InvestEU: launch of the partnership between the University of Pavia and CDP

InvestEU: launch of the partnership between the University of Pavia and CDP

As part of the InvestEU programme a memorandum of understanding was signed by the two institutions, under which Cassa Depositi e Prestiti will offer advisory services to the university

 
Promote the implementation of projects dedicated to academic training and research that can foster synergies between the academic and business worlds. This is the objective of the memorandum of understanding signed by the University of Pavia and Cassa Depositi e Prestiti aimed at setting up laboratories dedicated to basic and applied scientific research within the Research and Training Centre of the new Gerolamo Cardano Park for Sustainable Innovation.

A partnership that will enable the university based in Lombardy to seize the opportunities offered by the InvestEU Programme which Cassa Depositi e Prestiti also participates in as an Advisory Partner of the European Commission with the goal of making its expertise and advisory services available to the institutions that need them.

In detail, the new Technology Park promoted by the University of Pavia is part of a broader project dedicated to the “Science, Research and Knowledge District” located in the north-west area of the city and aimed at encouraging the establishment of initiatives and companies with a high rate of technological innovation and creating direct synergies between basic and applied research.

The Gerolamo Cardano Park project also involves Arexpo, the public majority-owned company with the Ministry of Economy and Finance as its main shareholder, which specialises in developing areas dedicated to innovation.

CDP's consulting for the university is focused on market analyses and pre-feasibility studies to identify the main development avenues for the programme of initiatives, which include the construction of technological innovation laboratories within the park's Research and Training Centre dedicated to micro-nano electronics for life sciences, advanced materials for biomedical and pharmaceutical applications and pharma-food for precision nutrition. 
Francesco Svelto, Rector of the University of Pavia commented: "The Research and Training Centre represents the first nucleus of what will be the Gerolamo Cardano Park for Sustainable Innovation, a partnership between the University of Pavia and Arexpo SpA. Funded by the Lombardy Region, the centre will offer an important meeting place for the university's research and that of highly innovative companies in the fields of micro-electronics, agri-food and pharma. For this strategic project we are therefore particularly pleased to be able to take advantage of the expert advice of Cassa Depositi e Prestiti SpA, a highly prestigious institution playing a central role in the country’s development”.
Maria Elena Perretti, Advisory Manager at CDP remarked: “With our consulting we aim to provide the University of Pavia with the necessary expertise to plan and implement investments in digital innovation and sustainable development. Having an impact on the country’s development is a primary objective of Cassa Depositi e Prestiti, confirming its role of National Promotional Institution. Moreover, as an Advisory Partner of the InvestEU Programme, we have acquired an additional tool to facilitate access to CDP's services for the benefit of general government”.
Simone Aibino, CDP's Head of Innovation, Digitisation and Special Projects, noted: "For CDP, supporting the university in the implementation of such an ambitious project with a strong scientific, educational and innovative value represents further confirmation of its commitment to bringing academic research closer to Italian businesses. Furthermore, leveraging our role as Advisory Partner of the InvestEU Programme, we want to make our expertise in technological innovation and venture capital available by promoting research support actions for the key enabling technologies for economic innovation identified by the European Commission, aimed at supporting the country's society and industry”.