3. To firms

The research activities and the territory

The importance that the territory has for the University is reflected by the industrial spillovers of its research activities as well as by the involvement of local institutions and firms in the transfer of the scientific results achieved.

Since the ‘80s, the University of Ferrara has been among the first universities to promote actions for the creation of high-tech spin-offs on the territory. Created to enhance the results of the research carried out within the University, spin-off companies promote and increase the value on the market of the University’s technologies and know-how, creating jobs and helping local, regional and national economic development.

The interaction between the territory and the innovation produced within the University is supervised by the Industrial Liaison Office (ILO). Created in 2004, its aim is the promotion of relations between the University and local, national and international firms; the facilitation of technology transfer and the protection of intellectual property rights; the supervision of relations with institutions, association and agencies for local industrial development.

The ILO works together with the University Commission for Patents and Spin-Offs. The Commission is in charge of planning actions for technology transfer. In coordination with the Commission, the ILO provides assistance for patent registration, for the creation and development of spin-offs, for licensing, for the projects of technology transfer on the territory.

The table below shows all spin-offs created by the University in 2009 for a total of 16 companies. Spin-offs were 16 in 2007[1] too and 15 in 2006.

* Participation share’s market value can, in some cases, be considerably higher than nominal value

** In liquidation (participation through IMPAT Consortium)

As far as research activities for patenting are concerned, the University of Ferrara distinguishes itself for its prominent position among Italian Universities. Together with spin-offs created on the territory, patents represent one of the most relevant instruments for technology transfer e market innovation.

The University facilities for innovation

The University’s endowment of facilities and instruments, both in terms of specialized research laboratories and equipment, reflects the University ability to compete in research both at the national and international level.

The University of Ferrara has numerous centres and laboratories where research projects in various fields are developed and completed. Thanks to external scholars and experts, the University can strengthen its cooperation with both other national and international universities/research centres and private companies. Furthermore, thanks to the highly skilled human resources working in them and to the newest technologies they dispose of, the University research facilities constitute an important reference for companies, local and not, carrying out highly innovative industrial research projects. For its investments in innovation facilities and instruments, the University of Ferrara also uses funds raised by means of the 5x1000 fiscal donations.

The University’s facilities for innovation have a surface of 78.739 square meters, most of them being laboratories of the Scientific and Technological Campus as well as of the Chemical – Biomedical Campus. Among the University’s most relevant research facilities it is worth mentioning:

-          The Anechoic Chamber, located in the E Building of the Scientific and Technological Campus completed in 2008. The Chamber allows studies and research activities in the different fields of sound communication. Built within the Laboratories of the Engineering Department, it consists of a large room delimited by soundproof walls for the cutting off all sound reverberations. The room is, therefore, completely acoustically isolated from the outside;

-          The White Chambers, located in the G building of the Scientific and Technological Campus completed in 2008. The Chambers are located inside the Department of Physics and are used for research activities and prototyping in the field of photovoltaic solar energy and gas sensors. Widely used in electronics (for protecting electronic devices by small particles of dust in the air), white chambers are aseptic working spaces where air is 10 up to 50.000 times cleaner than normal life environment.

Moreover, the Department of Physics activated a Laboratory for Nuclear Technology. The Laboratory is endowed with modular devices for X and γ rays spectroscopy in the medical, environmental, food and material control field.

Next to the Scientific and Technological Campus is the Incubator for start-ups, a facility created to host about ten University spin-offs and to assist them in their start-up period. In 2008 the Incubator, built by the Municipality of Ferrara, was completed and its research activities started. Beside incubation activities, in 2009 the University of Ferrara signed an Agreement with Aster (Emilia-Romagna Region Association for Science and Technology, Regional Network for High Technology - Associazione Scienza e Tecnologia Emilia-Romagna, Rete Regionale per l’Alta Tecnologia) in order to start a collaboration on the WE TECH OFF Project, a new incubator for firms with high technological value. The Project is supported by the Italian Ministry for Economic Development.

Ferrara’s new Technopole

In the month of January 2009, the University of Ferrara, together with the Province and the Municipality of Ferrara, indicated its interest for the creation of a Technopole where to install a series of laboratories dedicated to industrial research and technological transfer. The creation of this innovation and technology park is part of the wider Operative Regional Programme (Programma Operative Regionale – POR) of the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) 2007-2013. Strongly engaged in the promotion of business innovation, the Emilia-Romagna Region launched a co-financing program aimed at creating, in collaboration with the most important regional institutions active in the field of industrial innovation, a network of Technopole all aver the regional territory.

For Ferrara’s new Technopole, officially presented in December on the occasion of the signature of the Agreement between the Emilia-Romagna Region, the University, the Province and the Municipality of Ferrara, will cover a surface of 12.300 square meters, 7.315 of which will be concerned by infrastructural works. The laboratories, called Laboratories in Network – Technopole, will be four, each dedicated to a single research branch:

• TEKNEHUB Laboratory (platform “Building Trade and Construction”): the laboratory will be located in a new-built space inside the Scientific and Technological Campus and will develop research activities in the field of cultural heritage preservation, restoration and recuperation, with particular focus on methods, instruments, technologies, materials and techniques;
• TerraeAcquaTech Laboratory (platform “Energy and Environment): will be located within the Environmental Campus in Malborghetto di Ferrara (FE) and will focus its research activities on environment, water, soil and territory;
• MECH-LAV Laboratory (platform “Mechanics for Materials”): the laboratory will be located within the Scientific and Technological Campus and, in some parts, in the Municipality of Cento (FE). The laboratory will carry out research activities on acoustics and vibrations, as well as mechanic and fluid dynamic;
• Laboratory for Advanced Therapies Technologies (platform “Life Sciences”): the laboratory will be located in the Chemical and Biomedical Campus and will focus its research activities on themes such as biotechnologies (in particular stamina cells).

The relations with China

Within the University of Ferrara’s international relations, those with China are particularly relevant. Since 1999, professors and researchers at the University have promoted several events in the Asiatic country in order to exchange ideas and experiences in fields such as industry and economic development. They have also taken part in conferences, forums, meetings, etc.

Within this framework, the University succeeded in establishing a stable partnership with the Canton South China University of Technology (SCUT). Since 1999, five formal collaboration agreements were signed. In 2008, the two Universities agreed on a Memorandum in order to formally sum up all initiatives carried out jointly: the exchange of professors, researchers and doctoral candidates in the field of Economics and Territorial Industrial Policies; joint research activities; 34 Seminars and Workshops (20 in Economics and 13 on Territorial Industrial Policies).

The Memorandum also suggests the guide lines for future development: partnership consolidation in the current research activities, definition of joint research training programs, and identification of new research areas for cooperation.

In 2009, the University of Ferrara hosted the third edition of the China and Italy School of Policy. For the 2009 edition the School was supported by the Italian Foreign Ministry, the Emilia-Romagna Region, the Guangdong Government, and the Italian General Consulate in Canton. Participants were 26 in 2009, all governmental officials, selected out of 120 applications.

Besides class training, several seminaries and conferences were organized for the 2009 edition, all involving, each time, either companies or national and regional governmental institutions. Among those companies that collaborated with the School the following are particular worth mentioning: IMA S.p.A, Ducati S.p.A, Basell e Ravani Acciai.

Finally, in 2009 the School signed an Agreement for the creation of an “executive” program addressing Chinese entrepreneurs. The Italian Foreign Ministry entrusted the University of Ferrara with the creation of a very first training program in industrial development addressing Zheijiang Chinese province governmental officials.

The University Structural Capital – Growth and Innovation Attitude Indicators

The Structural Capital represents the University’s ability to create an efficient work environment for its employees in order to allow them to use their knowledge and professional skills at best. The Growth and Innovative Attitude indicators, showed in table 3.7, assess the University’s ability to acquire new research projects at the national and international level, and to develop new patents as well as to invest in high quality spaces and facilities for its employees.

In the autumn 2009, the University obtained 94 new research projects, most of them (81) were carried out on behalf of third parties. This category comprises all funding (both in the form of payment for a service and funding of a research project) obtained from outside and without participation to any announcement of competition.

The number of research projects for the development of patents supervised by the Legal Affairs Office and Industrial Liaison Office (ILO) in 2009 was 6, 2 of them having registered a patent.

The University Relational Capital – Efficiency 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 research activities as well as the know-how and technologies developed are then transferred to the territory.

The relational capital’s efficiency indicators measure the partners and customers’ satisfaction rate about research activities as well as the reasons behind any complain related to the University’s activities. In continuation with past years activities, in 2009 the University of Ferrara carried out a survey aimed at assessing the quality of relations with its industrial spin-offs. However, contrary to previous surveys, carried out by means of a questionnaire, in 2009 the University chose to switch to a more participative survey, demanding spin-offs’ referents to answer a single open question:

“With regard to relations with the University of Ferrara, is there any room for improvements? Would you suggest any initiative or idea to put in place?”

Altogether, 10 spin offs out o 16 answered the question. All of the answering spin offs consider the relations with the University profitable and fundamental for further business development. Among them, 2 spin off did not signal any possible room for improvement.

[1] In 2007 the University gave up its shares in the spin-off Active Technologies.