Start Attractor, a new incubator model, was born at the University of Pisa

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Those directly involved define it as something more than an incubator, and more precisely the first attractor of skills and capital for startups born in an Italian university but with an international reach. Start Attractor is the latest project born in the belly of the University of Pisa and aims to be a meeting point between research and industry, reinforcing the role of the Pisan university as a development engine for the local and national territory. What are we talking about specifically? Not a classic startup incubator, precisely, but – as the rector Riccardo Zucchi explained – “an access point for the business world to everything that the University can offer them, facilitating continuous training, recruitment , support for the acceptance of new technologies”. The investment envisaged to manage the structure, whose work is expected to start in 2024, is estimated at around one million euros per year, but the declared objective is to make it self-sustainable soon beyond the contribution guaranteed by project partners.

A unique example in Italy

The occasion to officially present the initiative was the Converging Skills event, underway until 29 June in the Sapienza building of the University of Pisa and which is attended by several prominent names in the world of startups and finance, research science and open innovation. Start Attractor, as can be read in the note that marked the announcement, is part of a broader strategy of the university which refers to the principles of educating, experimenting, executing and “going out” (the exits). “While the first two phases are the traditional ones of the university, the last two will take place thanks to Start Attractor”, explained the vice rector of Unioi, Giuseppe Iannaccone, whose specific task will be to select the most innovative young companies , promote their growth with mentoring and recruitment actions and bring them to maturity. In parallel, the newborn body will promote networking with investors and large companies and help the latter to innovate”.

Tech, financial and management consultancy

Start Attractor, the project managers say with conviction, will also be the only structure of this type in Italy to have an international consultancy board of 4-6 well-known experts, with whom the most successful projects will be evaluated and promoted promising. Its peculiarity is also that it does not have a physical location to host companies but will provide services with high added value on three levels, financial, technological and in a management key. Finally, as regards the target to which it is addressed, the excellence of the Pisa area is at the top of the list of new businesses to be valorised, but the idea is at the same time to attract startups from all over the world and promote employment qualified young talents.