“PoC by Trentino” launched: €1.35 million to turn research into business

Called “PoC by Trentino: Test your idea!”, the project was presented today by its promoters, Fondazione Bruno Kessler and the University of Trento, with the support of the Autonomous Province of Trento. It is aimed at researchers and PhD students who believe they have an innovative idea. The program helps the research community test scientific projects and results, reduce uncertainty, and bring research and society closer together through a guided validation process designed to understand how scientific work can generate impact.

The initiative has involved a wide range of actors from Trentino’s innovation and research ecosystem, including the Chamber of Commerce of Trento, the Trentino Federation of Cooperation, Dolomiti Energia, and Fondazione Caritro as strategic partners, all of whom have contributed financially. During the launch event, the partners emphasized the importance of building a coordinated system and working together to bridge the gap between research and the market by offering concrete tools to transform scientific research into innovative ideas and sustainable business models.

The program provides €1 million from the Autonomous Province of Trento and about €350,000 from strategic partners. &#1
Each selected project may receive up to €80,000 in funding, along with an intensive eight-month training and coaching program—also supported by Fondazione Hub Innovazione Trentino (HIT)—as well as access to FBK and UniTrento laboratories, services, and infrastructure. Teams will also have the opportunity to connect with a qualified network of companies and venture capital investors, supporting the development and validation of their ideas.

“If we want to remain a competitive region, especially in an increasingly challenging and complex context, it is essential to transfer knowledge and laboratory results into the economic and productive system,” said the Vice President of the Autonomous Province of Trento, Achille Spinelli.  “Through initiatives such as this, we aim to strengthen the link between the market and research, shorten the distance between laboratories and companies, and foster dialogue between these two worlds so that the quality of our research centers can translate into concrete solutions capable of generating value. Human capital is fundamental: these young talents will act as bridges between research and business, ensuring competitiveness and resilience for our region in a constantly evolving global market.”

The project is supported by a high-profile multidisciplinary evaluation committee composed of representatives from academia, innovation, and regional development, including: Claudia Pingue, Head of the Technology Transfer Fund at Cassa Depositi e Prestiti Venture Capital; Alessandro Rossi, President’s Delegate for Relations with the Production System at UniTrento; Maurizio Gianordoli, Vice President of FBK and CEO of SocialIT; Andrea Silli, Director of the Startup and Innovation Area at Trentino Sviluppo; and Alice Giudicatti, Head of Strategy at Tech Europe Foundation (TEF).

“PoC by Trentino” is part of the 2024–2027 Strategic Plan of Fondazione Bruno Kessler and the 2022–2027 Strategic Plan of the University of Trento, with the goal of transforming knowledge into economic and social impact.

As University of Trento Chancellor Flavio Deflorian stated: “This project represents a further and important step in the process of transferring research to business—a path we feel responsible for supporting in order to translate scientific knowledge into innovation for the benefit of the local system and the communities that support us. Thanks to the collective effort that brings together the Province and the main economic actors of Trentino, researchers from all disciplines are offered a concrete opportunity to test the feasibility of their ideas from the earliest creative stage, well before entering the market. The expectation of repeating the call annually for a three-year period ensures continuity of this support, encouraging our talents to become entrepreneurs of their own ideas here in Trentino.”

This is precisely the purpose of a Proof of Concept: to test the strength of ideas, assess their technical and market maturity, and build the conditions needed to scale them into sustainable business projects. The first pilot initiative was launched last year by Fondazione Bruno Kessler, which funded and supported nine research ideas with nearly €500,000 to help them develop into success stories.

UNITN Poc by Trentino

“The success of the first edition of ‘PoC by FBK’ confirmed that when young talents are given the right conditions, cutting-edge ideas can become real solutions,”commented FBK President Ferruccio Resta.  “For this reason, together with the University of Trento, with the support of the Autonomous Province of Trento and partners from the Trentino ecosystem, we decided to expand the initiative by launching ‘PoC by Trentino,’ a program designed to strengthen opportunities, tools, and support for teams and accelerate the transformation of knowledge into new businesses. The goal is to reinforce and give continuity to the transition from research to the market by enhancing human capital, patents, and skills within a structured pathway, so that innovation does not remain a potential but becomes enterprise and impact for the entire Trentino community.”

The call for proposals was launched during today’s event, March 5, and will remain open until May 5, exclusively for the FBK and UniTrento research communities. A selection phase will follow by June 5, after which the training program will begin and teams will prepare for the internal Pitch Day scheduled for mid-July. Following the Pitch Day, selected teams will enter the technological experimentation phase, with access to funding and support services, until the conclusion of the program and the presentation of final results, scheduled for the first months of 2027, alongside the launch of the new edition of the program, which is structured on a three-year basis.

UNITN Poc by Trentino