The RETURN project (an acronym for Multi-Risk sciEnce for resilienT commUnities undeR a changiNg climate) is an extensive partnership funded by the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR), which aims to strengthen the research sectors related to environmental, natural, and anthropogenic risks at a national level, promoting participation in strategic European and global value chains. Through the enhancement of basic knowledge and the application of technology, the project contributes to the strengthening of key skills, technological and knowledge transfer, and Italian governance in disaster risk management, involving public administrations, stakeholders, and private companies.

The RETURN partnership, coordinated by the University of Naples “Federico II”, includes the participation of the Polytechnic of Turin, leader of Spoke 6 – TS2: Multi-Risk Resilience of Critical Infrastructures, and involves 26 partners, including 12 universities, 5 research institutions and centers of competence, 6 private entities, 2 territorial bodies, and the Department of Civil Protection, with funding provided by the Ministry of University and Research exceeding 115 million euros. The RETURN Foundation manages activities including calls for businesses: the project aims to identify and support innovative startups, spinoffs, and SMEs with specific activities in prevention, management, and mitigation of environmental, natural, and anthropogenic risks. The program also includes participation from I3P, the Incubator of the Polytechnic of Turin, which has organized a series of events to disseminate the opportunities of the RETURN calls to the network of innovative startups and to involve young companies that align with the types of technological solutions sought.

The third event in this series, dedicated to the Water vertical (related to Spoke VS1 of the project), will take place on Thursday, May 2, 2024, at 4:00 PM, in an online webinar format with free participation. During the digital meeting, which will be held in Italian, the RETURN project and its calls for SMEs will be presented, with a focus on the specific vertical related to the mitigation of water-related risks, such as in cases of floods or droughts. A startup will also share a testimony of its innovative entrepreneurial project in this field.

To receive the link to connect to the webinar, it is necessary to register on Eventbrite.

Program

• 4:00 PM | Opening of the webinar and introductory greetings by Negar Mokarram, Business Analyst at I3P
• 4:05 PM | The RETURN project and its calls for innovative SMEs – Ciro Del Vecchio, RETURN Foundation
• 4:30 PM | The Water vertical (VS1) and its fields of application – Martino Bernard, Researcher at the University of Padua
• 4:50 PM | Presentation of a startup active in the Water area
• 5:00 PM | Thanks and conclusion of the meeting