Strategic Technologies: Discover the 10 Winning Projects of the STEP Call

A platform based on Artificial Intelligence to improve urban traffic safety and management. A project integrating physical and cognitive rehabilitation, initially focused on Parkinson’s disease, aimed at reducing hospitalisation, improving quality of life, and accelerating diagnosis and therapeutic interventions. The development of a support system for healthcare professionals in managing vulnerable patients through wearable sensors and privacy-preserving environmental radar.

In addition, machine learning for data interpretation, virtual assistants based on generative AI; a digital platform for monitoring, rehabilitation and remote management; and a technological platform for predictive, simulation-based and personalised diagnostics, developed using Artificial Intelligence, extended reality, quantitative medical imaging and omics sciences—disciplines that study sets of biological molecules such as ions, nucleic acids, proteins and enzymes, which perform a wide range of functions within living organisms.

These are just some of the projects presented during the meeting entitled ‘New Alliances for Strategic Technologies’, which brought together, at Palazzo Lombardia, the companies awarded under the first edition of the ‘Strategic Technologies – STEP’ call by the Lombardy Region, only a few months after the publication of the final ranking.

Specifically, these are companies that successfully passed a particularly rigorous selection process, with only 10 projects admitted for funding out of 23 applications, for a total investment of €30.4 million under the Regional Programme of the European Regional Development Fund 2021–2027.

Lombardy is among the few Italian regions to have taken up the challenge launched by the European Commission, committing to support the development and production of strategic technologies capable of reducing the European Union’s dependencies in critical sectors such as deep tech, biotechnology and green technologies.

Through the implementation of the STEP platform, as provided for by EU Regulation, the Lombardy Region has allocated €120 million to achieve this objective, thereby confirming its leading role in promoting innovation and the competitiveness of the production system.

The event was attended by nearly all ten partnerships representing the 45 funded companies and provided an opportunity to explore the various projects in a less formal and highly interactive setting.

“Regione Lombardia,” commented the Regional Minister for Universities, Research and Innovation, Alessandro Fermi, “had the opportunity to engage directly with some of the key players in the Lombardy economy involved in research and innovation, gathering valuable insights to better shape future support policies. Once again, companies have demonstrated their appreciation of the ‘model’ underpinning regional calls, which предусматриes the establishment of partnerships capable of bringing together innovative SMEs and established industrial players, creating strategic alliances to address global challenges.”

The event, organised by the Directorate-General for Universities, Research and Innovation, was structured into two sessions: the first provided a brief overview of the various projects; the second featured a round table discussion on global challenges related to the EU STEP Regulation and the experience of the ‘Strategic Technologies’ call promoted by the Lombardy Region, which funded deep tech and biotech initiatives.

In particular, one of the key elements emerging from the discussions was the ability of Lombardy-based companies to build highly heterogeneous partnerships in terms of both specialisation and company size, organised in a fully complementary manner around project objectives.

This was also made possible by the considerable flexibility of medium-sized and micro/small enterprises (7 medium-sized and 17 micro/small), capable of reorienting their business across different sectors.

The call, in fact, required the mandatory establishment of partnerships composed of SMEs (including innovative start-ups) in collaboration with large enterprises. In addition to MSMEs (micro, small and medium-sized enterprises), 21 large companies also received regional funding, bringing the total value of the projects to approximately €62 million.

Another key theme highlighted by companies was the central importance of access to public data (e.g. health, environmental and infrastructure data), considered essential for feeding AI algorithms.

Among the strategic factors identified was also the need to ensure that micro, small and medium-sized enterprises have access to computing resources at sustainable costs—an essential driver for innovation in critical technologies.

Another key point emerging from the conference was the importance of continuity in financial support, aimed at bridging the ‘valley of death’ between research and industrial production. Such resources are indeed crucial for effective technology transfer.

According to Councillor Fermi, one of the factors underpinning the success of this initiative was, in particular, the involvement of local stakeholders through collaboration with public sector entities.

“Among the expectations for the future highlighted by companies,” he added, “is the importance of being able to concretely test innovations locally, in collaboration with public bodies, following the living lab model, and subsequently scale up solutions to broader contexts. There also emerged the need to extend research activities to related sectors, thereby fostering cross-fertilisation across value chains. Ultimately, companies reiterated the need for policies tailored to the specific characteristics of each innovation value chain, underlining the added value of a direct relationship with a regional authority capable of identifying needs on a broad scale, interpreting them and translating them into solutions that can often be replicated in other regional contexts or at national level.”