Thematic University-Business Forum and National Operational Programme: “Research and Innovation” 2014-2020 annual event

The annual event organized by the NOP Research and Innovation 2014-2020 will take place online on 22 and 23 February 2022, in conjunction with the University Business Forum and in collaboration with the European Commission. 

The “University-Business collaboration in a time of recovery and resilience” event will present some of the projects funded by the NOP Research and Innovation among the good practices of university-business cooperation. 

The University-Business Forum, organized by the European Commission, was launched in 2008. The Forum brings together policymakers, representatives from higher education and business and other stakeholders to discuss the role of university-business cooperation for innovation and sustainable development. It provides a unique opportunity for exchange, sharing of experience and good practices, networking and debate on how to further improve the relationship between university and business from the perspective of both.

In recent years, in the framework of the Forum, the European Commission has launched a number of university-business cooperation initiatives and new programmes, including “Knowledge Alliances” funded under the Erasmus+ programme. In this edition, the exchange of good practices will also involve projects funded under the NOP Research and Innovation.

Programme

This two-day event will open with a morning full of speeches by representatives of the European Commission, the Italian Ministry of University and Research, the Conference of Italian University Rectors and the Union for the Mediterranean, followed by a plenary session dedicated to success stories resulting from the cooperation between university and business. 

In the afternoon, 6 thematic workshops, each lasting one and a half hours, will be held in parallel over three sessions covering topical issues, including digital and green transformation.
The second day will go through the results of the workshops with short presentations made by PhD students holding scholarships funded by the NOP Research and Innovation. The day will end with a final plenary session attended by representatives from various organizations committed to improving collaboration between university and business, including PRIMA, CIHEAM, UNIMED and EIT Food.