Taranto CirTech
We concretely support the development
of innovative and circular business ideas
The project
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This project aims to take Taranto Circolare‘s activities, results, and experiences to a further level, expanding the study of circularity and the initial project proposals and exploring the potential offered by biotechnology and advanced technologies applied to the circular economy. The initiative concretely supports the development of innovative and circular business ideas, connecting the research dimension with the production world, thus applying in practice what has been studied and proposed so far on a theoretical level.
Find out more about Taranto Circolare!
Objective
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In Taranto, a city marked by an industrial heritage but also by a strong vocation for the blue economy and agrifood, circularity plays a central role, especially in a delicate environmental context. Promoting circular models is essential to make the local production ecosystem more sustainable and reduce the urban environmental impact. The territory offers many opportunities to strengthen circularity, fostering the emergence of innovative economic activities, the growth of local innovation and the creation of value for the community. For these reasons, the circular economy represents the pivot of the entire project proposal, which finds its general objective in the innovation of the productive system of the urban and provincial area of Taranto in a sustainable and regenerative key.
Activities and timeline
1 | Hackathon
The event will involve Apulian researchers, students, entrepreneurs and startuppers in an open competition, fostering collaboration between the academic and productive worlds.
2 | Call4Ideas
An invitation to start-ups, researchers and hackathon participants to propose deep tech solutions to local challenges. The aim is to select at least 6/8 ideas for an acceleration programme.
3 | Acceleration
An accompanying pathway for proposals selected through Call4Idea, with the aim of increasing circularity in the production system.
4 | Matchmaking
The project will conclude with a pitch day for investors and selected ideas, with the aim of identifying investments and thus fostering circularity in the local ecosystem.
PoC
About three projects will be developed in PoCs/pilot projects with local and regional companies, aligning priorities and needs on circularity
Hackathon
The Hackathon represents a key moment of innovation and awareness-raising on the possibility of identifying and developing proposals to increase circularity, using biotechnology and advanced deep tech.
Challenges will be defined based on the criticalities and opportunities that emerged from Taranto Circolare, with the support of professionals specialised in advanced technology research. The event will be open to researchers, students, SMEs and startuppers from the entire Apulian territory, fostering dialogue between different sectors and the creation of strategic connections between universities and the productive world. The projects presented will be evaluated according to their potential for impact and development, creating concrete opportunities for the realisation of the best proposals.
Call4Ideas
The Call4Ideas is aimed at the proposers of projects submitted through the Taranto Circolare platform, other start-ups present on the platform, hackathon participants, and any other start-ups and research projects in the Puglia region and beyond that would like to offer their deep tech technologies to solve problems in the territory. The proposals that have or intend to open an operational headquarters in Southern Italy, in line with the objectives of the call, will be rewarded.
The initiative aims to gather at least 50 business proposals for circularity that suggest using innovative deep-tech technologies. A panel of experts will select at least 6/8 projects for an acceleration process.
3 | Acceleration
Gap Analysis and Circularity – Preliminary assessment of the selected proposals on two fronts: circularity level and economic-entrepreneurial strength. The analysis will be conducted by researchers with expertise in biotechnology, deep tech and economics, also involving potential investors.
Acceleration Programme – Support for start-ups to transform ideas into concrete projects, with a common phase on circular economy and business management, and a customised phase to strengthen technical-scientific skills and prepare for the search for funding.
PROMOTER AND ORGANISER
WITH THE SUPPORT OF
Project for the realisation of development programmes aimed at supporting and accelerating innovative start-ups and SMEs, financed under the PNRR, Research and Innovation Programme of the Innovation Ecosystem ‘MUSA – Multilayered Urban Sustainability Action’ – Spoke 3 ‘Deep Tech: Entrepreneurship & Technology Transfer’ of the Politecnico di Milano.