Image
ARGO System
Published on 19 May 2021
Italy
This is the good practice's implementation level. It can be national, regional or local.
About this good practice
ARGO is a joint initiative of the Italian Ministry for University&Research, Ministry for Economic Development and Friuli Venezia Giulia Region established in 2018 to create an economic development model at the regional level, with Area Science Park as coordinator of all activities. The model was tested in Friuli Venezia Giulia, however, given its scalability and repeatability features, it was applied to a multi-regional and international scale. It l operates at national level by 2021.
Argo translates into a Hub & Spoke model, to optimize resources and attract investments through public-private partnerships,taking advantage of the assets in the domains of advanced technology, digitalization, and higher education existing in the territories.
The central Hub includes infrastructures, instruments and advanced competencies,and it guarantees the whole coordination. The Nodes are territorial proximity departments that offer services for target users/enterprises and can provide specialised services in coordination with the Hub. The areas of specialisation related to the technologies of each Node are: advanced manufacturing solutions, big data integration and analysis, IoT and data optimization and simulation. The Spoke is a standardized channel connecting the Hub and the Nodes— giving access to high-complexity services.
Main beneficiaries are businesses, SMEs and basic and applied research. Depending on the type and infrastructure used, the service can be free or require a fee.
Argo translates into a Hub & Spoke model, to optimize resources and attract investments through public-private partnerships,taking advantage of the assets in the domains of advanced technology, digitalization, and higher education existing in the territories.
The central Hub includes infrastructures, instruments and advanced competencies,and it guarantees the whole coordination. The Nodes are territorial proximity departments that offer services for target users/enterprises and can provide specialised services in coordination with the Hub. The areas of specialisation related to the technologies of each Node are: advanced manufacturing solutions, big data integration and analysis, IoT and data optimization and simulation. The Spoke is a standardized channel connecting the Hub and the Nodes— giving access to high-complexity services.
Main beneficiaries are businesses, SMEs and basic and applied research. Depending on the type and infrastructure used, the service can be free or require a fee.
Resources needed
8,8 million Euros for 3 years. The budget was used for personnel costs, for the acquisition of technological platforms and infrastructures, and for the setting up of technological demonstrators.
Evidence of success
•IP4FVG: 2,1 M€ invested, 190 ICT companies analysed, 20 ICT strategic projects, 4 Living Labs, 10 events and 7 training sessions;
•Innovative Industrial Settlements: 3 M€ invested, 1 industrial settlement + 2 ongoing negotiations, 2 DSS developed;
•S&T platforms: 2,15 M€ invested for 2 latest generation instruments, 3 platforms, 12 partners and 9 ongoing research projects;
•New business creation: 305 business ideas evaluated, 57 start-ups supported (17 at present), 300 investors involved.
•Innovative Industrial Settlements: 3 M€ invested, 1 industrial settlement + 2 ongoing negotiations, 2 DSS developed;
•S&T platforms: 2,15 M€ invested for 2 latest generation instruments, 3 platforms, 12 partners and 9 ongoing research projects;
•New business creation: 305 business ideas evaluated, 57 start-ups supported (17 at present), 300 investors involved.
Potential for learning or transfer
ARGO required a preparatory period to develop regulatory instruments, investment priorities and technologies to effectively launch the project. Even if it was operationalized in a region-specific setting, it can be exported on a National and trans-national dimension.
Opportunities for transfer should aim to build a methodological framework with the capacity to adapt the regulatory instruments to regional/local contexts — considering that ARGO aims to take advantage of the assets for innovation that exists in the reference territories.
Potential for learning:
-How to set up structure and interactions between the system’s elements;
-how to encourage the adoption of technologies that enable digital t
ransformation in industrial manufacturing processes
-how to promote the updating of the many operators in the IT sector in the area with strategies and initiativesoriented towards the growth of SMEs but involving industrial, IT lead players and public research organisations.
Opportunities for transfer should aim to build a methodological framework with the capacity to adapt the regulatory instruments to regional/local contexts — considering that ARGO aims to take advantage of the assets for innovation that exists in the reference territories.
Potential for learning:
-How to set up structure and interactions between the system’s elements;
-how to encourage the adoption of technologies that enable digital t
ransformation in industrial manufacturing processes
-how to promote the updating of the many operators in the IT sector in the area with strategies and initiativesoriented towards the growth of SMEs but involving industrial, IT lead players and public research organisations.
Further information
Website
Good practice owner
You can contact the good practice owner below for more detailed information.
Organisation
Area Science Park
Italy
Friuli-Venezia Giulia
Contact
Project Manager