RESEARCH IN ITALY - Ice

Public Research Organizations: Italian PROs are numerous and internationally recognized for theircommitment in the advancement of science, research and technology. In the national panorama incollaboration with the universities, they play a key role in fostering innovation. For brevity, we only listsome of the most significant organizations, while the National Research Countil (CNR) being one ofthe most relevant for the purpose of the present report, will be extensively described in Table 2. 13- The National Research Council (CNR), the main national research organization working in allscientific disciplines, which acts both as research performer and financial supporter.- The National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Environment (ENEA), operating in thefields of energy, environment and new technologies to support national competitiveness andsustainable development.- The National Institute for Nuclear Physics (INFN) dedicated to the study of the fundamentalconstituents of matter and conducting theoretical and experimental research in the fields ofsubnuclear, nuclear, and astroparticle physics. It manages large scale equipments andparticipates in CERN activities- The Italian Space Agency (ASI) in charge of coordinating all national efforts and investments inthe space sector.THE NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL (CNR)The Italian National research Council (CNR) is the largest public research institution in Italy. CNR’sMission is to:• Perform research in its own Institutes;• Promote innovation, national industrial system’s competitiveness, and national research systeminternationalization;• Provide technologies and solutions to emerging public and private needs;• Advice Government and other public bodies;• Insure the best training to the human force the institution employsCNR Organization: CNR integrates its activities through an interdisciplinary structure of 11 NationalDepartments. The 108 Institutes, coordinated by the Departments, are located throughout Italy and theyfunction grouping together technical and scientific areas of expertise.CNR employs more than 8,000 people, of whom more than half are researchers and technologists.From a financial point ofview, the main resourcescome from the Government -552 Million € of InstitutionalFunds in 2007. Theremaining part - 309 Million€- is derived from the market:as much as 30% of CNR’srevenues come from externalservices - e.g. technologicalCNR Technology Transfer: in order to encourage innovation andstimulate the competitiveness of businesses through market orientedTechnology Transfer activities; disseminate know-how and finalizepartnership agreements with external parties to foster cooperation,CNR has created an agile Tech Transfer machinery structured asfollows:- A central Business Development Unit that evaluates and theimplements new spin-off enterprises;- Rete Ventures, a Technology Transfer enterprise, 90% - ownedby CNR, whose task is to provide the scientific network with12 Italian Universities Ranking -Published in “Il Sole 24 Ore”, July 24 th , 200913The present data are derived from a Publication by Ufficio Pubblicazioni e Informazioni Scientifiche – CNRItalian Trade Commission - New York200910