Research areas and methodologies

The Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Sustainability Group (IESuG) Research Unit carries out theoretical and experimental research on innovation and entrepreneurship development processes enabled by the use of new technologies, especially digital ones, and oriented towards the generation of new models of business, with a prevalent but not exclusive focus on the issues of sustainable development and the ecological and circular transition of the production system.

The activities of the Research Unit are focused on the following main areas:

  • analysis of processes, methods, techniques and models of Innovation Entrepreneurship, Design Thinking, Business Development;
  • analysis and development of assessment models of entrepreneurial skills, to support the processes of Corporate Entrepreneurship and incubation/acceleration of innovative companies;
  • analysis of cooperative action models aimed at generating innovation within the Open Innovation paradigm;
  • analysis and development of evaluation models and Open Innovation indicators at micro, meso, macro dimensions, with particular reference to the sectors and supply chains most affected by ecological and circular transition processes;
  • Startup Intelligence, census and structured analysis of research spin-offs, startups and innovative companies operating in the various sectors of sustainable development and the circular economy;
  • analysis of the impacts of Key Enabling Technologies - in particular digital ones - on the ecological and circular transition processes of the production system, with specific attention to the effects on the competitiveness, efficiency, quality and sustainability of sectors and supply chains;
  • analysis and development of evaluation models and circularity indicators at micro, meso, macro dimensions;
  • analysis and development of tools and methodologies for measuring, strengthening, certifying and standardizing industrial symbiosis and for assessing the economic and social impacts of industrial symbiosis on production systems and on the adoption of circular business models
  • analysis and development of methodologies, protocols and tools for optimization and decision support for the creation, management and control of energy communities.

In line with the objectives of the Innovation & Sustainability Project and the NAE Grand Challenges Scholars Program, the Research Unit, also through interdisciplinary collaborations with other research structures of the University, Laboratories and Observatories and the involvement of industrial and institutional partners, promotes:

  • the widespread transfer and exploitation of the results of research activities in the context of the University's supplementary teaching activities;
  • the development and transfer of knowledge, practices and innovative models to companies and public and private organizations, within the framework of the University's higher specialized training, executive training and third mission activities.

Collaborations with other Research Centers

  • University of Cassino and Southern Lazio

LABORATORIES

  • Phygital Co-Innovation Lab - Created and managed in partnership with Cisco Italia and Marzotto Venture Accelerator, it supports the IESuG in research and experimental development activities related to the application of new digital technologies in the relevant thematic areas (Circular Economy, Smart Cities & Communities, Healthcare 4.0) .
  • Innovation & Entrepreneurship Competence Lab - Supports the IESuG in applied research activities and in the transfer of the results of research projects in the field of evaluation and development of technical and transversal skills, to support innovation processes and entrepreneurship development.