Protocol of Understanding on Innovation in Technologies Used for Local Applications.

Tuscany Will Host One of the Technological Centres of Excellence.
07/05/07 - The Italian Ministry for University & Research and Microsoft Have Signed a Protocol of Understanding on Innovation in Technologies Used for Local Applications. Tuscany Will Host One of the Technological Centres of Excellence.
Today, the Ministry for University & Research, the Ministry for Reforms and Innovation in Public Administration and Microsoft's C.E.O. have announced that they will work together to promote the use of technologies and IT skills in three Italian Regions, including Tuscany, to support companies' innovation and competitiveness.

The Protocol of Understanding provides for cooperation on training activities, technology transfer and research projects to be carried out by three Centres for Innovation in order to develop activities based on Microsoft technologies. Microsoft, the three Italian Regions, the Local Authorities and Universities will all be involved in setting up the Centres through separate agreements.

Cooperation between the public and private sectors is a prerequisite in order to ensure that Italy's technological development is in line with the new IT frontiers. This has to be done bearing in mind the results of research and development as well as experiences in using IT at international level.

Each Centre will focus on a technological area, which will become the Centre's area of excellence.

The Centres for Innovation will be developed around specific university centres which will work on analysing and prototyping technologies, training and transferring technology through the applications for which the Regions want to become international leaders. The Centres will be based on a model called "Microsoft Innovation Centres", i.e. advanced facilities that Microsoft has developed in many countries round the world in cooperation with local authorities. There are currently around 120 Microsoft Innovation Centres in 60 countries.

IT specialists who will work on basic technological developments and advanced solutions with other private and public partners will work in the Centres for Innovation. The Centres will also act as catalysts for technology transfer through training, meetings and general dissemination of IT knowledge.

Specific programmes and areas of work for each Centre:

• Intellectual skills and capital or technology training through courses and hands-on activities aimed at developers in companies, public institutions and universities.
• Process innovation and support to business culture.
• Courses on software business management and development of business plans.
• Project support and review for IT companies.
• Training on how to manage applications' life cycles and quality certification.
• Product innovation and industrial cooperation or support to innovation and growth of businesses by facilitating the development of prototypes and innovative solutions, particularly in the IT sector.
• Support to adopting the most innovative software technologies.
• Stimulating project development by companies and local institutions.

More specifically, the Centre for Innovation in Tuscany will develop IT technologies aimed at supporting arts and tourism. These are areas of excellence of our country and require a specific commitment so that Italy can consolidate and enhance its international competitiveness in these areas. Digital technologies allow arts and culture to be catalogued and disseminated. They also enable the development of new applications which make for richer and more integrated experiences to be enjoyed by tourists.

Source: ASG Media (07/05/2007)