The Cluster MinIT intends to promote and facilitate technology transfer and innovation, implementing participative models that encourage engagement. The members actively take part in these activities leading to a multitude of skills. Also, the cluster aims to build networks between the subjects involved, creating opportunities for the development of new projects – also favoring the exchange of experience and information.
Thus, in 2021, MinIt enabled 3 topic-related workgroups that promote the interaction between universities, companies, innovation hubs, land development agencies, and other paramount stakeholders engaged in Made in Italy. They discuss strategic themes for the sector such as circular economy, new business models and traceability.
These workgroups, which are organized according to the principles of cross-fertilization and fusion, are the means through which it is possible to share knowledge, draw inspiration from case history to develop tangible projects, know the most relevant trends and stay updated about the new technologies, build relationships, and establish partnerships with a view to open innovation.
workgroup “Open innovation”
Open Innovation is the distributed innovation model in which companies welcome external ideas, technologies, and projects (e.g. start-ups, non-competing companies, research centers, etc.). These tools become part of companies’ value propositions, aiming to create more value and better market competition.
The activities provided by the round table aim to promote knowledge transfer processes on such topic, helping involved carachters into improving their work process by adding new practices. The main goal pursued by this workshop is facilitating MinIt associatied companies and research centers launching new Open Innovation projects.
For further information, read the preliminary report and its consequential output document #1,output document #2 and output document #3.
workgroup “Circular economy”
With the purpose to reduce the environmental pollution and consumption of raw materials – especially non-renewable resources – a new idea is spreading, turning from a linear economy (which follows the take-make-consume-throw away pattern) to a circular system.
The latter is a structured economy system to favor the reuse of materials in subsequent production cycles, reducing waste to a minimum. Thus, environmental sustainability is guaranteed. The activities provided by the round table are designed to allow companies and other involved subjects to enhance their skills.
Furthermore, targeted work subgroups could lead to developing research, innovation, and technology transfer projects addressed to companies and organizations. Finally, these works could lead to drafting a position paper, in-depth booklets and worksheets, workshops, etc.
For further information, read the preliminary report and its consequential output document.
workgroup “New business models”
The change that happened in the business model is no longer an option for many companies, but it is more like a genuine need. Failure to be versatile and to proactively react when operating in an ongoing framework of evolution are elements that could lead not only to terminate the activity of many companies but also to waste a wealth of knowledge pervading all the fields committed to Made in Italy. The activities of such round table aim to promote knowledge transfer processes on the topic relating to business model addressed to the companies operating in the sector, to favor the connection between companies and knowledge centers, to support the hybridization of technical knowledge and practices related to other areas such as digitalization, design, and culture.
For further information, read the preliminary report.
workgroup “Traceability, blockchain and anti-counterfeiting”
In the productive framework, traceability means “the process through which the enterprises keep track of the materials and products and supervise the conditions under which they were produced throughout the supply chain” (OECD, 2017). Concerning traceability, according to Made in Italy, it is pivotal to take two particularly relevant concepts into special consideration: sustainability and the fight against counterfeiting. The activities of such round table aim to identify those scenarios and traceability systems that could become a reference point for all the actors operating throughout the supply chains and yet could be recognized by the consumers as virtuous actors and the bearers of helpful information. The end-users are day by day way more sensitive about environmental sustainability and ethical production-related matters.
For further information, read the preliminary report.