InnoSTARS International Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition, 3 Italian startups among the finalists

On 29 December in Qingdao, the 2020 InnoSTARS International Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition was held, a programme dedicated to scientific cooperation and the internationalisation of foreign startups and SMEs. The final stage of the competition featured pitches from 13 startups from Italy, Canada, the United States, Japan, Russia, New Zealand, Israel, and the United Kingdom.

On the Chinese side, the activities were promoted by the Qingdao Municipal Science and Technology Bureau and the China Association for International Science and Technology Cooperation (CAISTC) with support from the International Technology Transfer Network (ITTN) in collaboration with SPICI for Italian participation.

The choice to organise this programme in Qingdao is not trivial. Located in eastern China, it is one of the country's most important port cities and occupies a strategic position for the New Silk Road. With a population of over 9 million and a GDP that reached 150 billion euros in 2019, Qingdao is known for its activities related to technological innovation and marine research.

The startups that participated competed around 4 key innovation themes (Biotechnology & Health-related Innovations; AI & Advanced High-tech Manufacturing; ICT & Smart Transportation; New Energy, Sustainable Development, and Green Innovation) and had the opportunity to present their technologies in front of an audience of 150 experts who showed great interest.

3 Italian startups participated in the final. Inesse developed a technologically advanced boat that uses the “Foils” system and features a semi-autonomous guidance system capable of optimising navigation settings based on environmental conditions. eProInn S.r.l. created a kit to convert conventional cars into hybrid-solar vehicles, reducing fuel consumption, while Rdots uses laser scanning technology to propose a digital database that simplifies the management, protection, and study of artistic-cultural heritage.

The presentations by other foreign startups were also very interesting. 3 business projects made it to the podium.

The first-place winner, Newsight Imaging, is an Israeli startup specialising in 3D imaging; second is Videointellect, a Russian company offering real-time video analysis solutions that enhance safety in public places and industrial facilities, and the third winner, Yokohama, is a Japanese startup active in the advanced manufacturing sector.

The programme also involved various stakeholders from the Chinese and international innovation ecosystem, including entrepreneurs, investors, academics, researchers, accelerators, companies, and institutional representatives from China, Italy, Germany, and Korea.

On the Italian side, Vincenzo Lipardi, President of SPICI, spoke to present the company, active cooperation programmes with China, the “Leonardo Hub” internationalisation support platform, and the ambitious “Huawei Digital Innovation Hub,” as well as potential areas of international cooperation.