REFERENCE PERSONS

Cristina Boccafogli, Daniela Sani, Stefano Valentini

WORKING TEAM

Laura Mengozzi

ASTER is the consortium among the Emilia-Romagna Regional Government, the six Universities, the National Research Centres located in the region - the National Research Council (CNR) and the Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development (ENEA) - the Regional Union of Chambers of Commerce and the regional Entrepreneurial Associations.

The consortium was established with the aim to sustain, coordinate and valorize research and technology transfer throughout the territory. In particular, it supports the economic growth of the regional productive system through: the promotion of industrial research, technology development and the improvement of high quality skilled professionals and career development in technology transfer field.

ASTER mission and activities are based on the Regional research and innovation Law nr. 7/2002 (which represents the first Regional law for innovation set up in Italy) and its implementing Programme for Industrial Research, Innovation and Technology Transfer. Since 2005, ASTER activity is mainly dedicated to the development and coordination of the Emilia-Romagna High Technology Network, which consists of industrial research laboratories and innovation and technology transfer centres organised in 6 Thematic Platform.

Based on its role, in twenty years of activity ASTER has developed a number of initiatives at national, European and international level in order to develop new opportunities of collaboration and to ensure the presence of the regional system within relevant international networks.