The Friuli Venezia Giulia Region’s academic and research institutes focused on new partnership opportunities with Boston’s prestigious MIT-Massachusetts Institute of Technology (founded by geologist William Barton Rogers in 1861) in the last stop of the economic and institutional mission carried out in the United States. The mission was led by the Region’s President, Debora Serracchiani. Accompanied by Italian Consul General in Boston, Nicola De Santis, Ms Serracchiani was welcomed by Serenella Sferza, the coordinator of MIT Italy (a programme aimed at promoting joint efforts between the Institute and Italy), who illustrated the philosophy, structure and opportunities of what is generally considered to be the most important research university in the world. Ms Sferza, whose father was born in Trieste and who was named Knight of the Order of the Star of Italy for promoting the prestige of Italy abroad, recalled that Italy and MIT share: “In addition to the date of birth, a passion for innovation through the rigorous research of ingenuity and creativity. Every year, more than 50 students are given research contracts or teaching internships in Italy through the MIT Italy programme, which cooperates with the Polytechnics of Milan and Turin and with the University of Pisa.” Ms Serracchiani focused on the Teaching Internship Programme which sends MIT professors to Italy to teach scientific subjects in English (last year also in the schools of the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region (FVG), including the Grigoletti Lyceum and the Kennedy Institute). Ms Serracchiani highlighted some of the points of excellence of the FVG’s university and research network and expressed the hope of kicking off joint research efforts in strategic areas of research for the MIT and the FVG’s universities, which could be further discussed at the upcoming FVG-USA Economic Forum scheduled to take place in Trieste in July.