The next Study Visit in Tuscany (June 17th-19th) is organized by the Partner “DITECFER District for Rail Technologies, High Speed, Networks’ Safety & Security” and will take place in the two cities that are the key-hubs of the regional rail supply industry: Pistoia and Firenze
The RECORD Delegation will be presented the Tuscany Region ERDF “POR CreO” policies and instruments, as well as case studies of ERDF funding in support of the Rail supply chain, with specific attention to the opportunities for SMEs, both direct and indirect. These include the establishment of a Regional Cluster for Rail Technologies (“DITECFER”), open calls for collaborative R&D projects, a catalogue of specialised services in the field of R&D and Innovation for which SMEs can receive a 50% co-funding, the creation/co-funding of laboratories specialized in the railway field (e.g. “MDM-Lab” of University of Firenze).
4 the Technical Visits organized at sites and companies the ERDF “POR CreO” has co-funded, thus supporting the sustainability of transport, that is the goal of the RECORD project: at the Operations Control Center of Firenze Tramways operated by “GEST S.p.A.”; at the “Demo rooms” for Tramways and Airports at “Thales Italia S.p.A.”, that – as Large company - is co-developing with local SMEs new solutions for safety and security of tramways; at the “Italcertifer S.p.A.” Rolling Stock Laboratories – with the largest anechoic chamber in Europe for electrical tests of trains -, where, together with the certification and homologation tests of railway systems, also are performed R&D activities by four universities; at a dynamic and innovative SME, “Elfi S.r.l.”, that develops and manufactures advanced electronics solutions both for rolling stock and infrastructure.
Key-moment of the Study Visit will be the meeting organized in Pistoia on 18th to allow networking among the participating partners and their stakeholders, their brainstorming on how to support R&D and innovation and on what key-topics in view of possible trans-regional collaborations, and individual B2B to further discuss such opportunities.
The Study Visit will involve 42 people from 5 different countries – Italy, France, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden – and the Pistoia meeting will create direct interactions among 19 companies, of which 13 SMEs operating both in the segments of vehicles and the safety of infrastructures; the Italian Large companies attending to contribute to the brainstorming activity on key innovation topics are Alstom, Angelstar Group, ECM-Progress Rail, Hitachi Rail, Italcertifer-Italian State Railways Group, VAR Group.
