Cooperazione rafforzata tra Confindustria Alto Adige e Fraunhofer Italia

The collaboration between Confindustria Alto Adige and Fraunhofer Italia has been strengthened, marking the first independent company of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft in Italy. Founded in Bolzano in December 2009 alongside Confindustria Alto Adige, the Fraunhofer Italy entity is a non-profit research entity that has been based at the NOI Techpark in Bolzano since 2017.

In 2019, Fraunhofer Italy also established the application center Arena, a physical space within the NOI Techpark where Fraunhofer's applied research activities become tangible.

Fraunhofer Italia collaborates with public and private entities from various sizes and sectors on contemporary applied research topics, aiming to promote dual transformation: digital and sustainable. The push towards consolidating collaboration emerged from the positive experiences of joint projects within the European Digital Innovation Hub DIS-HUB. These projects highlighted the value added through direct comparison of companies' concrete needs and applied research.

With the new agreement, Confindustria Alto Adige and Fraunhofer Italia aim to further develop their historical collaboration. The link between the two entities dates back to their founding. Confindustria Alto Adige, founded in 1945 with 500 represented companies among the most innovative, international, and productive of the Autonomous Province of Bolzano, employs over 42,000 people and generates two-thirds of the province's entire export.

It is one of the founding partners of Fraunhofer Italia, which was established in Bolzano in 2009 alongside then Associazione Imprenditori Alto Adige with support from the Bolzano Provincial Authority.

Alexander Rieper, president of Confindustria Alto Adige, emphasized that from the beginning, it was crucial to bring the business world closer to the research world. The positive experiences over the past years have demonstrated that this interaction can generate concrete impulses for innovation. Confindustria Alto Adige wants to strengthen the collaboration with Fraunhofer and jointly address themes of particular relevance to the technological development of their associated enterprises.

Fraunhofer Italia provides expertise in applied research, while Confindustria Alto Adige brings forward the perspectives and business needs of companies. Dominik Matt, director of Fraunhofer Italia, stressed that for applied research, close proximity to practical business is fundamental. Close dialogue with local enterprises allows understanding of the real entrepreneurial challenges and subsequent development of research approaches that yield tangible results.

The collaboration focuses primarily on digital and technological transformation through artificial intelligence applications, AI-based assistance technologies, digital production, mechatronics systems, automation, and robotics, as well as solutions for increased sustainability and efficiency in resource utilization. Projects carried out within the European Digital Innovation Hub DIS-HUB demonstrate concretely how this collaboration can lead to solutions useful for enterprises.

In total, ten projects were carried out together with local businesses, where specific business needs were linked to scientific expertise, enabling the development and experimentation of practical solutions.

With the new agreement, Confindustria Alto Adige and Fraunhofer Italia intend to build on the results of the positive outcomes of the projects carried out so far. They invite companies to participate with their concrete digitization and innovation projects, developing innovative solutions together with research partners. Mirco Marchiodi, director of Confindustria Alto Adige, expressed this vision.