FBK’s 2017 profit and loss statement approved

This is what emerges from the 2017 P&L statement, approved today unanimously by the Foundation’s Board of Directors. “FBK is robust and is increasingly able to count on its strengths: pursuit of excellence, strategic vision to represent a frontier of knowledge in the local area, but also in the national landcape, and a solid management, more devoted to finding new partnerships and attracting resources at European and international level” the president of the Foundation, Francesco Profumo said after the presentation of the document.

TOP SCIENTIFIC EXCELLENCE IN ITALY ACCORDING TO THE NATIONAL AGENCY FOR THE EVALUATION OF THE UNIVERSITY SYSTEM AND RESEARCH (ANVUR)

In 2017, researchers from Fondazione Kessler published 283 journal articles (227 of them in good Impact Factor journals), 233 conference papers, 6 monographs, 46 contributions in collective volumes. Compared to 2016 and the recent past, the volume of production is constant or slightly increased in all types of publication of greater impact. The high quality of scientific production was certified in 2017 by the excellent results achieved by FBK in the evaluation of research quality (VQR 2011-2014): it ranked first among research institutions for the ICT, Political and Social Sciences sectors and for economic and social impact (Third Mission).

NATIONAL SCIENTIFIC CERTIFICATIONS

The goodness of the scientific results achieved by FBK is further confirmed by the National Scientific Certification (ASN) which, in the two-year period 2016-2017, saw 25 researchers and confirmed for the roles of Associate Professor and Full Professor for a total of 36 certifications in information technology, physics, multiple engineering specializations, political and social sciences and historiographical disciplines. Overall, the Foundation can now boast 57 certifications in the two professorship categories combined.

JOINT LABORATORIES: ISTITUTO POLIGRAFICO E ZECCA DELLO STATO, FCA AND DEDAGROUP

Research of excellence in the service of innovation in the public and private sectors, this is the distinguishing feature of the joint laboratories that FBK started in 2017 with leading companies at national and international level. The joint laboratories provide an innovative formula: the staffs of the companies and FBK work together on common projects at the Foundation’s Povo premises. In 2017, in particular, FBK together with the Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca Dello Stato (IPZS) has inaugurated a research laboratory focusing on cyber-security and digital identity to develop an online services access system for smartphones, which exploits new generation electronic identity cards. A second laboratory on cyber-security and mobility issues was set up with FIAT Chrysler (FCA). With Trentino-based Dedagroup, on the other hand, the experience of the co-innovation lab, dedicated to the creation of systems for the interoperability of data and services, keeps getting successful results.

FBK FOR SCHOOL

FBK’s close attention to the subjects of school and the education of the new generations, has set up in 2017 the Research and Innovation for Schools Unit, which through the FBK Junior program, promotes activities aimed at bringing students closer to the worlds of research and innovation, contributing to train and orient young people toward higher education and the professions of the future in a context complementary to that of school. As for the Alternanza Scuola-Lavoro program for high school students, last year 101 students took part in individual traineeships, 140 in class programs and more than 480 were engaged in annual research and innovation projects involving a network of schools (DomoSens-SenSAT, the City of Electrons, the Explorers of Photonics, Tell me Another Story).

THE FIGURES OF THE 2017 P&L

Funding from projects with private sector organizations, mostly international and national, has increased from € 3,016K in 2016 to € 3,581K in 2017, while projects with Public Agencies range from € 9,480K to € 10,994K.

In particular, revenues from European projects amount to € 8.290k while those from other local, national and international agencies amounts to € 2.704k; as regards direct private job orders, the total value of € 3,581K mainly comes from international and domestic sources (€ 2,611K).

With reference to the results based on the P&L, the total value of production reaches a total of € 16,303k while in 2016 it amounted to € 14,289k.

NEW PROJECTS

As part of the activities involving attracting new projects or contracts, in 2017 FBK researchers, thanks to the numerous proposals submitted (117, 14 of which were presented with Trentino-based partners), acquired 67 new competitive call-based projects for a total funding of over 5.9 M €.

Finally, it should be noted that the Foundation, for 2017 as well, has complied with all the PAT directives regarding the objectives