The State of the Net international conference and Trieste's AREA Science Park signed a partnership for the 2014 conference that will be held in Trieste from 12 to 14 June.

State of the Net, whose fourth edition aims to broaden the event's international scope, will host on 12 June "ICT4inclusion", a brokerage event promoted by AREA Science Park in its capacity as a partner of the Enterprise Europe Network.

This brokerage event aims to encourage the exchange of technology and the launch of collaborative and joint projects between businesses, and between the latter and potential scientific partners throughout Europe. It consists of 20-minute, one-on-one meetings and is dedicated to entrepreneurs and scientists active in the following fields: information technology, health-care applications, telecommunications, communication and interoperability protocols, and multi-media and multi-sensory technology. Participation is free provided that participants register at http://ict4inclusion.talkb2b.net/ no later than 9 May 2014.

"We are happy to announce this important partnership, which helps State of the Net grow further and cements the bonds between it and our territory. After major partnerships with the Autonomous Region of Friuli Venezia Giulia and the FVG Tourism Agency, the Municipality of Trieste, and the CRTrieste Foundation, we are happy to be able to count on the experience and the tireless commitment of AREA Science Park", said State of the Net's organizers Beniamino Pagliaro, Paolo Valdemarin, and Sergio Maistrello.

"Social inclusion and the technologies that can foster it are one of the bedrocks of a European development strategy that, in accordance with the principles of Europa 2020, will have to be increasingly intelligent, sustainable, and inclusive - proclaims Enzo Moi, director general of AREA Science Park - The Friuli Venezia Giulia Region also feels that technologies for social inclusion are a priority sector for development. This is why AREA deems it very important to provide concrete opportunities for collaboration and development to businesses and researchers working in this sector. The showcase provided by State of the Net and its proven organizational abilities are a solid guarantee of potentially major positive repercussions on the development of this sector, both in the science park and in the region as a whole".