Lombardy Region

General

Lombardy is situated in the heart of Europe and it is at the crossroads between the major East-West communications routes (between the Iberian peninsula and the Balkans) and the North-South routes (between continental Europe and the Mediterranean).
The territory extends over a total surface area of 23,861 sq. km: 47% is covered by flat plains, 40% is mountainous and the remaining 13% are hills.
Lombardy is the Italian region that has the highest concentration of people, businesses and wealth: it represents 15.6% of the overall national population with approximately 9 million inhabitants. The road network in Lombardy extends for more than 28,000 kilometres, while the railway system has an extension of 1,875 kilometres. Lombardy has three airports: the hub at Malpensa, for international flights; Linate, near the Milan city centre for domestic flights; Orio al Serio, near Bergamo for charter and cargo flights.

Economy

Lombardy is one of the "Four Engines" in Europe, being one of the richest regions within the European Union, with a GDP per capita (Euro 25,300 in 1999) some 35% higher than the European average.
The Lombardy Economy represents one-fifth of the Italian economy, with a Gross Domestic Product of Euro 229 billion in 2000. 18.4% of the total Italian workforce works in Lombardy, with an unemployment rate of 3.8%
Enterprises account approximately for 15% of the national total: there are an overall of 740,000 and Lombardy is the major Italian Financial Centre.
Approximately 40% of the Italian multi-nationals originate from Lombardy. 800 foreign and multi-national companies have their headquarters in Lombardy.

Innovation and Research

The Lombardy Region has an excellent research infrastructure, including many leading universities and institutes working at the cutting edge of new technologies. This creates a fertile environment for innovation. The Milan Area is the heart of this phenomenon. Its innovation potential is based on 7 universities - Politecnico of Milan, the Catholic University of Milan, Bocconi University, Milan State University, Bicocca University, IULM (Modern Languages) and St Raphael University -, 24 National Research Centres, roughly 70 universities carrying out research for third parties, 4 test labs and 2 Nuclear Physics Institutes. The Milan region is the most qualified Italian scientific district. Almost a quarter of the Italian business enterprise research is carried out in the Milan area (Lombardy 34% of Italy). In this area you can find 4 development agencies and 4 incubators. There are also 8 technology transfer centres, 3 consortia of universities and enterprises.
In addition, the rest of the Region can account on 7 further universities, covering all of the most important innovative research fields.
The sectors of Excellence in the public research are: electronic engineering and computer sciences, biotechnology and new materials, robotics and mechatronics, economy and management and medicine. There is also a developed system of private research based on company research and on a dense network of private research centres and testing laboratories.
Large Milanese enterprises and universities have been directly involved in the creation of three Consortia that operate in the training and research field (MIP and CEFRIEL with the Politecnico and Milano Ricerche with both the State University and Bicocca University). Milan Politecnico has recently created its own liaison office Politecnico Innovation (a consortium on technology transfer and promotion on technology innovation in SME). Employers' associations play a substantial linking role between research and enterprises, for instance: Assolombarda, Federchimica and UCIMU, which in some cases have created their own technology transfer centres (ASSOTEC, CIRC). Centres for technology transfer have also been created by the Region (CESTEC) and by the CNR. There have also been innovative enterprise financing initiatives started up by various influential banks by means of venture capital funds. Two Venture Capital funds are currently being created, which plan to involve banks, universities (Milan Politecnico and Bocconi University) and development agencies (ASNM).

Lombard Centre for the Technological and Productive Development of Crafts and Small Businesses (Cestec)

Lombardy Region, that controls Cestec through a 51% stake, founded it through a regional law in 1979. The Region controls its operations, and through an annual Regional Budget Law, the regional government defines its priorities and finances 90% of its activities.
Cestec has the main objective of encouraging the diffusion of manufacturing progress whilst offering to small and medium-sized enterprises in Lombardy all the organisational, technical and market assistance they require for their development and renewal. Cestec specific skills can be resumed as follows:
Cestec SpA is a Centre "for the Technological and Productive Development": its core business is to support Lombard SME enterprises in their capacity to develop their business, particularly stimulating the adoption of new technologies through the exploitation of the outcome of Research & Development. Cestec is a go-between Agency between the world of Research and Innovation and the world of small-medium enterprises, in order to facilitate the diffusion of technological information and support SMEs in applying it to practical cases by means of experimental schemes.
Cestec International Experience. Cestec gained important experience in:

1. Co-ordinating international Partnerships within the framework of European Community Programmes;
2. Carrying out Market Research, Technological Audits and Company Matching Events to find suitable Partners/Clients for European SME enterprises;
3. Promote transnational technology transfer from Lombard SME towards foreign economic realities, stimulating transnational co-operation Organising events (Workshops, Seminars, etc.) to disseminate/promote the results of the studies/research carried out.

Further information

• www.regione.lombardia.it
• www.ring.lombardia.it
• www.cestec.it