Italy and Japan, Science, Technology and Innovation 1St Symposium

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Creation Of Regional Innovation
Questo primo Simposio Italia-Giappone ha lo scopo di promuovere la cooperazione regionale, riunendo stakeholder interessati allo sviluppo scientifico e tecnologico per stabilire nuovi contatti tra i distretti tecnologici dei due Paesi. Il Distretto Tecnologico Torino Wireless sarà presente nel panel dedicato agli smart device.

AGENDA

MORNING SESSION

Thursday, 15 March 2012 09:00h -13:00 includes a 30 min. coffee break

09:00- 09:30 Registration of participants

09:45-10:00 Opening:

  • Chair: Mario Alì – Director General for the Internationalization of Research – Italian Ministry of Education, University and Research;

Addresses

  • Masaharu Kohno- Ambassador of Japan in Italy
  • Raffaele Liberali – Appointed Head of the University and Research department, Italian Ministry of Education, University and Research
  • Ronald Hall – Director of the Directorate B (Communication, information, relations with third countries, coordination of outermost regions, legal advice), DG-REGIO – EU Commission

10:00-11:00 Key-note speakers:

  • Francesco Profumo – Italian Minister of Education, University and Research
  • Kanji Fujiki – Japanese Deputy-Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology

11:00-11:30 Coffee break

11:30-13:00 1st Technical session – Regional innovation clusters: models and experiences

Moderator: Eva Milella, ADiTe – Association of Technological Districts

Presentations:

  • Mario Calderini, Adviser to the Italian Minister of Education, University and Research for research and innovation policies
  • Naohito Kimura, Director, University-Industry Collaboration and Regional R&D Division, Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, S&T

Q&A Session

13:00-14:30 Lunch

AFTERNOON SESSION

Thursday, 15 March 2012 14:30-18:00 (includes a 30 min. coffee break)

14:30-16:00 2nd Technical session – “Shinshu smart device cluster”

Moderator: Federico Cinquepalmi – Italian Ministry for Education University and

Research MIUR

  • Morinobu Endo – “Shinshu smart device cluster” – Research and development of smart devices using nanocarbon, etc.

  • Gianfranco Innocenti – Distretto tecnologico IMAST

  • Laura Morgagni – Distretto tecnologico Torino Wireless
  • Luigi Ambrosio – Dipartimento Progettazione Molecolare CNR

Discussion

16:00-16:30 Coffee break

16:30-18:00 3nd Technical session “Kyoto Environmental Nanotechnology Cluster”

Moderator: Eva Milella – ADiTe – Association of Technological Districts

  • Mr Tatsuro Ichihara – “Kyoto Environmental Nanotechnology Cluster” development of electricity saving nanotechnologies, etc.

  • Nicola Trevisan – Distretto tecnologico Veneto nanotech

  • Giovanni Marletta – Distretto tecnologico Micro e Nano sistemi

  • Andrea Porcari – AIRI/Nanotech

Discussion

18:15-18.30 Closing Remarks

  • Mario Alì, Director General for the Internationalization of Research – Italian Ministry of Education, University and Research


CONCEPT NOTE

On March 15, at the Ministry of Education, Universities and Research (MIUR) will take place the first Italy – Japan Symposium, this first year focused on the Creation of Regional Innovation. The meeting is part of the collaboration activities between the two countries, started on October 7, 1998, with the signature of the first agreement of scientific and technological cooperation. This first meeting aims at fostering regional cooperation, by bringing together stakeholders interested in scientific and technological development. The main objective is to establish new contacts between the technological districts of the two countries.

The notion of technological district was introduced in Italy in 2002 within the framework of the policies for the support of the national production system. The root of this new cluster typology can be traced back to the National Research Plan (PNR) of 2002 – 2004. The MIUR, by promoting the research and development of enabling key technologies, worked on strengthening the innovation of production, process and organization. Michael Porter, the creator of cluster theory, seen as geographic concentrations of interconnected companies, points to Italy as an exemplary country for the creation of technological districts. In recent years both the university system and the manufacturing field underwent a profound transformation, and subsequently, the way people access knowledge and research changed as well. The main belief at the root of such changes, is that competitiveness takes place on a local level, and therefore all regional actors need to be involved: national, regional and local administrations as well as public and private stakeholders working in industrial research.

In August 2010 Japan launched the Fourth Framework Programme for Science and Technology which states “the importance of building a regional innovation system” that may contribute to strengthen the country’s competitiveness on an international level. As Japan and Italy are facing similar issues such as scarcity of raw materials or a preponderance of small and medium enterprises, it is easy to believe that a mutual comparison of both policies will be beneficial. At the same time it is to be hoped that the two countries will further strive to deepen and develop their mutual scientific and technological promotion as well as the cooperation between regional realities.