2. To institutions and local authorities

For the University of Ferrara the interaction with the social and institutional outside environment is particularly relevant. The University’s mission, in fact, considers social responsibility in relations with local stakeholders as one of the University’s main strategic axes for future development. The importance of local stakeholder is reflected also by their participation in the University’s governing bodies. In fact, the new Statute has provided for the inclusion of the “Supporters Committee” in the University governing bodies. The Supporters Committee was established in 2004 by means of an agreement signed by representatives of the Municipality of Ferrara, Province of Ferrara, Ferrara Savings Bank, Ferrara Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Agriculture and Craftsmanship, Cento Savings Bank, Ferrara Savings Banks Foundation and Cento Savings Bank Foundation.

Despite the financial difficulties that members were facing, in 2009 the Committee confirmed its financial support to the University’s research activities. This has confirmed its connecting role between cultural, social and business institutions operating on the territory with important spill over effects on their activities.

The Stakeholders’ involvement

One of the most relevant goals of social reporting is to contribute to the development of long-lasting relations with the University’s main stakeholders, which have an influence on and are concerned by the University’s actions.

For this purpose, in March 2009 a meeting was held between the University and the Chamber of Commerce of Ferrara, the reference multistakeholder for Ferrara’s territory.

The meeting, held in the University’s Rector’s Building, aimed at creating a moment of confrontation on topics such as innovation, technology transfer to the territory’s companies, and the role of Ferrara’s new Technopole.

During the meeting the Chamber of Commerce presented the results of an inquiry on topics such as innovation and technology transfer aimed at assessing Ferrara’s companies stand toward it.

The results show that:

• the territory’s firms are experiencing difficulties in coping with process, product and organization innovation;
• the need to strengthen cooperation between the University and the business world in order to foster innovation. This should be complemented with a stronger effort for firms’ innovation and technological needs identification, by means of better targeted and thorough analysis and survey;
• in consideration of the high level of competition in the market, technological (both product and process) innovation alone, is not sufficient. Organizational innovation too is an important element to address in order make companies more flexible and adaptable to market’s needs. In this regard, academic scientific research should prioritize technology transfer to business as one of its main goals, in order to support firms in their efforts of product and process diversification as well as new markets access. Firms, on their hand, should be fully aware of the innovation potential offered by academic research, as well as the University of Ferrara should continue in the direction of a strong dialogue with the territory business world;
• technological transfer is a key element in helping firms innovate and compete on the market, with the University playing the crucial role of go-between for academic scientific research and its final transfer to firms. In this light, the creation of ad hoc professional in the field of technology transfer is another fundamental factor, as shown by the suggestion launched by the University of Ferrara to create a Doctorate in Technology Transfer;
• it is necessary to make firms aware of the importance of business innovation. In this regard, during the debate, the University of Ferrara recalled its initiatives, as well as those of provincial and regional institutions, to support the firms on the territory.

As conclusion of the debate, the following challenges were identified:

- for the Chamber of Commerce, a better and more efficient investigation of firmr’ innovation needs in order to design support actions;

- for the University of Ferrara, within the strategic technological sectors choosen for the new Technopole, a further improvement of those actions and initiatives aimed at raising firms awareness on innovation. The University of Ferrara should propose itself as firms’ prime partner for scientific research and technological transfer

The University Centre for Valley Agriculture

The University of Ferrara Centre for Valley Agriculture aims at supporting the widely diffused and important agro-industrial activities on the territory, by means of know-how transfer, research and technology.

The Centre’s next objectives are the activation of a new branch of research dedicated to biomasses farming, in order to estimate their potential for electric and heat energy production. Research activities will be made possible thanks to a microturbine installed at the Navarra Foundation and whose function is the optimization of agricultural production quality, quality of the oil produced, fuel quality, energy production and, operating and maintenance costs.

Finally, it is worth mentioning that the Centre contributes to the creation of the Terra&AcquaTech, one of the four technological platforms of the new Ferrara’s Technopole. The platform will focus on all research activities related to the theme “water and agriculture”.

The project for the “Hermitage Research Centre”

Since 2005, the University has taken part in the project promoted by the Province for the establishment, in collaboration with the Hermitage Museum in San Petersburg, of a scientific and cultural Centre named “Hermitage Italy” and based in Ferrara. The Project formally started on 2007 with a Protocol of Agreement signed by the Province of Ferrara, the Municipality of Ferrara, the Emilia-Romagna Region and the Hermitage Museum.

In 2009, as in the previous years, the University of Ferrara has support research activities by granting scholarships to young students of different nationalities. Besides, within the Project framework, the University has continued the work of inventory revision for the Hermitage’s collection of XVII century Italian painting, thanks to an ever closer collaboration between Italian and Russian scholars. The operation aimed at completing the cataloguing of all 385 paintings now fostered in the Museum. Once completed, the catalogue will be part of a series of publications on the Hermitage’s Italian sculpture, following the one already published last year by the University of Ferrara. Furthermore, in 2009 too, thanks to the cooperation between the Hermitage Foundation and the University, in particular the Departments of History and Human Sciences, two round tables were organized in the Sala Agnelli of the Ariostea Library, with the title “The Endless Variety of Taste. Meaning, Art and History of an Idea from Middle Age to Modern Times”. The round table saw the participation of several scholars of different nationalities.

The University interaction with the local medical system

A particularly important field of interaction with local authorities in social terms is the one the University of Ferrara has established with the local medical system. The interaction concerns several activities: the University staff supplies medical help services and contributes to the coordination of medical activities in local hospitals; the medical research carried out at the University often leads to innovative treatments for some diseases; the University staff, besides doing a relevant part of its training in local medical facilities, collaborates with these latter in some teachings.

The University is firmly committed to achieving and maintaining high good health standards on the territory, and in this perspective it operates in strict synergy with the Sant’Anna Teaching Hospital (Azienda Ospedaliero - Universitaria “Sant’Anna” - AOU), an institution fully integrated within the University operating both in medical help, diagnosis and care and in medical research.

The integration with the AOU is part of the larger cooperation with the Regional Medical System (Sistema Sanitario Regionale - SSR) – as stated in the regional law n. 29/2004 on the collaboration between University and SSR.

Tables below show figures on the University’ employees who carry out activities in agreement with the Medical System, in accordance with regional and national laws[1].

(* Technical and Administration Staff working in the medical assistance field)

The University’s Relational Capital – Growth and Innovation Attitude Indicators

The relational capital represents the University intangible capital and refers to all relations with both actors involved in the research activities, in national and international projects, and companies and spin-offs. The results of the research activities as well as the know-how and technologies developed are then transferred to the territory.

Tables below, by showing the number and type of actors as well as joint projects, report all relations between the University and its partners in research activities.

(** Non EU Agreements – for detailed information please look at Section VII).

[1] L. n. 213/71; L. n.200/74; D.P.R. n. 761/79; D. Lgs n. 502/92; D. Lgs. n. 229/99;  D. Lgs. n. 517/99, L.R. n. 6/04, L.R. N. 29/04.