Alma Mater, Intesa Sanpaolo and Almacube – Incubator of the University of Bologna – have signed a three-year agreement to support the entrepreneurial ideas of students, recent graduates, researchers and staff of the Alma Mater. Joint initiatives are envisaged in Almacube to support student start-ups, research spin-offs and corporate open innovation projects. Initiatives for the valorisation of patents and social and sustainable entrepreneurship are also planned.
The goal is to create together – also with the involvement of Intesa Sanpaolo Innovation Center – an entrepreneurship pole by enhancing the ideas born in Alma Mater through events such as the StartUp Day Unibo (event in favor of youth entrepreneurship), entrepreneurial ignition and incubation, opportunities for meeting and sharing.
Almacube has been identified, in the strategic plan of the Alma Mater to 2021, as the tool to support the development of new entrepreneurial projects born of students, recent graduates, researchers, teachers and staff of the University of Bologna. The incubator has been renovated since 2017 and operates today with a three Business Unit model: one dedicated to student startups, one to the world of research and spin-offs, and one to the world of companies and Open Innovation.In Almacube , Intesa Sanpaolo therefore supports Confindustria Emilia Centro, historical partner of the incubator, in its entrepreneurial development activities.
As part of the Agreement presented this morning, the following activities will be implemented starting from the first year:
- Advice on the main concessions and financial instruments
- Consulting and provision of non-financial services
- Coaching on business creation issues with particular attention to: legal aspects, go to market strategies, digital marketing, business planning, fundraising and pitching to investors.
- Initiatives to facilitate and support access to credit
- Coaching and mentoring for start-ups and spin-offs already established or to be established
- Corporate acceleration programs of the most interesting start-ups
