PARTNERS 2026
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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
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.
FOUNDING INSTITUTIONS
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The metropolitan area plays a key role as a strategic hub of the regional economy. Bologna is home to a network of both physical and intangible research and innovation infrastructures that are recognised at both regional and national levels, serving as a driver for the entire regional system. The Metropolitan City and Municipality of Bologna, through the strategic mandate project City of Knowledge, promote a series of policies to foster economic development and attractiveness, strengthen innovation, and encourage synergy and collaboration among all ecosystem players. This integrated system encompasses various projects and services, including BIS – Bologna Innovation Square, the House of Emerging Technologies of the Municipality of Bologna (CTE COBO), and services promoting territorial attractiveness.
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Municipality of Bologna is at the heart of a dynamic ecosystem of both physical and intangible research and innovation infrastructures, recognized at regional and national levels as a key driver for the broader territorial system. Through the strategic initiative City of Knowledge, the Municipality and the Metropolitan City of Bologna implement policies aimed at fostering economic development, enhancing attractiveness, strengthening innovation capacity, and promoting collaboration among all ecosystem stakeholders.
This integrated framework includes a range of projects and services designed to support innovation and growth, such as BIS – Bologna Innovation Square, the House of Emerging Technologies of the Municipality of Bologna (CTE COBO), and initiatives dedicated to increasing the area’s attractiveness for talent, investment, and enterprise.
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IT4LIA AI Factory is one of the first European platforms specialised in accelerating the development and adoption of artificial intelligence in industry and society. Hosted at Bologna’s Tecnopolo – an international centre of excellence in supercomputing and data science – the Factory provides access to a cutting-edge supercomputer optimised for AI applications, providing Europe’s leading computing power. IT4LIA was created as a collaborative platform between research and industry, promoting technology transfer through specialist services, training, and a network of public and private partners – with the support of the European Commission, the Ministry of University and Research, the National Cybersecurity Agency, and various regional players. It aims to build a national and international ecosystem enabling startups, SMEs, large enterprises, and public institutions to access and maximise AI’s potential, positioning Italy as a global leader in the field.
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BI-REX is the national Competence Centre specialising in Big Data and enabling technologies for Industry 4.0. It is a Public-Private Partnership involving 64 partners. including universities, research centres, and leading businesses. It supports companies through innovation and digital transformation paths, offering training, consultancy, test-before-invest initiatives, and co-development of technology transfer projects. At the core of its offer is the Pilot Line: a digitally interconnected factory available to businesses, integrating 4.0 technologies with traditional processes for real-world experimentation, demonstration, and prototyping.
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KEY PARTNERS
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FNDX is a consultancy firm specialised in technical advisory for venture capital and private equity funds, helping select the most promising innovative projects and emerging technologies for investment. In addition to investment advisory services, FNDX offers M&A advisory for entrepreneurs and talented founders on digital products and companies across all stages of growth – from early fundraising, through later funding rounds, to support during the exit phase. https://fndx.vc/
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PREMIUM SPONSORS
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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
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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 enables service providers, enterprises, and public entities to create their geo-distributed 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), and serviced by Exclusive Networks (global distributor, listed on the Paris Stock Exchange). Cubbit is also supported by international tech partners such as HPE, Accenture, and Equinix. For more information, visit: https://www.cubbit.io
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PRODUCED BY
SAP is a leading provider of enterprise application software, focused on helping organizations harness the power of data, cloud, and artificial intelligence to drive innovation and business performance. Its end-to-end solutions cover key business functions including finance, procurement, supply chain, and customer engagement, enabling seamless integration and real-time insights. Beyond software, SAP supports companies in their digital transformation journeys—from migrating to the cloud, to optimizing processes, to unlocking new growth opportunities through intelligent technologies.
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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.
G-Factor adopts an experimental approach to accelerating market entry for selected companies, based on equity investments made through capital and expertise. This is underpinned by a patient approach, guided by both scientific and market logic, and driven by the belief that the combination of finance and training is critical to the success and growth of the most innovative entrepreneurial ventures. Alongside financial leverage, G-Factor offers training and support throughout the early years of development. All skill- and experience-building pathways are highly personalised to meet the specific needs of each team. In some cases, G-Factor also acts as a venture builder or startup studio. While its core focus is on life sciences, G-Factor also partners with companies in the fields of fintech, insurtech, agritech, foodtech, social impact, smart mobility, and travel.
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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 enables service providers, enterprises, and public entities to create their geo-distributed 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), and serviced by Exclusive Networks (global distributor, listed on the Paris Stock Exchange). Cubbit is also supported by international tech partners such as HPE, Accenture, and Equinix. For more information, visit: https://www.cubbit.io
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Qonto is a European fintech platform dedicated to financial management for businesses, startups, and freelancers. Founded with the goal of simplifying business banking, Qonto offers a comprehensive digital ecosystem that integrates business accounts, payment tools, expense management, invoicing, and accounting automation. Through an intuitive interface and advanced technological solutions, Qonto positions itself as a strategic partner for organizations seeking to optimize their financial and administrative processes. The platform enhances operational efficiency and transparency, supporting the growth of innovative companies and contributing to the development of a more agile, digital, and connected economic system.
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MUG – Magazzini Generativi is an innovation hub developed by Emil Banca, located at Via Emilia Levante 9 in Bologna, Italy. It was created through the regeneration of a former 1,700+ m² warehouse. It is a technologically advanced collaborative space hosting offices, coworking areas, meeting rooms, workshop spaces of different sizes, a nursery, and a 99-seat auditorium. MUG positions itself as a home for startups, third-sector organisations, talent, businesses, and stakeholders, offering an ideal environment for high-impact economic and social projects, with a strong focus on sustainability and welfare. The project fosters cross-pollination between innovation, business, and culture through open innovation initiatives that actively engage the local community and a network of public and private partners and stakeholders.
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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.
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SUPPORTED BY
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Almacube is the innovation hub and incubator of the University of Bologna, certified by the Ministry of Economic Development. 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:
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Open Innovation Unit, guiding established companies through their innovation processes
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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.
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