TRENTINO RECORDS THE HIGHEST INNOVATIVE START-UP DENSITY IN ITALY
10/02/2015 - (d.m.) –
Trento tops the Italian provinces’ ranking for innovative start-up density, with a figure of 107 start-ups out of 10,000 corporations, right in front of Cagliari (41 out of 10,000), and Turin (37 out of 10,000). Fresh data published by InfoCamere and Registro delle imprese - updated on February 2, 2015 - show that Trentino has 96 new businesses with a high level of innovation. This result highlights what the «Trentino system» can deliver through the dedicated financing lines provided by the Autonomous Province of Trento, such as the Seed Money-ERDF and TechPeaks schemes, the spaces and guidance services offered by the business incubators of Trentino Sviluppo, and the advanced level of competence provided by the University, foundations, and research centres located in Trentino.
By taking a thorough look at the 96 innovative start-ups listed in the special register kept by the Chamber of Commerce of Trento, it is easy to notice that 38 businesses received funding through the Seed Money-ERDF scheme (40.6%), while 9 were supported by the TechPeaks scheme (9.3%). Besides, 22 among them operate in a Business Innovation Centre (BIC) managed by Trentino Sviluppo (22.9%), in particular in the two sectoral incubators of Progetto Manifattura (green technology) and Polo Meccatronica.
An instrument that exhibited high efficiency in boosting the growth of high-quality start-ups was the Seed Money-ERDF scheme. Since 2009, when the first call for tenders was launched, the fund - jointly financed by the Province of Trento, the Ministry for Economic Development, and the European Union - has supported 100 business projects in innovative and high-technology sectors in a pool composed of 306 eligible projects. Among the 100 projects deemed eligible for financing, 87 have already led to the development of a business, providing a job to almost 400 people, mostly young.
The Seed Money scheme offers start-uppers the possibility of receiving up to 150,000 euros of financing to cover the main business start up costs, such as the expenses related to market analysis, product design and prototyping, equipment purchasing, patent and brand registration, or certification costs. In total, almost 11 million euros were allocated during the three rounds of the initiative (2009, 2011, 2013). Furthermore, 23 business projects were financed through the TechPeaks scheme, the talent accelerator programme managed by Trento Rise in collaboration with Trentino Sviluppo.
Among the 96 innovative start-ups operating in Trentino, the leading role is played by the young businesses working in the service sector, with 67 start-ups, while 27 businesses are involved in the manufacturing and crafts sector, and 2 in the trade sector. The main services provided are mainly linked to scientific research, IT systems, ICT, and mechatronics.
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