Two years in business for Basilicata Innovazione, the collaborative initiative between AREA Science Park and the Basilicata Region that promotes innovation and technology transfer strategies in the business network of the Basilicata Region. Its anniversary celebrations will be held today in Potenza with a mini festival, which will see entrepreneurs, researchers and university professors present projects and results that have so far marked the stages of the various ongoing activities.

"The extent of the impact of innovation processes on our life is already becoming apparent," reflects Vito De Filippo, Chairman of Basilicata. "In its first two years of business, the work of Basilicata Innovazione has led to improvements in the manufacturing processes of Pane di Matera [Matera bread] and the upholstered furniture district, from the cultivation of mushrooms to the exploitation of timber found in Basilicata, from the processing of tuff to the agroindustry.

The innovation process brings benefits to the system in all its complexity, making it stronger and more competitive and allowing it to seize every opportunity that a region can offer. And these are the benefits that have a profound effect on the local production system."

Francesco Russo, Vice Chairman of the Trieste science park, states, "Here we have first-hand experience of how the glocal ambition of AREA Science Park is achieving results: feet and heart in Friuli Venezia Giulia, a mind open to international business with a special focus on the south of Italy.  We started off in Basilicata, where we have already achieved glowing results, and are now moving on to Campania, Calabria and other regions, successfully replicating and adapting the original innovation and technology transfer methodologies that we successfully trialled in recent years.

I believe that these are not just important opportunities for our Partner Regions, but also for entrepreneurs from Friuli Venezia Giulia, who we are involving in the networking of technologies and services that may bidirectionally contribute, from the north to the south of Italy, to the development and welfare of the region."

Below is an overview of the key projects developed by Basilicata Innovazione in the last two years:

Basilicata Ergonomics Project - collaborative initiative with Prof. Antonio Dal Monte, which through the application of ergonomic principles has allowed the creation of kitchen, sofa and armchair prototypes that can guarantee maximum user comfort and wellbeing.

CERRROV Project - aims to boost the reputation of turkey oak and downy oak wood: tree species that are abundant in Basilicata, until now used as firewood, but which have become a material used in the construction of, doors, floors and furnishings.

Pane di Matera Project - involving the Consorzio Pane di Matera IGP [IGP Matera Bread Consortium], this project has optimised the production process through the use of autochthonous yeast that improves the organoleptic and structural properties of bread, as well as increasing its shelf life.

King Oyster Mushroom Project - developed in collaboration with several CO.RI.MI (Consorzio Ricerche Micologiche - Mycological Research Consortium) members, this project has led to the standardisation of substrates (called "pani") for the production of mushrooms, in order to optimise productivity and avoid attack by pathogens.

ArtDry Project - to standardise and optimise tuff printmaking, without compromising colour and durability. The solution was found in a drying method borrowed from the agrifood sector.

FishOpt Project - to define a preservation system for fish products as an alternative to ice, based on the use of a gaseous mix in polyethylene and polyamide bags. The advantages can be seen in both the increased shelf life of the products, which does not compromise their quality, and in the reduced transport costs.

Projects that enhance research on: the use of the Georadar technique in the non-invasive analysis of building structures and infrastructures, for compliance with safety and solidity criteria; the production of zeolites (minerals) from ashes generated from the combustion of coal, for the reclamation of soil and water contaminated by heavy metals.

The use of data obtained through earth observation techniques in the creation of serious gaming environments (for educational and recreational purposes); the integration of mobile and localisation techniques for the development of a traceability system for moveable cultural assets.