Agenzia Nazionale dell'Innovazione (National Innovation Agency) is born

In an interesting study by the Italian branch of Accenture's Alumni Association, the authors were suggesting the creation of ISTA (Italian Science and Technology Agency) as a solution to promote a greater amount of innovation in Italy. The study is part of the initiative Impresa Innovativa (Innovative Company), which includes a series of activities and studies aimed at promoting innovation in Italy.

Accenture's Alumni Association, like BAIA, is a member of the Partnership For Growth initiative of the American Embassy in Italy, and the study offers a lot of food for thought with regard to why Italy does not innovate more, and what could be done to change the status quo, which is also behind the idea of the Partnership for Growth.

I honestly don't know if this is a direct or indirect result of the input received from the study mentioned above (I haven't had time to research whether there is a link), but on November 28, in Milan, the "Agenzia Nazionale dell'Innovazione" (a national agency devoted to promote innovation) was born. See the announcement (in Italian).

In the Accenture Alumni Association's study, the agency would operate in three main areas:

(1) Technology Transfers = helping those that create innovation (e.g. a research center within a university) market and sell those innovative technologies, processes, etc. so that funds can be created and invested to further innovate.

(2) Financial Services and Venture Capital = financially supporting those that create innovation via public and private funds (e.g. public venture capital funds modeled after Israel's Yozma), consulting services (e.g. M & A), etc.

(3) Intellectual Property Services = helping innovators protect their innovations (e.g. how to secure a patent) and license them.

I hope Agenzia Nazionale dell'Innovazione follows this model, which appeared to be well thought-through in the Accenture Alumni study. It could represent a big step forward in Italy.

(I'm not associated with the Accenture Alumni Association: keep up the good work with "Impresa Innovativa")