Partnership

Scientific and Technological Park of Sicily (PSTS)

The Scientific and Technological Park of Sicily (PSTS) is a consortium, partially owned by the Sicily Region, other research centres and companies active in different economic fields. Its mission is to foster competitiveness of companies and stimulate growth by transferring research, innovation and technology, organising training activities, attracting investments and supporting internationalization. The PSTS can rely on an effective network involving over four-hundred subjects among companies, universities, research centres, and clusters. It has benefited from resources coming from European, national and regional programmes in various sectors such as agriculture, agri-food, ICT, cultural heritage, environment, and life sciences.

The PSTS plays an important role as an intermediate body between research centres and the production system. It welcomes and supports any scientific and technological research initiatives capable of bringing innovation to processes and industrial products, broadening knowledge and services, enhancing the skills and experience of human resources. Thanks to this body of experience and characteristics, the PSTS wishes to position itself in strategic projects related to innovation and technology transfer by working in synergy with the entrepreneurial system and regional policy makers on open innovation strategies.

The Kore University of Enna (UKE) is an independent private higher education institution. It is one of the newest private universities in Italy, and the only one in Sicily. Its legal status was legislated by the Ministry of Education, University and Research in 2005. It is the fourth institution of higher education in Sicily in chronological order. Among the 18 private non-state universities, UKE is the third largest in Italy for teaching staff and number of courses, after the Catholic University of Milan and Rome and the Bocconi University of Milan. UKE is also the only Italian private university with a Faculty of Engineering and Architecture.

UKE has earned a national reputation of the highest order through the realization of multi-purpose-designed academic structures, innovative facilities, state-of-the-art laboratories, which have created the basis for teacher/student relationships that are difficult to find in other, larger universities. In this sense, UKE can be seen as an “avant-guard” reality for a modern university. The primary objective of our university is to establish new educational “frontiers” in the Mediterranean basin, a vast region of different customs, traditions, cultures and of the history of ancient civilizations. UKE is also one of the most appreciated Italian universities. According to surveys conducted in an anonymous form by the AlmaLaurea Consortium in Bologna, UKE is among the first places in Italy for the high level of teaching and the quality of educational facilities.

At present time, more than 8000 students are enrolled at UKE. It offers sixteen degree courses (5 second cycle + 2 one long cycle + 11 first cycle) and 3 PhD programs, in the Faculties of Engineering and Architecture; Economic Sciences and Law; Human and Social Sciences; Classics, Languages and Education. The mission of UKE is not only to promote a greater awareness of Mediterranean cultural realities, but also to allow a permanent exchange of teaching staff and students between other universities, national or foreign, and also between the cultural institutions of the region. UKE constantly follows the students’ academic path thanks to an efficient tutoring system, guiding them to the point of being able to overcome any eventual learning difficulty. The student will also be appropriately informed about his career prospects, and supported in its needs especially when far from family and home. Indeed, the main quality of UKE is in the attention that it caters to its students.

UKE covers two major areas: the Campus, with all educational and administrative services for students, and the Research Center, where the most advanced research is conducted. All the Campus buildings are near each other, which places everything within a 5 min walk. The Campus is located in the residential area of Enna, downstream of the old city, where there are large service facilities, including the hospital and the extra-urban bus terminal. Every day, more than 150 buses arrive from all the main cities of Sicily, but also from other Italian and European regions. The rail station is based on Catania-Palermo railway.

UKE is based in Enna, a small but ancient city, capital of its province, situated above a mountain of more than 900 m asl, so that it is the highest town in Italy and one of the highest in Europe. Enna is the geographical center of Sicily. And since Sicily is in the heart of the Mediterranean, UKE crosses equally north and south, east and west of the world.

The University of Messina (Unime) has always been characterized by the quality of research and teaching and its international vocation, it has got an extensive experience in the management of activity aimed to develop a technological environment favourable to the creation and dissemination of innovations, and in promoting technology transfer.

Within the I-Know project, Unime brings a significant added value in its role as a link between the research world and the Sicilian productive fabric, as well as its proven knowledge and ability to promote economic, scientific and social progress.

Unime will also give a significant contribution in terms of human capital offered to the project and in terms of experience in the field of dissemination and adoption of technological innovation. Moreover, thanks to its expertise acquired over the years in the field of patent production, its national and international reputation in the field of experimentation and implementation of scientific research results, and the network of relationships built up participating in numerous national and international projects aimed to develope the innovation and the diffusion of business culture, Unime will ensure the maximum chance of success for startups that will be set up within the I-know project.

In conclusion, the final goal that the University of Messina aims to achieve will be to promote the creation of new companies with highly innovative content and focused mainly on improving the quality of life and environmental sustainability. Furthermore, the creation of these companies will not be conceived as the ultimate goal of its contribution, on the contrary it must be seen as a working methodology that will serve as a starting point for the creation of future companies with the same characteristics.

Since its foundation, Arkimede offers consulting and IT solutions through systems capable of improving and enhancing the management of companies. Arkimede has supported large business groups in the design and the integration of information systems through development, consulting and use of modern information technology based on mobile systems.

 Arkimede has also concentrated its efforts on design and implementation of very complex networks, cloud computing infrastructures and cyber security. Moreover, Arkimede is committed to the development of skills through investment for professionals training in order to deal with growing market needs.

 To reach this goal Arkimede created Innesta, the first incubator/coworking in Messina. Innesta is a place where people can work and grow by sharing spaces and skills. It was born thanks to a close collaboration with other two local companies and the University of Messina. Innesta testifies how important is to Arkimede the educational and training values and how company pays close attention to the revenue and the growth of the territory.