Project

NODES Nord Ovest Digitale E Sostenibile is the innovation ecosystem funded by the Ministry of University and Research (MUR) as part of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) Ministerial Decree No. 1054 dated June 23, 2022
The NODES project

NODES is the innovation ecosystem funded by the Ministry of University and Research (MUR) under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR), Ministerial Decree No. 1054 dated June 23, 2022. It aims to invest 110 million euros in creating a Digital and Sustainable North-West, with 15 million euros allocated to involve the South as well.


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NODES (Nord-Ovest Digitale E Sostenibile - which is the Italian for “Digital and Sustainable North-Western Italy”) is an Innovation Ecosystem involving territories in Piemonte, Valle D’Aosta and the bordering provinces of Lombardia (Pavia, Como and Varese), represented by its innovation actors (universities, innovation clusters, research centers, competence centers, incubators and accelerators) and linked to the productive and research vocations that represent the excellence of the territories. NODES is organized into 7 spokes, each characterized by a specific focus under the umbrella of the digital and ecological transitions: 


Spoke 1: Industry 4.0 for sustainable mobility and aerospace

Spoke 2: Green technologies and sustainable industry 

Spoke 3: For culture and tourism industry

Spoke 4: Digital innovation toward sustainable mountain

Spoke 5: Industry for health and silver economy

Spoke 6: Primary agroindustry

Spoke 7: Secondary agroindustry


Vision

NODES’ vision is to boost the competitiveness of industries and research institutions, positioning the territory at a national and international level as an attractive “territorial system” for high-skilled talents and private investments. 
The potential impact identified through the integration of research excellence, expertise, and a diverse entrepreneurial fabric is indeed considerable, with the ambition of creating a scalable collaborative model even beyond the completion of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) works.


Mission

The mission of NODES is to contribute to addressing the structural deficiencies, a key theme of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR), through the implementation of tools and activities with a new collaborative approach. It aims to respond to strategic innovation challenges and generate positive impacts towards the digital and ecological transition with an interdisciplinary approach. NODES also aligns with the specific objectives of the PNRR related to Digitalization, Industry, and Aerospace, strengthening the conditions for the development of a knowledge-intensive, competitive, and resilient economy.


Goals

In a span of 3 years, NODES aims to support and create scientific and industrial research clusters in the 7 areas of focus known as "spokes," which represent the internal vocations within the ecosystem: Industry 4.0 for mobility and aerospace, industrial sustainability and green technologies, tourism and culture industry, digital and sustainable mountain areas, health industry and silver economy, primary and secondary agro-industry.

The ambition is to enhance existing ideas, expertise, and entities while fostering the creation of new ones, promoting technology transfer, entrepreneurial culture, and the development of spin-offs, startups, and SMEs. This is in response to the need to prepare the region for the upcoming revolution related to the challenges of digital and ecological transition, with a specific focus on the areas of specialization: Digitalization, Industry, and Aerospace. The total budget allocated to NODES is 112.85 million euros.