Fomento San Sebastián, a partner in the Interreg Europe NOTRE project, conducted a Staff Exchange in Bologna, Emilia-Romagna, on March 26th and 27th, 2025. The visit aimed to gain in depth knowledge of the region´s health ecosystem, share experiences with CNA Emilia-Romagna, the host partner for this exchange, and foster the collaboration among both ecosystems.
The first day of the event took place at Le Serre dei Giardini Margherita, the headquarters of ART-ER, where projects and activities related to International Talents Emilia-Romagna & the regional law on talent attraction and retention were presented. The presentations highlighted the initiatives of the Region’s active networks and collaborations with European networks to promote talent mobility.
Subsequently, ART-ER illustrated the support programs for innovative start-ups, emphasizing the available opportunities for mentoring, networking, and funding.
CNA Emilia-Romagna presented the NOTRE project and its achieved results, focusing on the region’s innovation ecosystem, the new Technopole, and initiatives supporting start-ups and young entrepreneurs, including the Cambiamenti Award, which annually rewards the most innovative Italian start-ups.
Following this, the Emilia-Romagna Region outlined the opportunities provided by the ERDF 2021-2027 Program for social innovation and active aging.
The day ended with a presentation from Fomento San Sebastián, the local innovation agency of the city of San Sebastián, who shared the innovation and talent attraction strategy of the city.
On March 27th, the delegation, composed of Spanish partners and CNA Emilia-Romagna, visited the BI-REX Competence Center, where they were introduced to its activities and services, emphasizing support for companies’ digital transformation, with a focus on Industry 4.0.
During the visit, the DARE project was presented. This initiative, funded by the Ministry of University and Research (MUR) under the PNRR, aims to enhance healthcare data to develop innovative digital solutions for disease prevention. The project involves public and private partners, including universities, hospitals, and industrial competence centers.
The HEAL-ITALIA project, also funded by the PNRR, was introduced. This initiative brings together 25 Italian institutions to develop an AI-based precision medicine platform for processing clinical data while ensuring privacy compliance.
Another presentation explored the potential of organoids in research and personalized medicine. CellDynamics, an Italian company, develops solutions to standardize these biological models, featuring W8, a tool for measuring key parameters, and PL8, aimed at automation.
Finally, the delegation visited the BI-REX pilot plant, gaining firsthand insight into advanced technologies for industrial digitalization. This facility allows companies to experiment with innovative solutions and explore the practical applications of Industry 4.0.