The Joint Research Centre MATT – Metal And Transformation Technologies has been awarded with the ‘Lombardia Innovativa’ prize. This was announced by the Vice President of the Lombardy Region, Fabrizio Sala, and the President of the Bassetti Foundation, Piero Bassetti, during the event “Lombardia Innovativa. Where the future lies ahead’, held on 15th December. .
LOMBARDIA INNOVATIVA: WHAT IS IT?
The initiative was conceived by the Lombardy Region to promote and enhance research and innovation through the selection of innovative models proposed by Lombardy’s entrepreneurial excellences, capable of generating value, offering innovative, creative, concrete solutions and increasing the territory’s competitiveness within the eight ecosystems of the Three-Year Strategic Programme: nutrition, health and life sciences, culture and knowledge, connectivity and information, smart mobility and architecture, sustainability, social development, advanced manufacturing. The aim is to increase the knowledge and visibility of business chains operating in the different ecosystems, which can inspire other companies and strengthen the region’s network of stakeholders.
JRC MATT is one of the six innovative models awarded in this first edition of the prize. Six chains of entrepreneurial excellence in different sectors, with one feature in common: the willingness and ability to network with the region to make the most of the potential offered by the research system in Lombardy. The beneficiaries are awarded the ‘Lombardia Innovativa’ logo in recognition of the excellence they have demonstrated, and are assured involvement in regional, national and international initiatives and networks.
“We have rewarded realities that have been able to establish structured and ongoing partnerships with Lombardy’s universities,” commented Lombardy Region Vice-President Fabrizio Sala. “Or realities that have done open innovation and have been able to enter into relations with research or business networks, even at an international level. For us, this is the right way to do technology transfer and thus increase the competitiveness of our region’.
THE AIM OF THE JRC
“The MATT shared research centre was set up with the aim of becoming a virtuous example of scientific and industrial collaboration,’ says Marco Tarabini, Scientific Director of the JRC. ‘The Lombardia Innovativa award not only makes us proud and honoured, but also confirms that we have adopted the right approach. Established just over two years ago, the JRC has had a rich history in terms of projects and achievements. In October, we inaugurated our beautiful premises located just a stone’s throw from the Lecco campus, we have 10 Research and Development projects under our belt, and 4 PhDs in the company. Now, the more our network is able to expand, the more we will be able to increase our innovative impact on the territory. On behalf of the partnership, I would like to thank the Lombardy Region for having rewarded our supply chain collaboration model by fully grasping its concrete potential. I would also like to thank the JRC’s corporate partners, Mario Frigerio S.p.A., Agrati S.p.A., Growermetal S.p.A., O.R.I. Martin S.p.A. and ITLA Bonaiti s.r.l., who have undertaken this challenging project with enthusiasm and foresight, and with whom I am convinced we will continue to collaborate in a fruitful and proactive manner.