Review 2020

20 April 2020

ONLINE ROADSHOW & MATCHMAKING FOR INNOVATIVE STARTUPS
AND SMES ON DIGITAL INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGIES – 22 APRIL 2020

"Open Innovation Network for Technology & Entrepreneurship Communication Hub", "OnTech", is a project that aims to build an international network for technology promotion, promoted by the China Center for International Science and Technology Exchange (CISTE) of the China Association for Science and Technology (CAST).

"OnTech" aims to promote innovative cooperation; facilitate international technology trade and innovative industrial cooperation generated by high-quality scientific, technological, and innovation resources.

The project is coordinated by the International Technology Transfer Network (ITTN) in collaboration, for the Italian side, with SPICI srl – Society for Innovation, Cooperation and Internationalization.

The Online Roadshow & Matchmaking for Innovative Startups and SMEs, is the first of a series of online roadshows.

This event will focus on Digital Innovative Technologies and will take place on 22 April.

Innovative startups and SMEs from Italy, as well as from Israel, Russia, United Kingdom, Germany, and the Netherlands, have been invited to participate. 

DOWNLOAD THE PDF

17 March 2020

CALL OPEN “HERE'S A STARTUP” – BERGAMO 19 MAY 2020

**Deadline 31 March 2020
**SPICI srl – Society for Innovation, Cooperation and Internationalization, alongside Confindustria Bergamo, Young Entrepreneurs and Industrial Group of Plastic and Rubber, for the selection of innovative SMEs and startups 

SPICI srl - Society for Innovation, Cooperation and Internationalization is engaged in the selection of innovative startups and SMEs wishing to participate in the new edition of the initiative “Here's a Startup”, a program promoted by Confindustria Bergamo, Young Entrepreneurs and Industrial Group of Plastic and Rubber. The initiative aims to promote the open innovation model to facilitate collaboration between companies associated with Confindustria BG and startups throughout the national territory, thus facilitating an effective meeting between demand and supply of innovation.

The initiative is aimed at companies with the qualification of innovative startup (also in formation) and innovative SMEs, which offer services/products primarily focused on the following fields of innovation: Innovative Materials - new raw materials, additives, graphene, talc elimination, materials that prevent beta rays for molecular modification; Digital transformation - integrated monitoring systems, innovative MES, data analysis for continuous improvement, production scheduling solutions; Smart production - FEM analysis of printed matters, predictive maintenance, collaborative robotics, 3D printing; Quality innovation - deep vision, «zero defect», mechanical control; Circular economy - waste disposal, possibility to produce artifacts starting from waste.

Only for the field of circular economy innovation, project proposals and/or business ideas promoted by informal teams and research entities will also be considered, in the form of a call-for-ideas. These initiatives will compete for a special award sponsored by CESAP – European Centre for the Development of Plastic Applications.

**YOU CAN APPLY UNTIL 31 MARCH 2020
**
Selected companies will be included in a pathway that includes:
One-on-one Matchmaking meetings with a qualified roster of sector companies that have expressed a real need to start open innovation projects in the fields of interest covered by this call; Pitch as part of the dedicated event, HERE'S A STARTUP, which even in the 2020 edition will see the involvement of selected industrial partners, investment groups, and institutional representatives, in the context of one of the most active Italian industrial centers and in the heart of Kilometro Rosso, Scientific and Technological District leader in Europe; Mentorship and support aimed at preparing presentation materials to the companies of the Plastics and Rubber group of Confindustria Bergamo, with the aim of promoting the birth of commercial collaborations and corporate partnerships; Media visibility following articles in industry magazines, newspaper publications, web portals dedicated to the startup ecosystem, and press releases.

CHECK THE CALL FOR PARTICIPATION
[**DOWNLOAD THE CALL "Here's a Startup"**](https://www.spici.eu/MATERIALS/CALL Here's a Startup.pdf)
For more information
startup@spici.eu
+39 3382668433. 

13 March 2020

SPICI, NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS OF THE SUZHOU CENTER FOR INTERNATIONAL INNOVATION AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP,
IS COMMITTED TO PROMOTION OF SUZHOU IN ITALY.

Among many Chinese cities better known to Westerners, one might question the choice of the “lesser known” Suzhou.

Why Suzhou?
City in eastern China, located in the Yangtze River delta, east of Shanghai, has become one of the most dynamic cities in the economic landscape of mainland China and today represents the first city economy of the Jiangsu province in terms of GDP (about 238 billion Euros in 2018), ranking among the top ten in the whole country.
In recent years, Suzhou's economic structure has been continuously optimized and its leading industries have accelerated their development. The production value of the four next-generation leading industries, information technology, biomedicine, nanotechnology, and artificial intelligence, represents 15.7% of the total industrial production. The city hosts the offices of 80 of the top 500 companies in the Fortune ranking. Suzhou continues to increase investments in the scientific and technological field, promoting innovation and entrepreneurship policies. Its production activities are concentrated in the two main city industrial parks: the Suzhou Industrial Park SIP2 and the Suzhou National New & Hi-tech Industrial Development Zone.

Discover the Chinese companies interested in collaborating with Italy:
Industrial Automation  >  [**DISCOVER THE LIST**](https://www.spici.eu/MATERIALS/Suzhou Enterprises - Industrial Automation.pdf) 
Materials Engineering  >  [**DISCOVER THE LIST**](https://www.spici.eu/MATERIALS/Suzhou Enterprises - Materials Engineering.pdf)
Electronic Information and Engineering  >  [**DISCOVER THE LIST**](https://www.spici.eu/MATERIALS/Suzhou Enterprises - Electronic Information.pdf)

If you need more information, do not hesitate to contact our offices:
Dr. Chiara Romano · startup@spici.eu
(+39) 081.2530.260

21 February 2020

CHINA: SOLIDARITY FROM THE SCIENTIFIC, CULTURAL AND ARTISTIC WORLD
LAUNCHED THE MANIFESTO “CHINA OUR HEARTS BEAT FOR YOU” 

On Friday, 21 February, at the Svimez headquarters in Rome, the world of culture, science, and Italian research launched the manifesto “China our hearts beat for you” alongside a campaign of concrete actions in support of the Chinese people to transform a global alarm into a wave of solidarity and to show that closeness between peoples and cultures can also be contagious.

For the occasion, S.E. Li Junhua, Ambassador of the People's Republic of China in Italy, Vincenzo Lipardi, President of SPICI srl - Society for Innovation, Cooperation and Internationalization, Plinio Innocenzi, Full Professor of Material Science and Technology at the Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy of the University of Sassari and former Scientific Attaché at the Embassy of Italy in Beijing, Luca Bianchi, Director of Svimez, Adriano Giannola, President of Svimez, Alessandra Lavagnino, former Full Professor of Chinese Language and Culture at the University of Milan and Director of the Confucius Institute of the University of Milan, Marco Maggiora, Director of the joint Laboratory Institute of High Energy Physics (IHEP) - National Institute of Nuclear Physics (INFN) and also Paolo Giulierini, Director of MANN - National Archaeological Museum of Naples and Sergio Cavalieri, Prorector for technology transfer, innovation and valorization of research at the University of Bergamo attended through a video connection.

Among the first initiatives of the campaign is the launch of a petition, already supported by almost 900 signatories, on the platform change.org at the link http://chng.it/vp524xz7NN and the activation of the website www.chinahearts.eu to collect messages and testimonials of the closeness of the Italian people to the Chinese one as well as for the launch of proposals for joint projects.

Words of appreciation and hope were those of the Ambassador of the People's Republic of China in Italy, Li JunHua “We are overcoming the critical moment, on April 1st the vaccine against coronavirus will be presented. But to fight the virus of ignorance and racism your closeness is important. After this storm the friendship between Italy and China will shine like a rainbow” .

And also: “I am happy to be here at this particular time for this important initiative promoted by the Italian cultural and scientific world. The signatures supporting the petition are already many and we expect them to become thousands. The virus that has struck the Chinese people is a danger to the whole world and not only to China. We are reacting with all our strength to implement prevention and containment measures for the epidemic. After difficult times the epidemic situation seems to have a positive turn, the number of recoveries and the people discharged from hospitals in Hubei is increasing day by day. China will continue to strengthen its cooperation with the international community and with Italy. In China we say that after the storm there will be a rainbow, I believe that after this storm the friendship between Italy and China will shine just like a rainbow. You say today ‘China our hearts beat for you’, we Chinese will say ‘Italy our hearts beat for you’”.

Luca Ferrari, Ambassador of Italy in the People's Republic of China, also sent a message of support.

And in videoconference Paolo Giulierini, Director of MANN - National Archaeological Museum of Naples recalled that “Already since the empire of Augustus there have been very close commercial relations with China. In this spirit and in memory of this ancient closeness, the Mann of Naples has held important exhibitions dedicated to Pompeii in the cities of Xian, Beijing, and Chengdu and we have hosted an exhibition in Naples dedicated to the bronze masks of Chengdu. Every year, we also organize the Chinese New Year with the Chinese community of Naples. We fully trust and enthusiasm in this project of solidarity”.

In addition to highlighting the necessary measures to defeat the virus, the campaign aims to help overcome the fears and prejudices that the emergency of “2019-nCoV” has generated. Unknown diseases can arouse distrust towards cultures with which there is little familiarity. Through culture, art, and science, we intend to combat the greatest infection, that of ignorance, therefore among the first activities to undertake is to host young Chinese creatives at the National Archaeological Museum of Naples and the Academy of Fine Arts, which have already shown full availability.

“We have promoted this manifesto – declared Vincenzo Lipardi, President of SPICI srl - Society for Innovation, Cooperation and Internationalization – to wage a common battle against a virus perhaps even more insidious than the one that doctors and scientists are fighting, the virus of fear and intolerance. This is a battle that we feel like fighting in the name of the friendship between our two countries. Personalities from the world of culture and science have decided to put their face to it, we are proud of this initiative which from below is positively infecting many people. We invite everyone to subscribe to our appeal, reason is a powerful vaccine that needs to be nurtured by all people of good will”. Words of support come from the director of Svimez Luca Bianchi, who emphasizes how “From here we try to reverse the sign of a path, so that from a negative fact we can give rise to a positive journey to build many things as a seal of our friendship with the Chinese people”, from the president of Svimez Adriano Giannola, who highlights how: “In this phase of globalization, dialogue with China is strategic for the future of Italy. We hope that from this emergency situation we can draw common fruits born of this spirit of frankness, openness, solidarity, and closeness”. “China – stated Marco Maggiora, director of the Joint Laboratory Institute of High Energy Physics (IHEP) - National Institute of Nuclear Physics (INFN) – is a strategic partner of Italy not only for the numerous joint research projects already carried out, but because together we intend to build a future generation of researchers. We are saddened to know that certain attitudes dictated by ignorance can make our Chinese friends feel distant. This manifesto is a tool to use art, culture, and science against any form of discrimination and, indeed, to strengthen an already solid relationship”. “The University of Milan – concluded Alessandra Lavagnino, former Full Professor of Chinese Language and Culture at the University of Milan and Director of the Confucius Institute of the University of Milan – is here, we are here to testify to the presence of Confucius Institutes in all Italian cities. Thousands of Italian students study Chinese, there are 30 universities in Italy where Chinese is taught, we are ready to provide interpreters and cultural mediators, let us keep alive this chain made of true knowledge”.

February 2020

SOLIDARITY CAMPAIGN “CHINA, OUR HEARTS BEAT FOR YOU”
SIGN THE PETITION!

To transform a global alarm into a wave of solidarity and show that closeness between peoples and cultures can also be contagious. It can. It must.

“China, our hearts beat for you" comes from this awareness. Promoted by personalities from the world of science, art, and culture, “China, our hearts beat for you" is a solidarity campaign in support of the Chinese people affected by the coronavirus epidemic. To the sufferings caused by the health emergency should not be added the sufferings caused by discrimination and ignorance.

The initiative aims to make the public more aware of how important it is, now more than ever, to work together to transform a widespread alarm into a wave of global solidarity, which unites peoples and consolidates relationships and exchanges, not only economic, between the two countries, and that promotes concrete actions for a future characterized by greater cooperation, harmony, and prosperity.

The campaign starts from Italy, which this year celebrates the 50th anniversary of relations with China, and aims to expand into Europe for a year, during which concrete actions will be launched to consolidate relations and exchanges in the field of culture and research.

“China, our hearts beat for you" will be officially launched in a press conference on Friday, 21 February at 11 am at the prestigious Svimez headquarters. The manifesto, which will be launched on that occasion, is already online, at the link: http://chng.it/vp524xz7NN, and a dedicated website has also been opened: www.chinahearts.eu.