iNESTCampus

Connecting research, industry and innovation

The iNESTCampus ecosystem brings together universities, research centers, and companies across the Nord-Est region - encompassing Veneto, Friuli Venezia Giulia, Trentino Alto Adige - to create interconnected innovation networks. This collaborative space connects 9 leading universities, research institutions, and strategic partners, uniting over 500 researchers focused on shared innovation goals.

As a professional in the innovation sector, you can engage with this ecosystem to access specialized knowledge and participate in research programs that align with regional economic strengths, from manufacturing and agri-food to sustainable environments and digital transformation.

9 Spokes as thematic innovation hubs

iNESTCampus organizes innovation through nine Spokes, each coordinated by a university and focused on key regional specializations. These Spokes serve as label to easily identify which door can be used to enter to the distributed networks that link departments across institutions, fostering collaboration with companies and public stakeholders:

• Spoke 1: Ecosystems for mountain innovations (UNIBZ) – Addressing challenges in mountain contexts through digitalization, sustainability, and circular economy.
• Spoke 2: Health, food, and lifestyle (UNITN) – Integrating digital technologies with biotechnology and robotics for health and wellbeing.
• Spoke 3: Green and digital transition for advanced manufacturing (UNIUD) – Enhancing automation, materials, and sustainable logistics.
• Spoke 4: City, architecture, and sustainable design (IUAV) – Developing strategies for the built environment and resilient infrastructures.
• Spoke 5: Smart and sustainable environments (UNIPD) – Creating human-centric working and living spaces with AI and IoT.
• Spoke 6: Tourism, cultural, and creative industries (UNIVE) – Innovating hospitality and cultural heritage through digital solutions.
• Spoke 7: Smart agri-food (UNIVR) – Advancing precision agriculture and sustainable supply chains.
• Spoke 8: Maritime, marine, and inland water technologies (UNITS) – Building digital twins for marine ecosystems.
• Spoke 9: Models, methods, and computing for digital twins (SISSA) – Enabling virtual representations across complex systems.

These Spokes map directly onto regional Smart Specialization Strategies (S3), covering areas like digital transformation, green transition, human capital, and innovative services.

Aligned with regional innovation priorities

Each Spoke integrates with Veneto's S3 trajectories - smart agrifood (11 trajectories), smart manufacturing (11 trajectories), smart health (6 trajectories), culture and creativity (7 trajectories), smart living & energy (12 trajectories), and smart destinations (5 trajectories).
This alignment ensures that innovation efforts support local economic vocations while addressing broader challenges in digital, green, and human-centered domains.

Through cascade funding calls, iNEST has already engaged 792 companies and institutions in over 200 projects, demonstrating the ecosystem's reach and impact.

Your gateway to collaborative innovation

Join the iNEST ecosystem to collaborate on cross-disciplinary projects that bridge research excellence with practical applications.Whether through Spoke-specific initiatives or cross-cutting activities like spin-off development and lifelong learning, this network offers structured pathways for innovation professionals to contribute to and benefit from Nord-Est's multi-vocational strengths.