SMART project in Milan: International networking and sustainable innovation for a better tomorrow

The SMART consortium held a partnership meeting in Milan on 18 and 19 March. The meeting took place in the prestigious premises of the Politecnico di Milano, a renowned university with a rich 160-year history. In addition to its rich academic tradition, the Politecnico di Milano is today also an innovative centre that actively collaborates with industry and promotes entrepreneurship.

During the meeting, discussions included topics like sustainable energy systems, science as strategic cooperation, urban-rural landscape reimagination, technology for social impact, and women's empowerment in STEM. Workshops covered project management, capacity building, innovation centre setup, dissemination strategies, and finalizing the SMART knowledge exchange network.

Key achievements of the meeting:

• An agreement has been reached regarding the themes for the internal workshops to be conducted by partner higher education institutions from the Western Balkans. These workshops will specifically target the enhancement of innovation and entrepreneurship skills.
• In the framework of the extended training, participants were introduced to ESG criteria (environment, society, governance) and their relevance for innovation management.
• A visit to the Giulio Natta Innovation Centre, where they learnt how biodiversity and a multidisciplinary approach can be used to achieve a sustainable impact, using the example of rice cultivation.

Looking ahead:

The SMART consortium left the Milan meeting invigorated and fully committed to realizing the ambitious objectives of the project. The collaborative spirit and exchange of knowledge undoubtedly stand as the driving forces propelling the SMART project towards breakthroughs in smart innovation.