Tech4You - Technologies for climate change adaptation and quality of life improvement
About this good practice
Tech4You is the Calabria and Basilicata innovation ecosystem project which main purpose is the technology transfer of research products to the territory for the development of innovation. Tech4You is making the products of research available to society to help improve the quality of life that faces a dangerous obstacle in the changing climate. It is organised following the “hub& spoke” model which links to a hub structure, responsible for the management and coordination of activities, six spokes (actors) dedicated to research, all oriented towards meeting the challenge of climate change. Technologies will be developed to manage natural hazards, reduce energy consumption and save biodiversity, for a sustainable food and forestry supply chain, the enhancement of cultural and natural heritage, healthier food, and a digital transformation to make local communities more innovative, including in terms of sustainable mobility. The activities developed of each spoke are the following: technologies for geo-hydrological and forest risk mitigation, reducing energy consumption and protecting biodiversity, smart technologies for a sustainable food and forestry supply chain, actions for valorisation, the technologies for healthy nutrition, and technologies for digital transformation and technology transfer. The stakeholders involved are 3 Calabrian universities, 1 Lucanian university , Calabria Region, Basilicata Region, the National Research Council and public and private partners.
Resources needed
Tech4You was awarded 119 M € by the Ministry of University & Research within the call for technology transfer. It was financed through the National Recovery & Resilience Plan, under Mission 4 (Education and research), Component 2, which is supported by EU fund NextGenerationEU.
Evidence of success
Tech4You involves more than 850 lecturers and researchers and is recruiting new staff: 163 researchers and 113 industrial PhD posts. It envisages also 55 research projects that will benefit the territory and beyond. Other evidence of success is represented by the innovation of the socio-economic fabric, the reduction of the mismatch between the skills required by companies and those offered by universities and the transfer of research results to the enterprise.
Potential for learning or transfer
The results of the actions carried out by the spokes can be successfully transferred by all interested stakeholders. In fact, in September, within Tech4You was created a catalogue of all spoke pilot projects to be given to stakeholders to get on the road to land development for the benefit of civil society. It is expectable that the latter will play its part and cooperate so that at the end of the three-year project period the process of change continues.