TechForward - 2nd Edition
THE CALL IS OPEN.
Deadline for applications: January 28, 2026, at 11:00 a.m.
Online meetings to present the course with the scientific director and teaching assistants:
- January 13, from 12:00 noon to 1:00 p.m. (Teams link to participate: https://short.do/zsfyuA)
- January 23, from 12:00 noon to 1:00 p.m. (Teams link to participate: https://short.do/hmKDOK)
For administrative information: Master's Office master@unibo.it
For scientific and teaching information: Matteo Vignoli, oper.space@unibo.it
The TechForward-2nd Edition project is being implemented thanks to European Funds from the Emilia-Romagna Region. Rif. Pa 2024- 22855/RER / Numero progetto / CUP: J31J24003680002
TechForward Student Program is a free Advanced Training Course (students only pay the registration, enrollment and stamp costs) dedicated to master's students at the universities of Emilia-Romagna.
Through a project-based approach, they identify potential application areas for technologies developed within the universities and research institutes of the Emilia-Romagna Region.
The goal of Tech Forward is to develop the entrepreneurial mindset of students and researchers, while ensuring the valorization of innovative technologies developed by research groups at the University and research centers, and their application to solve societal needs.
The program is taught entirely in English and leverages the strategic relationship with CERN in Geneva. It includes seminars and networking activities, aligning with the regional smart specialization strategy and promoting expertise in key areas such as digital and ecological transitions.
The program's methodology, Tech to Market, developed by the University of Bologna, is a hybrid model based on the human-centered approach of Design Thinking and other Tech-Driven Innovation methodologies.
Over 16 weeks, interuniversity and multidisciplinary student teams examine disruptive technologies to identify their potential and develop relevant solutions to meet the needs of society, humanity, and the ecosystem.
Six multidisciplinary teams of five master's students from various universities in the region will be supported by local coaches, who will leverage the knowledge of university researchers during scheduled design sprints. The students will connect with researchers, both those who developed the technology and other experts, to gain a technical understanding of the technology; with professionals from different sectors and users, to understand the technology's potential impact in different contexts; and finally, they will develop various ideas in an iterative process and evaluate with users which applications have the most potential.
Tech Forward aims to be a tool for:
- Strengthening students' transversal skills and entrepreneurial abilities
- Leveraging cutting-edge technologies developed at regional universities and research centers
- Integrating regional expertise into multidisciplinary teams, bringing together research teams and cross-university multidisciplinary student teams to bring, among other things, technical, business, design, and humanities perspectives
- Engaging students in university start-up initiatives
- Potentially increasing the number of spin-offs
- Exploring and validating potential markets
- Greater awareness in investment decisions
- Greater capital attraction for universities and spin-offs.
Project owner: Alma Mater Studiorum - Università di Bologna, Department of Management, Innovation Area, Education Area
Promoters: Università di Ferrara, Università di Modena e Reggio Emilia, Università degli Studi di Parma
Implementing partners: AlmaCube, FAM
Starting date xxxxxx - End date xxxx
TECH FORWARD 2ND EDITION- COLLIDING INNOVATION
Rif PA 2024-23127/RER - TechForward-2nd Edition – Colliding Innovation /Num. Progetto 1 / CUP J31J24003690002
CERN Ideasquare Collision Week
During the week at CERN Ideasquare, the TechForward project includes a series of structured activities to maximize student learning and innovation: Workshops and Seminars: Students will participate in workshops and seminars led by CERN experts, researchers, and scientists.
These meetings will cover topics such as design thinking, technological innovation, entrepreneurship, and technology transfer. Ideation and Prototyping Sessions: Student teams will engage in brainstorming and ideation sessions to develop innovative concepts. They will then work on prototyping their ideas, using the tools and resources available at Ideasquare.
Meetings with CERN Scientists and Engineers: Students will have the opportunity to meet and interact with various researchers. These meetings will help validate ideas and provide a deeper understanding of the potential of these technologies.
Visits to University Technology Labs.
Throughout the program, students can arrange visits to the laboratories of the universities responsible for the identified technologies. Lab Tour: Researchers will organize a guided tour of the lab, presenting the context in which the identified technology was developed. Technology Presentation: The research group will organize a deep dive session on the technology for the project team, designed for a multidisciplinary audience. Interaction and a hands-on approach will be encouraged, allowing students to ask questions and fully understand the technological potential.
Technological Deep Dive in Bertinoro (FC).
- Students and researchers will spend a week exchanging expertise on technologies at the Bertinoro University Residential Center (Ce.U.B.). Seminars: Students will participate in seminars on the fundamentals of technologies led by researchers from partner universities.
- 1:1 Meetings: Students will have the opportunity to meet and interact with researchers working on their technology.
Models, Approaches, and Implementation Methodologies
- Design Thinking: The program uses the "Tech to Market" model developed by the University of Bologna, based on the human-centered approach of Design Thinking. This method helps students develop innovative solutions based on user needs. Technically
- Driven Innovation: Students will apply technology-driven innovation methodologies to explore the potential of technologies developed at universities and research centers in the region.
- Stakeholder Mapping: During the Deep Dive, students will collaborate with researchers to produce a map of stakeholders and potential technology users. This activity aims to define the interviews and in-depth analyses to be conducted during the project.
This combination of activities, methodologies, and resources aims to create a stimulating and productive environment in which students can develop entrepreneurial and technical skills, explore new ideas, and contribute to technological innovation in the Emilia-Romagna region.