional Council of Campania Rosa D’Amelio focused on “collaboration of Region with China, importance of investments in startups and innovation within policy agenda of Regional Administration of Vincenzo De Luca”.
At the end of the institutional session, a celebration video of the tenth anniversary of SIEE preceded the plenary session “Investment Zone between Beijing and Italy and areas of economic development: startup, innovation and internationalization.”
The session was opened by Valeria Fascione, Councillor for Startup, Innovation and Internationalization of the Campania Region which emphasized the friendship and cooperation with Chinese colleagues within SIEE and regional will to seize the innovative potential of China, promote the internationalization of startups, starting from exchanges at university level, to those of researchers up to b2b up to complete the R & I chain on which the innovation policy of the Campania Region firmly believes”.
The key points of Councillor intervention (Human Capital, open innovation, digital agenda, contamination) are in full agreement with the views expressed by the Vice President of Tuscany, Monica Barni, in particular about the need for contamination and internationalization practices of universities to encourage the education and training of human capital.
The good practice about valorization of Campania Region through the promotion of a regional ecosystem research and innovation was also emphasized by Domenico Arcuri, Managing Director at Invitalia who stated “Città della Scienza is the only positive example in the last 20 years in Bagnoli. Today’s event marvelously witnesses it. “
Luigi Campitelli, Lazio Innova, stressed the need to develop new products and services to gain access to international markets, and that it could be possible through substantial investment in human capital and technological innovation, as well as contamination processes.
