There is a lot of buzz of ideas and activities, even in Italy: innovative ideas that have yet to be formed and startups that are already working to bring to the market innovations that will make us live better: the examples of Start Venice Up in Venice and the Startup Factory in Bologna
Eight intense months of training and preparation were necessary to prepare the teams participating in the project Start Venice – program acceleration of ideas funded by the Veneto Region and coordinated by Confindustria Veneto Siav, Strategy Innovation and Iuav – during the final pitch to present their innovative project ideas.
The objective of the initiative is improvement of our daily life through the sustainable use of innovative technologies – mainly artificial intelligence – to use resources consciously through recycling and reuse processesincluding those relating to living spaces and the recovery of abandoned urban areas.
Among the 15 participants, divided into 8 teams, a jury composed of specialists and experts from the startup ecosystem awarded the special mentions:
- Arkéaa project developed by Alessandro Menabue and Noemi Russo, which uses artificial intelligence to offer suggestions for improving living spaces
- Mætisby Sara Michielin, Nicolò Piazza and Matteo Danzo, aims to encourage, simplify and accelerate the pre-diagnostic phase of learning disabilities
- Wa.Lessa floating trash can designed to collect waste in swimming places, designed by Dylan Benetti, Nicola Perazzolo, Federico Furlani and Andrea Sattin
- BorgoZeroby Benedetta Nagostinis, Gioia Cordella and Pietro Vesprini, aims to redevelop abandoned villages through crowdfunding campaigns
- Nestify, an idea by Riccardo Marangon and Greta Cappozzo, proposes to make housing more accessible to university students by taking advantage of spaces during periods of absence
Innovative Italian startups are increasingly moving into manufacturing
If we think about the concept of startup, it is natural to immediately associate it with digital and technology; the figures also confirm this feeling – almost 8 out of 10 innovative startups operate in the business services sector (mainly software production and IT consulting, etc.) – almost 14% of them are active in manufacturing sectorflagship of Italian industry.
Of these, the majority are active in the nec machinery and equipment manufacturing segment and the computer, electronic and optical products manufacturing segment.
Furthermore, more and more digital and phygital startups they are specifically aimed at cybersecurity technologies for industrial networks, or in automation software.
It is for this reason that during the next Mecspe 2025 – manufacturing industry fair organized by Senaf planned in Bologna from March 5 to 7, 2025 – the initiative will have high visibility Startup factory which wants to encourage dialogue between startups and small, medium and large companies that wish to strengthen their competitiveness through innovation activities in a highly specialized context.
Financial aid for startups comes from the Amazon Sustainability Accelerator program
To grow, even if the initial idea is good, a startup needs advisory support for the management of the business but also of capital. For this in 2022 Amazon launched a acceleration program towardssustainable innovation.
From this date, more than 40 startups across Europe received financial support – more than a million euros in grants and credits were granted – which allowed them to increase their sales by 700% on average.
This year, eleven startups will be supported in the program, coming from all over Europe (as well as the United States and Canada), able to test pioneering technologies within Amazon’s activities, with a potential investment of up to 2 million euros.
Companies will work with Amazon in the UK, Denmark, France, Germany and Spain to test new ways to recycle e-waste, new packaging methods, innovative building materials and the use of artificial intelligence to improve energy efficiency.
Achieving sustainable development goals, thanks to startups
How we go to Italy on the way to sustainability goals set by the UN at 2030? Not very good: according to Sustainable development reportour country has fallen significantly behind, currently placing itself in 23rd place in the world rankings.
Despite the obvious benefits – Advice estimates that if we got there on time, we would enjoy 2.2% growth in gross domestic product, with a reduction in pollution, inequality, poverty and other serious critical problems that have plagued our country since some time – we are not making the commitment and resources due.
From there was born Achieve the goals. Italian startups for the SDGsa report which Cariplo factory will be carried out to collect testimonies and promote innovative Italian startups and SMEs operating in one or more of the sectors indicated by the Sustainable Development Goals.
The purpose of the document – sponsored by European Community and which sees the technical collaboration of Aifi, Giordano dell’Amore Social Venture Foundation, Innovup, La Dalmatia delle 101, Lifegate, SheTech – is to encourage the large-scale adoption of the most innovative solutions by businesses, institutions and local authorities.
Achieve goals will be carried out on the basis of the responses collected via an online questionnaire – intended for all innovative Italian startups and SMEswho have reached a level of technological readiness equal to or greater than 4 and who have developed one or more products or services in the field of the SDGs – then developed by circular economy and sustainable development experts from Cariplo factory.
The data collected will be analyzed and synthesized into a final document, which will be made public by spring 2025: a symbolic choice, as it takes place in the year that marks the middle of the decade leading to the 2030 goal.