A “digital bridge” to link up the immense social capital represented by our “brains” around the world and make that capital available to Italy. At 13.00 today “Innovitalia”, a digital platform to foster the pooling, sharing and exchange of Italian talent and excellence, was published online. The platform fosters interactive exchanges of ideas and information on research programmes and professional opportunities. It was presented at the Foreign Ministry building, the Farnesina, because the Ministry has made an active contribution to its development as part of its support for the internationalisation of “System Italy”.
Research and enterprise
In his opening speech, Foreign Minister Giulio Terzi underscored that Innovitalia is “an instrument that exploits the great potential of the new information and communications technologies. At the same time, it serves both to conduct research and engage in business.”
“Improving the competitiveness not just of our research system but also of the economy is closely linked to the direct involvement of scientists, researchers, and Italian excellence abroad in all its forms. Knowledge, the possibility for that knowledge to travel rapidly and widely, and businesses’ ability to draw added value from it to increase their competitiveness: these are key factors in promoting a country’s economic and social development”, said the Minister. Terzi underscored that Innovitalia is “an instrument to bring together the different types of experience and expertise acquired by our scientific community abroad. The new platform is designed to place these at Italy’s service”.
Diplomacy for growth
The Minister reminded his listeners that “the Foreign Ministry is engaged on a daily basis in promoting the recovery of our economy by taking the international route”. The MFA, he continued, “has made its capability and structures available to support exports to emerging markets and encourage investment and integration with economies complementary to our own”.
The Minister for Education, Universities and Research, Francesco Profumo, underlined the need to abandon the idea of research conducted solely “in the lab, because nowadays it’s all about networking and dynamism”. A tool like Innovitalia is a move towards “the rapid regeneration of knowledge to take Italy to its rightful place on the international scene”.
Rai Educational monthly magazine
RAI Educational has also contributed to Innovitalia, in collaboration with the MFA and the Education Ministry, by producing a monthly magazine that can be downloaded from the platform and from the www.raiscuola.rai.it portal. It contains video-interviews, presentations and information on the work of our scientists, researchers and experts.
The magazine, explained Silvia Calandrelli, director of Rai Educational, is divided by theme (from analyses of the Web and opportunities, to Italian innovation and excellence abroad). The first edition includes a message from the President of the Republic, Giorgio Napolitano, on Italian talent.
