“To stimulate research and innovation, but in a new way, by creating synergies between universities and companies so that they work together no longer occasionally but in a structured manner, and to multiply the impact of innovation through the implementation of programmes capable of attracting investment from both the public and private sectors”: this is how Eugenio Coccia, President of the Gran Sasso Tech Foundation since 2 July, describes GST’s mission to Antonio Lo Campo in the interview published in Tuttoscienze, the science communication channel of the Italian newspaper La Stampa, in which outlines the Foundation’s activities, the results achieved and the prospects for development in the fields of research and technological innovation, as well as offering his personal vision.
“It is not merely a matter of transferring knowledge from universities to businesses, but of building an environment in which research and industry jointly define new challenges, develop innovative technologies and accelerate their transfer towards applications of economic and social interest,” the President emphasizes.
The interview also recounts the Foundation’s growth during its first four years of activity Its annual budget exceeded €2.2 million in 2025 and is expected to exceed €3.2 million in 2026. Collaboration agreements have also already been reached with 18 international research centres, eight large companies and 25 SMEs.
The perspective outlined by the President is to consolidate this model and expand its capacity to attract investment and collaborations. The aim, Coccia explains, is to “multiply the impact of innovation” through programmes capable of involving research, industry and education, and transforming scientific expertise into technologies and applications with economic and social benefits.
The full interview (in italian) is available at https://www.lastampa.it/tuttoscienze/2026/09/02/news/ricercaindustria_il_modello_ora_e_al_gran_sasso-15716960/