RAISE up is the new programme aimed at teams of innovators in the Italian RAISE ecosystem who wish to valorise the results of research.
The programme promotes the development of entrepreneurial ideas based on the results of the research conducted in the context of RAISE's 4 vertical spokes, in order to foster the transfer of innovative solutions to the market for the benefit of the economic and social system. The RAISE up programme will be led by RAISE's Spoke 5 and supported by professionals from PwC Italy and I3P, the Business Incubator of Politecnico di Torino.
The RAISE ecosystem
The Robotics and AI for Socio-Economic Empowerment (RAISE) project aims to support the development of an innovation ecosystem based on the scientific and technological domains of artificial intelligence and robotics, focusing on the needs of a specific regional context, i.e. the Italian Liguria Region. The project aims to evolve into a highly attractive ecosystem for enterprises, investors and researchers, both at national and international level.
Liguria appears as an open-air laboratory where demographic trends manifested themselves earlier than anywhere else in the world, for a number of historical reasons, and it is here that some of the largest robotics and AI research laboratories in Italy are located with scientific programmes that explore the coexistence of intelligent machines alongside humans to improve the quality of life and work (‘Robot Valley’).
In this perspective, RAISE aims to build on the strengths and help reduce the weaknesses of the area, by leveraging existing resources and capabilities, generating new opportunities through effective and efficient technology transfer. The idea behind this innovation ecosystem is to coordinate and exploit research products in a logic of integration of the technology transfer system, using the local market as an extraordinary and immediate laboratory for experimentation and application.
The Spoke 5 of RAISE
Spoke 5, which stands at the intersection of research and market, acts as a mediator between the two parties, unlocking the potential of scientific discoveries and enabling companies to exploit technological progress by promoting collaboration, knowledge exchange and technology transfer. Spoke 5 plays a key role in fostering innovation and economic growth within the robotics and artificial intelligence ecosystem.
To this end, Spoke 5 has built an acceleration pathway that provides a schematic representation of the technology route to market and through five programmes that work together to create a seamless pathway that helps researchers and SMEs successfully bring their ideas and technologies to market, ultimately fostering a thriving innovation ecosystem.
The offer of RAISE up
The RAISE up programme will run from September 2024 to February 2025 in mentoring sessions, aimed at innovators in the RAISE ecosystem, both in-person and online. Among the programme's main activities are:
- Tech lifting: support in the evaluation of the technological solution, through the understanding of its state of development and the identification of advantages over possible substitute technologies;
- Strategic acceleration: support in the strategic positioning of innovative solutions, through competitor analysis, definition of competitive advantage, business model and business plan;
- Specialist boost: support from highly specialised figures on specific issues with respect to the team's needs;
- RAISE up pitch: support for the preparation of a convincing presentation aimed at attracting potential industrial or financial partners.
Investors, entrepreneurs and other players in the ecosystem can access the RAISE up community to get in touch with teams of innovators, learn more about their AI- and robotics-based technology solutions and gain insights into technology trends.
Among the benefits of joining the community:
- access to advanced and frontier technologies focused on the robotics and AI domains;
- access to highly specialised expertise from the world of academia and research;
- networking opportunities with RAISE ecosystem players and involvement in the ecosystem's initiatives and events, thus expanding the network and strengthening its presence in the Ligurian territory;
- opportunities for collaboration and/or investment in innovative projects employing advanced technologies, such as robotics and AI, in different sectors.
More information on the programme is available on its official webpage. To become part of the RAISE up community, you have to register by filling in a special form, while to contact the programme organisers and receive further information, you can write to the dedicated email box.
