The document discusses Italy's framework for nurturing investments in research and innovation. It aims to increase competitiveness in accessing EU funds, foster university-industry relationships, and encourage young entrepreneurship and social innovation. Key policies discussed include Smart Cities and Communities initiatives, which provide over €1 billion in funding, and a Social Innovation Agenda. The goals are to address societal challenges through technology, ensure social accountability of funding, and reshape public-private relationships.

1. Nurturing IT investments through
cohesive innovation policy
Smart Cities and Social Innovation at
the Italian Ministry of Education,
University and Research
Damien Lanfrey
Italian Ministry of Education, University and Research
Innovation Policy think tank - Advisor to the Minister
Hong Kong University
Monday,April 29, 2013
Monday, April 29, 13

2. The Overall Framework
• Increasing COMPETITIVENESS of the Italian Research and Innovation
system in ACCESSING EU FUNDS
(Problems: short-sighted planning, lack of method/procedures, need for a single policy)
• Re-thinking UNIVERSITY-RESEARCH-INDUSTRY RELATIONSHIP and
Stimulating “SMART SPECIALIZATION”
(Problems: Fragmented initiatives,Top-down, Science-push approach, poor coordination.
Working with Regions, conditionality for accessing EU funds)
• FosteringYOUNG ENTREPRENEURSHIP and SOCIAL INNOVATION
• Streamlining, simplifying and improving SUPPORTING TOOLS and
ACTIONS for R&I (Es. need for simplified and faster procedures, better
financing tools, e.g. re-writing FIRST)
• Enabling a positive PUBLIC NARRATIVE on innovation
• Setting up a DIGITAL AGENDA for Italy
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3. Investments
• National Innovation Clusters (408M): redesigning the Italian
Technological District ecosystem through a series of actions consistent
with the EU strategic agenda, in order to align the Italian strategy with the
EU Framework Program for R&I
• Smart Cities I (240M, March 2012): Funds for the Regions
“Convergence” (Puglia, Calabria, Sicilia, Campania) of which 40M for
Social Innovation projects. 106 Applicants, 8 “aggregated projects”
funded for SC-I, 188 applicants and 57 winners for SI-I
• Smart Cities II (655M, May 2012): Funds for all Italian Regions of
which 25M for Social Innovation projects
• Other investments: Pre-commercial procurement grant (150M, March 2013),
Tech Infrastructure for Research (650M, March 2011)
SOURCES
FSE [European Social Fund], FESR [European Regional Development Fund], FDR [Rotation fund to implement EU
policies] and FAR [Italian Fund for Industrial Research Grant]
Perspective: #HIT2020 (roughly 80B for H2020EU) setting up an Italian Framework Program HORIZON 2020
ITALY synced with the EU
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4. Two Policies
•SMART CITIES &
COMMUNITIES
•SOCIAL INNOVATION
AGENDA
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5. SMART CITIES &
COMMUNITIES
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6. Italian Smart Cities:
The Vision
To promote projects along drivers of:
• “Dual” R&I policy: addressing the most pressing societal and
environmental issues by fostering innovation; emerging public needs
as key innovation driver/demand; solutions from real needs;
• Social accountability: have measurable impact on areas of
public interest and giving strong social accountability to R&I funding;
•A new scope of application: a perimeter, not an industrial or
academic sector;
• Favouring multidisciplinarity
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7. Italian Smart Cities:
Characteristics
• 1.2 mld EUR – biggest “test” in Europe on technological applications
to cities and communities - Phase of industrial capacity building
• Normative action as the first cohesive national policy on smart
and sustainable cities
Main areas for SCC:
Smart Mobility
Smart Health & Ageing Society
Welfare Technologies and Smart Inclusion
Domotics
Smart Education
Cloud computing & Smart Gov
Smart Safety and Smart Justice
Smart Cultural Heritage & Tourism
Renewable energy & Smart Grid
Energy efficiency & Smart Architecture
Smart Mobility & Last Mile Logistics
Sustainable natural resources (waste,
water, biodiversity)
Marine Technologies
Grants characteristics:
At least 50% Corporations (or networks of, or consortia)
of which at least 10% by SMEs
At least 20% by Research Centers or Universities
Involvement of 1 or more Public Administrations, rewarding
efficacy of industrial research / impact on territory
Rewarding Interoperability
Monday, April 29, 13

8. Smart Cities I:
2 Winning Projects
BE&SAVE - AQUASYSTEM - SIGLOD
Natural Resources: management of the life cycle of assets (distribution, energy enhancement, safe management of waste
landfill) and management of integrated water cycle.
Key words: Water systems, integrated water cycle, Urban Drainage, Waste, Agribusiness, Energy
Total Funding: 35.803.649,34 eur
(Total cost: 49.162.629,08 eur)
Participants: 21
DICET - INMOTO - (OR.C.HE.S.T.R.A.)
ORganization of Cultural HEritage for Smart Tourism and Real-time Accessibility
Improving cultural and environmental resources availability: create a digital ecosystem where companies, public
administration, citizens and tourists create and access services through Social Innovation typical methods.
Key words: Smart Culture, Smart Tourism, Ubiquitous Services, Social Networking, Services on-the-move
Total Funding: 23.127.958,41 eur
Total Cost: 33.226.000,00 eur
Participants: 13
Monday, April 29, 13

9. THE NORM
(art. 20, dl 179/2012)
• Governance: charter and protocols
(Promoting principles for “Smart Citizenship” and for participating to the Smart City project + setting framework for
protocols to be signed by mayors of cities on the basis of starting conditions and objectives)
• Platform for data and applications
(A catalogue of all Smart Cities & Communities (SCC) applications aimed at supporting interoperability and reuse, for
data produced, informing smart monitoring/ongoing evaluation)
• Monitoring system
(Building with key stakeholders - ANCI, ISTAT - a set of indicators of “smartness”, through objective and perceived
benefits. Compulsory participation to Smart Monitoring system)
• PA as an innovative and creative procurer
(A new role for public administrations, as a "smart buyer" for research, development and innovation-related activities,
through bottom-up identification of societal and territorial needs)
• Smart inclusion
(New challenges for an inclusive society through tecnhnology)
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10. Italian Smart Cities:
Normative Architecture
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11. NEXT STEPS
• Implementation of the normative architecture
(information architecture, governance committee,
drafting of charter, smart monitoring)
• Sustaining investments through impact finance tools
and pilots + improving procurement capabilities
• Strengthening the clustering and “smart
specialization” through broader analysis
Monday, April 29, 13

12. Cultural /
Educational
- Sustaining a culture of innovation as
“learning process”
- Informing charter and monitoring
(evolving values and indicators)
- Understanding evolving skillsets (e.g. soft
skills)
- New educational models: students
understanding and practicing “smart
citizenship” (e.g. A Scuola di
OpenCoesione and Ubiquitous Pompeii)
- Education for inclusion: tackling inter-
generational divide through young
volunteers (e.g. Mondo Digitale)
Governance
- Public engagement towards policy co-
design
- Involvement and discussion among key
stakeholders throughout the process
(workshops) and in decision-making
(Committee)
- Centre-periphery relationship
- Incentive/sanction mechanisms linked to
information (smart monitoring system)
- Charter of Smart Citizenship and
protocols signed by mayors
Informational
- Open data policy for each participating
city
- Sharing/reuse of SCC applications’ data
and procurement practices
- Data informing monitoring system
- Public administration as information
platform/ecosystem
Financial
- Re-designing financial tools to stimulate the social capital
market
(E.g. Social Impact Bonds pilots, Crowdfunding legislation,
SocialVenturing pilot)
- Linked to Smart Monitoring progress + signed protocols
Procurement
- Re-designing procurement processes by introducing new
tools (e.g. innovative and pre-commercial procurement
legislation)
- Sharing best procurement practices
- Linked to Smart Monitoring progress + signed protocols
Smart Cities & Communities
as pilot application for cohesive
innovation policy
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13. A Scuola di Open
Coesione
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14. Ubiquitous Pompeii
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15. SOCIAL
INNOVATION
AGENDA
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16. Italian Social
Innovation Agenda:
The Vision
• “Dual” R&I policy: addressing the most pressing societal and
environmental issues by fostering innovation; emerging public needs
as key innovation driver/demand; solutions from real needs;
• Social impact: accounting for social impact of policies and
promoting new ways of understanding our society’s growth;
•A new scope of application: a process, not an industrial or
academic sector: “social goals + social means”
•Reshaping Public-Private and Government-citizens
relationships towards more open-ended,participatory solutions
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17. Investments
• Social Innovation I (40M, March 2012) aimed at under 30 citizens
(companies, networks of companies or associations), linked to SCC areas
• Social Innovation II (25M, May 2012) aimed at under 30 citizens
(companies, networks of companies or associations), linked to SCC areas
• Social Innovation Clusters (7M, March 2013): for the creation
of inter-regional clusters around one or more sectors of Social
Innovation, such as: sustainable and local development, cultural heritage,
reuse and recycling, social inclusion and intercultural dialogue, active
citizenship and e-participation, ethical finance, ethical fashion, fair trade,
artisan and biological production
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18. 5Thematic Areas around Social
Innovation (1 year of work)
The Making of a Social
Innovation Agenda
Instant Poll
(online consultation
for stakeholders)
(e-mail or online form)
Alpha version of
the document
5 sections:
- Introduction
- Experiences
- Objectives
Impact Finance
Measuring Social Impact
Public Policy
Participatory methods
Acceleration & Aggregation
Alpha version of the
document commentable
on each paragraph
Launch Event
March 21st
(synthetic presentation of the document
“The Italian Way to Social Innovation
Agenda”)
(key points and priorities)
(over 200 participants)
85 contributors
(44 e-mail, 41 form online)
Total = 250 feedback
2nd Event - May
(final version of the doc)
Instant Poll
(still open)
EU position paper
A net of institutional
working groups
Investments = 72M
doc downloadable
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19. The Making of a Social
Innovation Agenda
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20. The Making of a Social
Innovation Agenda
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21. Cultural /
Educational
- The Social Innovation Agenda itself
- Students practicing Social Innovation
values (e.g. fair trade, fair finance,
participatory budgeting,
- Sustaining a culture of innovation as
“learning process” and hybridity in public-
private relationship
- Innovation beyond IT, social in means
- New educational models: students
understanding and practicing “smart
citizenship” (e.g. A Scuola di
OpenCoesione and Ubiquitous Pompeii)
- Education for inclusion: tackling inter-
generational divide through young
volunteers (e.g. Mondo Digitale)
Public Policy /
Governance
- Public engagement towards policy co-
design
- Co-designing the Social Innovation
Agenda itself
- Incentive mechanisms for participating
stakeholders
- An Agency or Department for delivering
and monitoring Social Innovation (e.g.
Nesta UK)
Informational
- Promoting social impact assessment tools
and novel sets of indicators
- Promoting a new way of measuring
wealth, wellness and happiness (e.g. BES)
- Testing wellness measurement in cities
(e.g. URBES)
- Sharing/opening data on social impact
measurement
- Linking technical aspects of public policies
to social impact
Financial
- New regulations for financial markets (e.g.“good” rating)
- New financial tools better linked to social means and
goals (e.g. crowdfunding and Social Impact Bonds)
- Pilots for practicing the impact of such tools (e.g. Social
Venturing and Social Impact Bonds)
- Developing practical applications for Impact Finance, e.g.
crowdfunding for schools or public services)
Organizational
processes / methods
- Re-designing procurement processes by introducing new tools
for solutions (e.g. Challenge Prizes)
- Introducing new professions in public administrations
- Practicing Service Design and Co-Design
- Social Innovation Camps
- Social Innovation Competitions
Social Innovation Agenda
as pilot application for cohesive
innovation policy
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22. A new narrative for public
investments in innovation
Making transparency on
public funding, also through
innovative tools looking at
processes and impact and
not only static information
Maximizing the impact of
innovation/IT investments
through public/
stakeholder/ecosystem
engagement through
various features (esp. for
SCC and SI, because high-
impact)
Supporting community-
building around
innovation, reuse and
extending value chains
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23. Back to Literature
• Management of Innovation
(from linear models to dynamic models and complex systems -
e.g. Nancy Law’s work in Education policy)
Also interesting:“open innovation” models
• Organizational Studies / Organizational Evolution
(e.g. Padgett and Pavitt, 2012)
• Science and Technology Studies
(e.g.Actor-Network Theory)
• Design
(Service Design, Open Design, P2P Design, Generative design)
• Public engagement and IT
(Generative engagement, Collective action and communication)
Monday, April 29, 13

24. Some findings
• Governance
(not only participatory processes, but qualifying steps)
• Informational
(the role of ICT in shaping available architectures)
• Finance
• Procurement
• Methods & Organizational Processes
(the role of certain people and professions, the role of networks)
• Culture and Education
(narratives and formats)
Monday, April 29, 13