PARTNERS 2026

ART-ER - Attractiveness Research Territory is the Emilia-Romagna Joint Stock Consortium born with the purpose of fostering the region’s sustainable growth by developing innovation and knowledge, attractiveness and internationalisation of the territory. Its activities are aimed at strengthening the regional innovation ecosystem and relationships among its components, promoting the internationalisation of the business and research system to foster sustainable growth in the regions, increasing research and innovation capabilities and productivity, and successfully integrating into global value chains and new markets. www.art-er.it

WhatsApp Image 2026-04-07 at 19.48_edite

The Emilia-Romagna Region is a public authority that promotes sustainable development, innovation, and social cohesion.
With one of Europe’s most advanced economies, it supports businesses, research, and high-quality education.
The Region invests in healthcare, welfare, culture, and environmental protection to improve citizens’ lives.
Through inclusive and participatory policies, it enhances the territory and strengthens regional identity.

WhatsApp Image 2026-04-07 at 19.48.30.jpeg

FOUNDING INSTITUTIONS

The Bologna area is a strategic hub for regional and national economic development and innovation, bringing together business, research and supercomputing infrastructure, technology transfer, and networks in a single territory.

Bologna Metropolitana, as part of its strategic programme "City of Knowledge", promotes policies to support economic development and territorial attractiveness, strengthen innovation, and stimulate synergy and collaboration among all players in the ecosystem. This integrated system comprises a range of instruments and services, including BIS — Bologna Innovation Square, Land in Bo, CTE 2.0 — House of Emerging Technologies (CTE COBO), and initiatives to enhance territorial attractiveness and retain high-specialisation talent.

WhatsApp Image 2026-04-07 at 19_edited.j

WhatsApp Image 2026-04-07 at 19.16.19.jpeg

IT4LIA AI Factory is the strategic initiative designed to transform the national and European Artificial Intelligence landscape through an advanced infrastructure and a comprehensive portfolio of services available to researchers, public administrations, businesses and startups.

At the heart of the Italian AI Factory lies one of the most powerful and integrated HPC infrastructures in Europe, hosted at DAMA Tecnopolo (Data Manifattura Regione Emilia-Romagna), a European hub of reference for supercomputing, big data, artificial intelligence and quantum computing.

IT4LIA AI Factory benefits from equal contributions from the European Commission and the Italian Government. The initiative is promoted by the Ministry of University and Research (MUR) together with the National Cybersecurity Agency (ACN)

For further information https://it4lia-aifactory.eu/

BI-REX is the national Competence Center specialized in Big Data and enabling technologies for Industry 5.0.

It is a Public-Private Partnership with 66 partners, including universities, research centers, and leading companies, supporting businesses in their innovation and digital transformation journeys. It offers training, consultancy, test-before-invest initiatives, and co-development of technology transfer projects.

At the core of its offering is the Pilot Plant: an interconnected digital factory available to companies, where Industry 5.0 technologies and traditional processes are integrated for experimentation, demonstration, and prototyping in real-world conditions.

KEY PARTNERS

WhatsApp Image 2026-04-27 at 15.58_edite

As a global leader in enterprise applications and business AI, SAP (NYSE:SAP) stands at the nexus of business and technology. For over 50 years, organizations have trusted SAP  to bring out their best by uniting business-critical operations spanning finance, procurement, HR, supply chain, and customer experience. For more information, visit www.sap.com.

WhatsApp Image 2026-04-27 at 15.58.46.jpeg

GOLD SPONSOR

FNDX (fndx.vc) is a company specialized in M&A and Fundraising Advisory and Alternative Asset Advisory for investments in private markets.

The M&A and Fundraising Advisory team supports high-potential entrepreneurs and founders by providing M&A advisory services and fundraising support throughout all stages of their growth journey, from initial capital raising to managing exit operations.

The Alternative Asset Advisory team assists Venture Capital and Private Equity funds in identifying the best investment opportunities, leveraging its deep sector expertise and strong entrepreneurial background to optimize investment strategies and maximize the value of portfolio companies.

SILVER SPONSOR

StartYouUp is a non-profit association dedicated to fostering entrepreneurship and innovation.
It supports startups and young founders through mentoring, networking, and tailored growth programs.
The association connects talents, investors, and institutions to strengthen the innovation ecosystem.
By promoting education and collaboration, StartYouUp helps transform ideas into sustainable businesses.
Its mission is to empower the next generation of entrepreneurs and drive positive impact

PRODUCED BY

Cubbit is the first geo-distributed cloud storage enabler, developing sovereign solutions to protect the data of companies and institutions across Europe and worldwide. Its groundbreaking software-defined object storage enables service providers, enterprises, and public entities to create their own cloud storage system in minutes, adaptable to each organisation’s infrastructure strategy. This ensures full control and sovereignty over data, simplifies management workflows, and optimises costs. Today, Cubbit’s hyper-resilient and cybersecure technology is adopted by 400+ companies and partners, including Leonardo (world leader in defence and cybersecurity) and Rai Way (part of the RAI group, active in the media and data centre sectors). For more information, visit: https://www.cubbit.io

G-Factor, the incubator-accelerator for young businesses created in 2018 by Fondazione Golinelli, is an ecosystem that transforms the high innovation and technology potential of young people and scientists into entrepreneurial realities capable of succeeding in the market with replicable and scalable models. It addresses the growing need to foster integration between research, industry, and the market, placing young people, their business ideas, scientific research, and their ability to produce innovation and new technologies at the centre.

In 2021, Fondazione Golinelli launched the I-Tech Innovation acceleration programme for young innovative businesses in partnership with CRIF, delivered by G-Factor. The 2025–2026 edition, developed in collaboration with BI-REX Competence Centre, Emil Banca, AgroFood BIC, and Aeroporto Guglielmo Marconi di Bologna, and with the institutional support of Città Metropolitana, Comune di Bologna, Comune di Imola and ART-ER, selected 11 companies from over 160 applications across six verticals: EdTech in Life Science, AI & Data in Finance & Green Economy, AgriTech & FoodTech, Industry 4.0, Social Impact, and TravelTech & Smart Mobility.

Qonto is Europe's leading finance management solution serving over 600,000 SMEs and freelancers across 8 countries. Launched in 2017 by Alexandre Prot and Steve Anavi, Qonto combines business banking with powerful financial tools including invoicing, bookkeeping, and spend management - all in one seamless solution. Backed by €600+ million in funding and powered by a team of 1,600+ people, Qonto is transforming how European businesses manage their finances with innovative products, transparent pricing, and 24/7 customer support.

MUG – Magazzini Generativi is the innovation hub of Emil Banca, part of the BCC Iccrea Group. Located in Bologna at Via Emilia Levante 9, MUG is a place designed to foster the creation of new businesses and build a community of innovators.

MUG is a home for startups, third-sector organizations, talents, and companies, offering an ideal habitat for the development of ideas. The project promotes cross-pollination between innovation, entrepreneurship, and culture through open innovation initiatives and events that actively engage the local community alongside a network of institutional and private partners and stakeholders.

MUG, powered by Emil Banca, participates in and supports incubation and acceleration programs exclusively through partnerships: through its onboarding activities, it facilitates the connection between the bank and startups. Emil Banca provides debt instruments and makes small scale investments in startups.

Gianni & Origoni is an international, independent law firm and a leader in consultancy and assistance across all areas of business law.

Founded in 1988, the firm now has over 490 highly specialised lawyers based in Italy (Rome, Milan, Bologna, Padua, and Turin) and abroad (Abu Dhabi, Brussels, Hong Kong, London, New York, and Shanghai). Recognised nationally and internationally for its achievements in Italy and other jurisdictions, the firm has received prestigious awards and ranks among the top law firms in the field.

As a full-service firm, one of its core strengths is mergers and acquisitions (M&A). Gianni & Origoni plays a key role in many of the most prominent M&A transactions in Italy and is ranked among the top firms in the sector. To meet growing client demand for legal expertise in innovation and technology transfer, the firm expanded its services in 2016 by launching GOP4Venture – a specialised team dedicated to venture capital and investments in startups and innovative companies. Its mission is to meet the needs of venture capital funds, investment firms and investors, founders, innovative SMEs, as well as accelerators, incubators, and spin-offs from research centres.

SUPPORTED BY

Almacube is the innovation hub of the University of Bologna, Confindustria Emilia Area Centro, and Fondazione Golinelli. Since 1999, it has supported innovation and economic development in the region, acting as a bridge between academic research and industry. Initially created to enhance university spin-offs, Almacube has expanded its scope, now operating through two business units:

Open Innovation Unit, guiding established companies through their innovation processes
Startup & Spin-off Unit, supporting startup and spin-off growth through effective business and go-to-market strategies

With a strategic and collaborative approach, Almacube serves a diverse audience including startups, SMEs, corporates, and innovators. It actively involves students, young professionals, researchers, and professors in programmes based on advanced methodologies such as Design Thinking, Lean Startup, and Human-Centred Innovation.

With Almacube, the potential of academic research meets market needs, generating innovative and sustainable solutions for the future.