KnowTransfer n.11 by University of Trento

2 INDUSTRIAL PROBLEM

SOLVING WITH PHYSICS by Lorenzo Pavesi

4 COMPARABLE AND

TRANSPARENT BALANCE SHEETS by Davide Panizzolo

8 ROBOSENSE:

A UNIVERSITY OF TRENTO START UP

University of Trento periodical Year 5, issue 11, January 2015 Registered as a periodical with the Tribunale di Trento no.11, 22 March 2011 ROC registration no.17340, 31 July 2008

Paola Fusi interviews Alberto Fornaser

E: SPECIAL ISLES,U

YOUNG PEOP TION A V O N IN D N A RESEARCH ISSUE 11 | YEAR 5 | JANUARY 2015

Technology and knowledge connecting university and business http://knowtransfer.unitn.it

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University of Trento periodical Year 5, issue 11, January 2015 Registered as a periodical with the Tribunale di Trento no.11, 22 March 2011 ROC registration no.17340, 31 July 2008 Editorial office: Communication and Events Division Central Management University of Trento via Calepina 14, I-38122 Trento tel. +39 0461 281201-3228 fax +39 0461 282899 email: knowtransfer@unitn.it http:// knowtransfer.unitn.it

One of the objectives of the University of Trento is to encourage patenting of the results of research in collaboration with businesses. Contact the Scientific Research and Technology Transfer Division of the University of Trento to find out about the University’s patenting regulations and how to file a patent in collaboration with the University.

Director: Claudio Migliaresi Managing editor: Francesca Menna

http://www.unitn.it/en/ateneo/1763/technology-transfer

Staff: Francesca Chistè, Marinella Daidone, Paola Fusi, Lino Giusti, Vanessa Ravagni, Cristiano Zanetti Contents planning: Communication and Events Division Scientific Research and Technology Transfer Division Central Management University of Trento Graphic design: Merj Morani Contributors: Filippo Andolfatto, Alberto Fornaser, Matteo Franchi, Davide Gandolfi, Olivier Jousson, Luca Matteo Martini, Claudio Nidasio, Davide Panizzolo, Lorenzo Pavesi Photos: Efrem Bertini, Giovanni Cavulli, Alessio Coser, Roberto Bernardinatti, Luca Valenzin (University of Trento), Fotolia.com and others Printing: Publistampa Arti Grafiche Published 28 January 2015

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Vanessa Ravagni head of the Scientific Research and Technology Transfer Division of the University of Trento.

Educating young people today includes giving them the chance to acquire transferable skills in the field of knowledge transfer. This gives young people an advantage, increasing their employment prospects, as well as giving society and industry an opportunity to use the results of innovation, as shown in the experiences described in this issue of Knowtransfer. One of the goals of the 2014-2016 Strategic Plan of the University of Trento is to reduce the gap between the creation of knowledge and the demand for innovation and training coming from business. With this in mind, in 2014 the University expanded and consolidated its interdisciplinary training initiatives on innovation and on the value of applied research. Through the collaboration with the Employers’ Association of the Province of Trento - Confindustria Trento - the interdisciplinary “Crash Course on Research Funding, Intellectual Property and Startup Creation”, organised by the Scientific Research and Technology Transfer Division of the University has been further strengthened. Aimed at doctoral students and young researchers, from 2014 the course is also open to entrepreneurs, and particular emphasis is given to the tools for small and medium-sized companies offered by the new EU research programme Horizon 2020. It was particularly interesting to hear from a multinational industry, operating in the Trentino region, on their internal research and development processes and on their collaboration with the University. Also of great interest was the presence of an internationally well-known venture capitalist, who outlined the role of an investor, and the criteria for access to capital for an innovative startup with good potential.

The University’s orientation towards the development of knowledge transfer and youth innovation also brought to Trento the first Italian Lab of the international foundation for innovation Falling Walls, which will be offered again in 2015. The agreement with the Employers’ Association of the Province of Trento, which includes having a university technology transfer staff member operating from the Association’s offices, has increased the ability to unite university, industry and local authorities in collaborations aimed at encouraging precompetitive research and development activities. These have included the first “Industrial Problem Solving with Physics (IPSP)” event, promoted by the Department of Physics of the University of Trento, (see the report in this issue), which will run again in 2015. Lastly, important progress has been made in the area of open access. The principle of open access requires that the results (publications and data) of scientific research, especially that financed with public money, be made publically available free of charge via the internet, allowing users appropriate rights of re-use, and allowing authors to retain significant rights to disseminate their work, even when some rights have been granted to a publisher. The study day that took place on October 20 at the University of Trento on “Open access and open science: the state of the art and strategies for the future” was the starting point for the creation of a related website (www.unitn.it/open-access), a tool to support academic staff, researchers and doctoral students who want to share the results of their research with the digital community.

Lorenzo Pavesi is the head of the Department of Physics of the University of Trento.

INDUSTRIAL PROBLEM SOLVING WITH PHYSICS A new model of collaboration between university and industry by Lorenzo Pavesi

The Department of Physics has a double responsibility towards its students and the region: to train professionals who are ready for the world of work, and to promote innovation in the region. This is why we came up with the initiative IPSP (Industrial Problem Solving with Physics): to promote the specific skills of the physics graduate and to raise studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; awareness of what it means to work in a company. The method used with IPSP is very simple: companies suggest problems, and young physicists retreat into the laboratory for a week to resolve them. This allows our students to examine industrial problems, putting to the test their knowledge and, particularly, the problem solving skills honed during their studies. In turn, the companies get to know the physicist as a professional, and the added value that such a professional can bring to a company. In addition, this dialogue between company and university creates the foundation for future collaboration on matters of mutual interest. For our department, IPSP was also a litmus test for the quality and appropriateness of our programmes. This event involved not only physicists, but also engineers and computer scientists. The results show that IPSP was a success. During the week of 21-26 July 2014 we saw our students apply themselves enthusiastically to finding a solution to the problem posed, forming teams that quickly found an effective way of approaching the problem. They showed a common imprinting that allowed them to describe a complex problem in a few important parameters,

reducing it to a series of model equations. They confirmed their initial intuitions via an experiment, which involved measuring a few important quantities and comparing the results with the predictions of the model. At the end they presented the company with a strategy for resolving the problem. We particularly valued the studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; ability to take on a challenge, to look at solutions beyond those normally used in business, to enjoy trying new ways of doing things, and to look beyond the limits of their current knowledge and experience. This experience has left us with a very positive impression of our students, who proposed the event and then carried it through extremely well. These are students who, going out into the world of work, have great potential and are able to put it to work; they just need space to do so. The legacy of IPSP is the conviction that the best service we can give to the region is to give our young people a solid education in the basics necessary to give them a strong working method, the scientific method, that helps to resolve complex problems, whether they are posed by large spaceflight companies or by the need for innovation in commercial products.

Claudio Nidasio research fellow in the Department of Industrial Engineering of the University of Trento.

GIVING ANSWERS TO THE QUESTIONS OF BUSINESSES Three teams of students and young researchers challenged themselves against industrial problems Interview by Claudio Nidasio

We discover how the first IPSP (Industrial Problem Solving with Physics) event, in 2014, was conceived and organized, by interviewing the members of the Scientific Committee: Matteo Franchi, Davide Gandolfi and Luca Matteo Martini (seen in the photo with Lorenzo Pavesi). Can you sum up the main goals of IPSP2014? IPSP2014 had two goals: to help scientific researchers, in particular the students and young researchers of the University of Trento, to understand local industries and their challenges; and to show industries the skills that a team of researchers could put at their disposal. We managed to combine these two objectives with a week dedicated to industrial problem solving. Three teams of young researchers worked on resolving three industrial problems, which were selected via a competition. Researchers from the various sciences at the University of Trento were involved; what did they gain from this experience? Applications to join IPSP2014 were open to all young researchers in the scientific departments of the University. We selected an interdisciplinary group of physicists, engineers, chemists and computer scientists. All were able to participate in resolving the problems assigned, and to learn about industry in the Trentino area. Testing their ability to deal with problems, including those not related to their field of study, gave them more awareness of their own skills, as well as the chance to get to know something about the world of industry.

The companies that participated in IPSP2014 were medium-sized to large companies in the Trentino-Alto Adige region. What were the problems that they posed, and what were the solutions suggested? The companies that participated work in the fields of extrusion of polymer textile filament, the production of laser cutting machinery, and automotive parts. In the first case the company wanted to improve their production process by creating and testing a model. The second company asked for the development of diagnostic systems to monitor the operation of machinery at the prototype stage. The third wanted us to come up with a sensor for Euro 6 vehicles, to monitor the quality of additives used in the latest generation of engines. For all three problems solutions were proposed that were innovative and effective, and the companies involved were very satisfied with the work done.

CONTACTS Department of Physics University of Trento via Sommarive 14, I-38123 Povo (Trento) tel. +39 0461 282042 df.supportstaff@unitn.it www.unitn.it/dphys

COMPANY BALANCE SHEETS MORE COMPARABLE AND TRANSPARENT 4

The Agency for a Digital Italy approved the new standard electronic format designed with the participation of a research group from the University of Trento. by Davide Panizzolo

19 December 2014 was the official start of the digital revolution for financial statements in Italy. On that date the Gazzetta Ufficiale published the notice that brings into force the obligation to file financial statements with the Italian Business Register in electronic format (XBRL), using the taxonomy that includes notes to the financial statements. The technological revolution of Open Data has reached Italian businesses; from 2015 more than a million companies will publish their entire financial statements using a standard electronic format. On October 21 the OIC (Organismo Italiano di ContabilitĂ , the authority that sets national accounting standards) gave the go ahead, and the taxonomy that specifies the format has now been published on the website of the Agency for a Digital Italy, and made official by the publication of the notice in the Gazzetta Ufficiale. A research team from the Department of Economics and Management of the University of Trento, coordinated by professor Luca Erzegovesi, made a key contribution to this result. Italy is in the vanguard in the publication of company financial data in a digital format. Since 2007 companies have filed financial statements with the Business Register

using the electronic format XBRL, a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;dialectâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; of the popular language XML, created in the nineties to draw up and share financial documents. Until now the electronic part of the filing of financial statements involved only the principal documents (the Income Statement and the Balance Sheet). From 2015 companies will also have to file the detailed information contained in the Notes to the financial statements, which were recently approved by the OIC. With the new taxonomy, banks and other interested parties will be able to analyze the financial health of companies using financial statements that are more transparent, comparable, and easy to use. This will improve financial communication, with truly open data, in that they can be analysed and evaluated directly using computer tools. The digital format of the Notes to the financial statements, in this initial version, will involve only the information specified in the Code of Civil Law. Future versions may also include information required by the national accounting standards (but not by law). The XBRL financial statement taxonomy project was developed in collaboration with some of the main players nationally in the area of financial statement reporting, such as the OIC, the National Council of

Davide Panizzolo is a research fellow in the Department of Economics and Management of the University of Trento.

Accountants, the Chamber of Commerce system and its IT wing Infocamere, as well as the suppliers of financial management software represented by Assosoftware. The Department of Economics and Management (DEM) of the University of Trento made an important contribution, in collaboration with others from Ca’ Foscari University of Venice and the University of Macerata. DEM has been studying the potential of XBRL technology since 2003, when very few in Italy were aware of it. In May 2004 a Tech Report (Aste-Panizzolo, “Lo Standard XBRL”) was published, which was a key factor in raising awareness of this technology amongst academics and end-users in Italy. Since 2005 DEM has collaborated with Infocamere and with the Italian XBRL Association, which allowed it to follow, and often guide, the development of the financial statement taxonomy from Trento. The department’s research activity, which began with the FIRB-Smefin research project, has been strengthened with a research post dedicated to topics related to business financial communication, sponsored by Infocamere. Among the possible new areas of application of XRL, at DEM we are looking particularly at relations between banks and businesses, which is of particular interest in Italy. In Italy, financial communication from SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises) is partial and episodic, often reluctant, expensive and of no value to the enterprise. XBRL can help to improve this state of affairs; consultants will be able to use financial analysis when called on to provide financial advice and guidance to companies in a situation where access to credit is difficult.

A second link in the chain which offers excellent application opportunities is the process of evaluating credit applications. Banks could receive the accounting information from the company in XBRL format, making the process of granting and renewing credit easier. Among the innovative ideas being tried out in our research is a prototype of a web portal for small business financial communication, a kind of social network in which the company publishes its data – not only financial – to partners who they are interested in establishing financial or commercial relationships with. We are confident that we will be able to develop this idea in more ambitious future projects. Perhaps in a few years companies will become known via the internet, and receive ‘likes’ from their financial partners.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Agency for a Digital Italy www.agid.gov.it/amministrazione-digitale/xbrl

Lino Giusti works in the Scientific Research and Technology Transfer Division of the University of Trento.

BACTERIA TO RIPEN FRUIT AND CLEAN MONUMENTS

Applied research project in synthetic biology undertaken by students from the university’s Center for Integrative Biology (CIBIO) Lino Giusti interviews Olivier Jousson

Since 2012 the Center for Integrative Biology (CIBIO) of the University of Trento has participated in iGEM (International Genetically Engineered Machines), an important international competition in which teams of students from all over the world present applied research projects in the fields of synthetic biology and genetic engineering. The students dedicate their summer to putting their idea into practice, with the support of professors and researchers. The results are then presented to an international commission, who judge the quality, importance, and originality of the research. After a selection process at European level, the best projects go on to the final stage at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Boston. CIBIO has had several successes, making it through to the iGEM World Championship finals (www.igem.org). Professor Olivier Jousson is one of the promoters of the University of Trento’s participation at iGEM. Professor Jousson, how did CIBIO’s participation at iGEM start? CIBIO and the University of Trento were promoters and participants in the 2012 and 2013 iGEM competitions, promoted by MIT. Genetic engineering and its standardized form − synthetic biology – are central in modern biotechnology education. So it was natural to offer our students the chance to participate, even though there are very few Italian universities that do so. The idea came from a discussion with Sheref Mansy, a colleague whose research is based on synthetic biology.

Together with him and Cristina Del Bianco, we put together a team to organize and supervise iGEM projects at the university. What are CIBIO’s objectives in participating in iGEM? Some of the best universities in the world participate in iGEM, such as Cambridge, Harvard, Stanford and many others. Participation in the final phase, in particular, gives CIBIO and the university international visibility. As well as having educational value, iGEM helps to create new collaborations, and in some cases to reinforce an already existing interdepartmental network, enabling students to obtain their results more quickly, and letting others know about the work CIBIO does. Given the interdisciplinary nature of synthetic biology and the projects chosen, on several occasions the students were able to use the experience not only of CIBIO’s laboratories and instruments, but also those of other laboratories and departments within the university. They collaborated with the Departments of Physics, Industrial Engineering, and Civil Environmental and Mechanical Engineering. In addition, the Department of Sociology and Social Research looked after some of the ethical and social aspects of the project.

What ideas have been presented so far by CIBIO teams? In 2012 a group of 6 students engineered bacteria to remove the black crust that degrades marble statues and monuments (http://2012.igem.org/team:UNITNTrento). In 2013 the 8 students chosen developed bacteria able to control the ripening of fruit (http://2013. igem.org/Team:UNITN-Trento). Both teams were ranked among the best in Europe and went through to the world championship at MIT. In addition, in 2012 the Trento team placed among the top 16 in the world, while in 2013 they won the prize for best poster. What added value does this kind of experience give the participants? This experience showed that when these young biotechnologists are given freedom and support they are able to carry out projects at a very high level, with a commitment that goes well beyond what is required in their study plan. The success of these teams has attracted media attention, contributing to confirming the University of Trentoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s excellent reputation at both a national and an international level. For example, the students in the 2013 team were invited to talk about their experience on the television programme Geo & Geo, and their project is now a candidate, along with a select group of other projects, for the EXPO 2015.

iGem is also an innovative teaching tool. One of the most interesting aspects of the programme is that it allows students to follow their scientific curiosity. A brainstorming session at the start gives rise to an idea, which must then be planned and realized. The detailed organization of the work, the training that the students receive before going into the laboratory, the teamwork, the continual checking, all become fundamental tools, which can then be applied in many professional fields. What are the future plans for this event? We are currently looking at the possibility of participating in iGEM again in 2015. In previous years our teams have chosen to work on topics of local interest, with the possibility of commercial development, and we would like to continue to support this choice. In Italy we have many monuments that have been blackened by pollution, and agriculture is an important part of the economy in Trentino and in Italy. Our students have demonstrated on various occasions that they have innovative ideas and an entrepreneurial spirit. The enthusiasm of some of our students led to the setting up of Open Wet Lab, based at MUSE, the Science Museum in Trento. Open Wet Lab is the first garage biology organization in Italy, created with the aim of making biology accessible to everyone. Through iGEM each year new students learn to use science in a creative way to resolve the problems of everyday life.

ROBOSENSE: FROM AUTOMATION FOR LOGISTICS TO HIGH-TECH PROTOTYPES FOR INNOVATION

A University of Trento startup using skills acquired during doctoral research Paola Fusi interviews Alberto Fornaser, CEO of Robosense

Alberto Fornaser, 28 years. After completing a PhD in mechanical engineering at the Department of Industrial Engineering at the University of Trento, he entered the world of startups. He is now CEO of Robosense, a University startup established in 2012 to offer solutions for the optimization of logistics and industrial automation. We asked him a few questions. Robosense is a startup working in the field of robotics; what kind of innovative products and services do you provide? Robosense started with the aim of producing and commercializing a system of pallet identification for automated vehicles used in the automated logistics sector. This device, called SmartFinder, increases the level of artificial intelligence that the vehicle has, making it possible to reorganize production plants in a way that reduces fixed costs and increases flexibility, streamlining the production process. But our business is not limited to this. Robosense has expertise not only in robotics but also in the development of innovative products for metrology and quality control. Often businesses want to introduce something new, or improve their production plants, but they can’t find what they need in the technology that’s on the market. Robosense can come in at this point, talking with industry and transforming knowledge and advanced

technological skills into prototypes and innovative products to integrate into existing plants. This is how Robosense’s last two products came about: Morphos 3D, an optical body scanner for orthopedics, which can scan whole sections of the body with a single click; and RoboAIR, an object detection system for airport security checkpoints, which helps passengers to avoid losing objects when their bags are checked. How well do the knowledge and skills of doctoral research transfer to a company that has to compete in the marketplace? For me the University of Trento doctoral programme was a unique experience. It allowed me to learn about and understand some incredible theoretical and technological ideas. Getting to know the so-called “state of the art” is, in my opinion, one of the most important elements of the education of a person, first and foremost, and also of a professional. The experience of doing the PhD and research also offers kinds of training that you don’t usually get in a working environment - researching the solution to a problem. In modern industry unfortunately it’s rare that there is the time or the resources to analyze a problem in detail; usually they will opt for well-known or off-the-shelf technical solutions, making do with what they can find, and adapting their production process to fit.

Paola Fusi is head of the Communications and Events Office of the University of Trento.

In the doctoral programme, knowing something means seeing and predicting aspects of a problem that aren’t immediately visible, changing your design approach and using innovative technologies. Often there are solutions that are well-known in the literature, but not to businesses. This leaves a gap in the market that we can take advantage of, providing products that are not so innovative that they are not understood or trusted, nor so established that there is competition from large producers. Between these two extremes there is a lot of opportunity – it depends on your skill and creativity whether you can manage to make a space for yourself and be successful. A CEO under 30 in Italy. Is it the right age for such a step or a limit that you have to deal with? Both. Being young in the world of business is both an advantage and a disadvantage. When you run and work in a company the objective is obviously to sell, which is not a quick or easy thing to do if your clients are wellestablished industries. Getting a foot in the door at some companies requires considerable effort. Being young doesn’t help in these cases, because you don’t have experience, and the client’s first impression is of a kid, rather than a professional. In these situations you have to show what you are worth, show your competence in what you are presenting, and know how to present the person you are talking to with arguments that are valid and interesting from both a technical and an economic point of view. The aim is for them to see that you bring something new – a young person needs to offer something that the client can’t get by making a phone call to their usual supplier or consultant. Being young also means “having time”. Compared to a person who’s a bit older, a young person can afford to make mistakes. In fact I think a young person has a “duty” to make mistakes, to try what they think is right, understand their mistakes and grow.

How do you see the future of Robosense? Robosense is still a new company. In this last year we’ve made enormous progress, compared to when we started. For this we have to thank the University of Trento and those who Robosense could not have started without: professor Mariolino De Cecco, and the engineers Mattia Tavernini, Nicolò Biasi, Luca Baglivo and Francesco Setti. Our short term objectives are to expand our network of contacts and to consolidate those we’ve acquired so far. Another priority for us is to develop our portfolio of products, expanding sales of the products in our current catalogue now and developing new ones. It is also important to participate in trade exhibitions on automation, to make ourselves more visible, and to engage with the international market. In the medium term, if the conditions allow it, we would like to expand our team.

CONTACTS Robosense Via Salita dei Molini 2, Villazzano, I-38123 Trento tel. +039 0461 28 2558 info@robosense.it www.robosense.it

“FEELING” URBAN SPACES

A team of students from the University of Trento win a competition at Virginia Tech with “feelSpace”, the belt that helps blind and visually impaired people to orient themselves

The feelSpace project by a group of students from the University of Trento was awarded a prize at Virginia Tech (USA). But let’s go back a bit. The Department of Economics and Management of the University of Trento organizes the annual MIM Business Challenge, a competition between groups of students to develop business ideas. The winners of this local stage have the chance to participate in the final of the Virginia Tech Business Challenge in the US. In 2014 the feelSpace team from the University of Trento, consisting of Leonardo Stenico, Galena Kostoska, Alberto Parrella and Julia Wache, won the top prize of 25,000 dollars. Congratulations to all of you. Tell us about the idea that What part of the experience has helped you grow the you won this Business Challenge with. most? At Virginia Tech KnowledgeWorks Challenge we The moment that helped us grow most was the presented feelSpace. This is a belt with 32 vibrating preparation for entering the competition. The work units that allows blind and visually impaired people involved in the analysis and in the coordination of all the to orient themselves in urban spaces. This project activities helped us to learn a methodology, and to believe was developed in collaboration with the University of in ourselves. For this we have to thank the University of Osnabrück (Germany), who looked after the hardware Trento and in particular professor Vittorino Filippas and side. The user interacts with feelSpace via a smartphone Roberto Napoli, the University of Osnabrück, the Italian app; they enter the destination they want to go to, using Union of the Blind and all those who supported us in this voice recognition, and the app calculates the best route, project. using the GPS and information from Google Maps. We’ve come back from the US having met a lot of people As the user walks, the instructions are given step by step from all over the world, and made a lot of contacts in to the belt, which uses vibration to tell the user which the world of business who could help us in our future way to go. personal and professional development. What features of your project convinced the jury to Will you continue working on this project? give you the prize? Behind feelSpace there are both us and our German We think there were two features that helped us in the partners from the University of Osnabrück, who are competition, having a prototype to show, and having actively engaged in the creation of a new prototype. tested the idea in the field. During the market research We will continue working on the market research and stage we asked ourselves whether feelSpace could business development, ready to launch the product on meet the needs of blind people, and we had numerous the market in the near future. meetings and tests with members of the Italian Union of the Blind and Partially Sighted. Thanks to them we have understood that our current solutions are too invasive. The judges saw the potential of the product, and were interested in our market projections.

Filippo Andolfatto Graduate of the University of Trento, freelancer

NEW PROFESSIONS: USER EXPERIENCE DESIGNER From graduating from the University of Trento to developing “human-friendly” software by Filippo Andolfatto

I graduated in Communication Interfaces and Technologies at the Department of Psychology and Cognitive Sciences at the University of Trento in autumn 2013. Currently, as well as attending the Master’s in Language and Multimodal Interaction at the same university, I have started my own company, Pinkstratdesign (www.pinkstratdesign.com), where I work mainly on User Experience and User Interface Design. In the same way that an architect designs not only the aesthetics of a building, but also the way in which people will use it and experience it, a User Experience Designer designs software, websites and mobile applications, focusing on the end user. The user is at the center of an iterative design process, which starts with an analysis of the user’s needs and specific objectives, and ends with the definition and shaping of the software that will become part of the user’s everyday or working life. This discipline allows software to be constructed that is “human-friendly”, easy to use, and can improve the user’s quality of life.

University was a fundamental step for me. On the one hand it gave me a solid theoretical and practical grounding in the discipline through the courses, and on the other it allowed me to learn about the world of work and of entrepreneurship, and to develop my interests, with a 6 month internship in London in 2012-2013 in a company that develops mobile apps. Combining theory with practical experience has allowed me to really understand and immerse myself in this discipline, which first was a passion and has now become a profession. Without the first, the second would never have existed. In addition, I think I’ve been lucky on my journey in finding an institution like the University of Trento, and many people – professors, other students, and later clients – who have been able to motivate me first as a student and then as an entrepreneur at the start of my new adventure.

NEW PATENT FILED BY CIBIO

Has possible applications in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases In December the Patents Commission of the University of Trento approved the filing of a new patent application resulting from research at CIBIO (Center for Integrative Biology). The inventors are Michela Denti, Principal Investigator and group leader of the Laboratory of RNA Biology and Biotechnology, and two members of her team, Kavitha Silva and Giuseppina Covello. The title of the invention approved by the Patent Commission is “siRNAs able to selectively inhibit the isoform of the MAPT gene containing exon 10, and their application to the treatment of frontotemporal dementia and other diseases”. The invention consists in double-stranded short synthetic nucleic acids, called short interfering RNA (siRNA), used in the selective degradation of the isoform of the RNA which is the messenger of the MAPT gene containing exon 10, with the aim of treating the frontotemporal dementia and parkinsonism linked to chromosome 17. The study of dementia and neurodegenerative diseases is gaining increasing importance as the average age of the population rises. The patent, after a series of clinical trials, with a time to market of a few years, could also be of interest to the pharmaceutical industry. The University of Trento thus reaffirms its commitment to support basic and applied research in the area of health care and the treatment of rare diseases, including via the use of innovative approaches.

HOW TO FINANCE STARTUPS AND RESEARCH SPINOFFS 12

Netval Winter School from 25 to 27 March From 25 to 27 March 2015 in Alba di Canazei (Trento) the first Netval Winter School will be held, dedicated to the topic “How to finance startups and spinoffs from public research”. Netval is an association set up to create a bridge between public research and businesses interested in becoming more competitive through innovation. Members currently include 54 Italian universities, the Italian Aerospace Research Center, the Agricultural Research Council (CRA), the National Research Council (CNR) , the National Institute for Nuclear Physics (INFN), and ENEA, the Italian National Agency for New Techologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development. Netval’s mission is to highlight the value of university research to the economy and business, to organisations and public institutions, to business associations and companies, to venture capitalists and financial institutions. Netval also supports the promotion of the results of research through training and networking activities. One example is the setting up of the Winter School, which aims to encourage the exchange of experiences, contacts and skills between people in the area of technology transfer in universities and public research institutes, managers of spinoffs, and people involved in the financial credit system and in equity investment. Alternating between training sessions and the presentation and discussion of concrete cases, the Winter School aims to increase understanding of how to assess the economic potential of a startup, and of the range of financial tools and resources available. For information and enrolments: segreteria@netval.it, www.netval.it/servizi/formazione/corsi-2015/

FALLING WALLS 2015.

The Italian Falling Walls Lab returns to Trento. The Lab takes place this year on 3 July Falling Walls is a competition of innovative ideas, where people under 35 have the opportunity to present a project in 3 minutes. Falling Walls runs 100 Labs all over the world each year. The winners of each Lab go through to the final in Berlin on 8 November, the day before the anniversary of the falling of the wall. On November 9 the finalists of the individual labs will be able to participate in the commemorative conference dedicated to innovation, with speakers including scientists and other people of note. The first Italian Lab of the international foundation Falling Walls was held in Trento on 3 October 2014, with around 50 candidates from all over Italy and abroad. The winner, and Italy’s representative in Berlin, was Stefano Troncone, with his design “Pandora”, a new concept in wheelchairs.

www.falling-walls.com Information on deadlines and how to participate in the Trento 2015 Lab available from 3 March on the University website: www.unitn.it

Locations

TURKU GRONINGEN EDINBURGH LONDON

ALBERTA

BERLIN

ZURICH VIENNA

HAMILTON

OSNABRUCK BRUNNEN

SENDAI

TRENTO CAIRO THUWAL

MEXICO CITY CHENNAI DAKAR

JOHANNESBURG

LOCATIONS

In this issue

EDITORIAL

SPINOFFS AND STARTUPS

YOUNG PEOPLE AND KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER Strengthening the University’s technology transfer activities to improve opportunities for graduates and researchers and to encourage innovation in business. 2014 highlights included the expansion of the Crash Course on Research Funding, Intellectual Property and Startup Creation, the first Italian Falling Walls Lab, the first IPSP event, and the creation of a website on Open Access.

Alberto Fornaser, the young CEO of Robosense, talks about his experience, Robosense’s products, and plans for the future. Paola Fusi interviews Alberto Fornaser

by Vanessa Ravagni

FOCUS 2

INDUSTRIAL PROBLEM SOLVING WITH PHYSICS A new model of collaboration between university and industry by Lorenzo Pavesi

RESEARCH 4

COMPANY BALANCE SHEETS MORE COMPARABLE AND TRANSPARENT The Agency for a Digital Italy approved the new standard electronic format designed with the participation of a research group from the University of Trento. The Department of Economics and Management of the University has made a key contribution to the project on electronic financial statements. Possible applications include bank-business relations. by Davide Panizzolo

TECHNOLOGY DISCLOSURE 6

INNOVATION 10 “FEELING” URBAN SPACES A team of students from the University of Trento win a competition at Virginia Tech with “feelSpace”, the belt that helps blind and visually impaired people to orient themselves. The project, involving the use of a smartphone application and GPS, was developed in collaboration with the University of Osnabrück and with the involvement of the Italian Union of the Blind.

GIVING ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS OF BUSINESSES Three teams of students and young researchers put themselves to the test interview by Claudio Nidasio

BACTERIA TO RIPEN FRUIT AND CLEAN MONUMENTS Applied research project in synthetic biology undertaken by students from the university’s Center for Integrative Biology (CIBIO) Two projects undertaken by students in collaboration with professors and researchers have received recognition in the international iGEM competition promoted by MIT in Boston. Lino Giusti interviews Olivier Jousson

http://knowtransfer.unitn.it

ROBOSENSE: FROM AUTOMATION FOR LOGISTICS TO HIGH PROTOTYPES FOR INNOVATION A University of Trento startup using skills acquired during doctoral research

PEOPLE AND PROFILES 11 NEW PROFESSIONS: USER EXPERIENCE DESIGNER From graduating from the University of Trento to developing “human-friendly” software by Filippo Andolfatto

OF INTEREST 12 NEW PATENT FILED BY CIBIO Has possible applications in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases

HOW TO FINANCE STARTUPS AND RESEARCH SPINOFFS Netval Winter School from 25 to 27 March