An alliance of bigwigs for innovation: Bocconi University and the Italian Institute of Technology (IIT) have decided to establish a collaboration aimed at developing initiatives and projects in the field of innovation and corporate entrepreneurship.
The memorandum of understanding was signed by the rector of the Milanese university, Gianmario Verona, and by the scientific director of the institute, Roberto Cingolani.
The agreement provides for the IIT to make its patent portfolio available to Bocconi, simultaneously allowing the University to access start-up projects and supporting the development of entrepreneurial ideas and projects and academic research on the subject. The institute will also allow Bocconi students (undergraduate, graduate, master, PhD) to carry out internships at its facility or at its own startups.
Bocconi, for its part, undertakes to support the IIT in the development of strategies for the go-to-market phase of its patents and innovations; through initiatives, including mentoring. The University will support startups and entrepreneurial ideas coming from the Institute's staff and will allow companies and IIT staff access to a portfolio of training activities.
"Innovation is the goal and, at the same time, the modus operandi of both our institutions", comments the rector Gianmario Verona. “This agreement, however, is not only the culmination of the same future-oriented vision, but the desire to carry out together, through concrete mutual support, a series of entrepreneurial development and corporate entrepreneurship initiatives and projects, in the spirit of open innovation”.
“Fondazione IIT is a forge of entrepreneurial initiatives that arise from concrete business opportunities. We are committed to producing good science and good technologies. The IIT Technology Transfer is a driving force for our technologies and their application. Having Bocconi University by our side and working together on Technology Transfer is a powerful opportunity in terms of ability to evaluate the technologies themselves, access to business communities, financial communities and also direct relationships with potential partner companies both for commercial/industrial projects and for our potential startups”, concludes the scientific director of IIT Roberto Cingolani.
