ASTER - ICT & DESIGN PLATFORM

Objectives

The Aster - ICT and Design Platform is a regional innovation and technology cluster which gathers the industrial research labs from public and private research organizations and private companies (both larger companies and SMEs) spread throughout the Emilia-Romagna region operating in the ICT and SMART technology sectors.

The Platform mission is to provide, knowledge, skills, facilities and resources so as to represent a point of reference for the innovation needs expressed by the ICT sector and other sectors which need ICT competences. Specifically, one of the main challenges of the cluster is to develop and provide innovative solutions and services targeted to SMEs innovation needs; either to those belonging to the cluster as qualified members or to the wider national and international business community.

The mission of Aster - ICT and Design Platform is to:

• Foster company innovation attitude
• Promote industrial research
• Facilitate industry-research collaboration
• Indentify funding opportunities
• Foster business competitiveness by developing innovative products and services
• Support the internationalization of research and technology transfer

The annual platform strategy is developed by the ICT and Design Steering Committee. This Committee also develops the annual activity plan and strategic projects to drive the regional innovation policy; its work is coordinated by Aster and carried out by accredited industrial research and business members.

Based on the Smart Specialization Strategy developed by the Emilia-Romagna Region, the Aster - ICT and Design Platform has organised several thematic working groups to identify regional value chains in the field of service innovation gathering local companies and research organizations. The identified value chains are:

• Intelligent IT services
• Internet of Things
• Cyber security
• Big data