DIVE - Driving Innovation in Veneto’s Economy Launched, a Platform Connecting Universities and Businesses

The Chamber of Commerce of Padova, in collaboration with the SMACT Competence Center, has launched the project DIVE - Driving Innovation in Veneto’s Economy, a platform created to stimulate greater connection between STEM universities and the world of work, with the aim of transforming the productive model of the North East.

DIVE: A Direct Bridge Between Universities and Businesses

Bringing together university talents, especially those related to STEM subjects, and the world of work is one of the key aspects for fostering innovation in the business world. The DIVE project aims precisely at this, to create the conditions so that the skills of students and researchers translate into business opportunities, particularly in the industrial sector.

An important opportunity for Veneto, considering that between 2009 and 2025, the number of active manufacturing companies in Veneto decreased by 23%, dropping from 66,000 to 49,000 units. This is "a phenomenon only partially related to a concentration process and indicates the need to rethink the model on which the economy of the area has been based for decades," explains Antonio Santocono, President of the Chamber of Commerce of Padova. "The transition from an industrial economy to a knowledge economy today rewards companies and territories that continuously invest in the production of technology and complex knowledge, particularly in 'intangible' business functions such as research and development, product development, and finance. A scenario that risks penalizing manufacturing SMEs, the beating heart of our region's economy, which, also grappling with difficulties in attracting young talents, may struggle to keep up because they often have excellent production but appear fragile in managerial, digital, and financial skills. Hence, the choice to identify an alternative path compared to the Silicon Valley model or to that of large metropolitan areas like Milan, creating a widespread accelerator to bring innovation through a distributed network of initiatives where value is created.

DIVE is inspired by other successful European initiatives, such as those from the universities of Cambridge, Eindhoven, or Grenoble, which have been able to connect universities, applied research, startups, businesses, human capital, and long-term industrial vision. DIVE will be officially presented on April 16 in Padova at the Dive into the Future event, which will see the participation of institutions, investors, and representatives from the productive world of the North East.

Subsequently, on May 11 and 12, it will be the turn of Fabbricare Spazio, a two-day event focused on aerospace, one of the strategic sectors for the initiative. On this occasion, some companies will propose a series of technological challenges to groups of students, doctoral candidates, and professionals. In the fall, two more meetings dedicated to the agrifood and medtech sectors, also considered strategic in the context of DIVE, will be held.

DIVE's Ambitions

Three main directions guide DIVE:

1. The establishment of a business school, aimed at spreading a new entrepreneurial culture centered on deep tech, innovation, and internationalization, with particular attention to strengthening skills within the fabric of SMEs.
2. The creation of a widespread accelerator, meaning a co-innovation network that will bring technology, experimentation, and new connections to the production chains of the territory. Finally,
3. The development of an international training and exchange platform that, over time, can enhance the attractiveness of Veneto for students, researchers, and young entrepreneurs.

"The vision for which DIVE was born is to help make Padova and the North East a recognizable hub of the knowledge economy, where research, enterprise, and talent meet to generate innovation and new entrepreneurship," states Fabrizio Dughiero, engineer and Director of the Industrial Engineering Department at the University of Padova. "The goal is to activate an operational bridge between universities, leading companies, SMEs, and production chains, through pathways where learning occurs through practice, and each training project becomes a concrete opportunity for applied research and development.

"Medtech, agrifood, and aerospace are the three strategic sectors we have chosen to invest in as a priority," explains Paolo Gubitta, Professor of Business Organization at the University of Padova. "We have identified them for their strategic relevance in the economic context of the North East and for the presence of anchor firms, large companies with global horizons and local roots, along with centers of excellence in research. Each vertical activates its own network of partners, business challenges, and opportunities for international collaboration."