UNIVERSITY OF PAVIA: PARTNERSHIP WITH INTESA SANPAOLO AND FONDAZIONE BANCA MONTE DI LOMBARDIA FOR HIGHER EDUCATION

Eleven major multi-year research projects on the most advanced topics in STEM and humanities

•  The "Centro studi sul Diritto delle grandi imprese azionarie" (Research centre on the Law of large equity companies), named after Prof. Guido Rossi, gets underway

Pavia, 19 April 2021 – The framework agreement signed by the University of Pavia, Fondazione Banca del Monte di Lombardia and Intesa Sanpaolo aimed at supporting the innovation process in the University's educational offering and the economic, social and cultural enhancement of the Pavia area was presented today. The presentation was attended by Mario Cera, Full Professor at the University of Pavia, Gian Maria Gros-Pietro, Chairman of Intesa Sanpaolo, Aldo Poli, Chairman of Fondazione Banca del Monte di Lombardia, Ferruccio Resta, President of the Conference of Rectors of Italian Universities and Rector of the Politecnico di Milano, Francesco Svelto, Rector of the University of Pavia and Daniela Viglione, Scientific Director of Italiadecide.

The role that universities are called to play in developing knowledge and enhancing research results, thus determining an impact on society in terms of new employment and well-being, is set to take on an increasingly significant importance also in the framework of the Next Generation EU.

Our country, despite being able to count on a good general standing of its universities from an international perspective, is suffering from a low degree of investment in education, research and development. This translates into inadequate infrastructures, but above all poor support for young researchers who are often forced to move to centres and institutes abroad.

In order to provide its contribution to a turnaround and to give a concrete signal, the University of Pavia has promoted an important project to enhance PhDs, finding two attentive partners in Intesa Sanpaolo and in Fondazione Banca del Monte di Lombardia.

The new partnership, sanctioned by a framework agreement, will start in the next academic year and will end in the 2025-2026 academic year. It provides eleven three-year scholarships a year for five consecutive cycles.

The project underway not only promises important results with regard to the development of new knowledge and applications, but also the development of a significant international dimension. The initiative will help consolidate the prestige and quality of the University of Pavia, with positive effects on the local economy.

The topics are the most strategic and pressing ones for society today with a view to fair and sustainable growth: from renewable energy sources to the study of neuro-robotics, from viral threats to automatic language processing.

More specifically, the 11 scientific contexts that will be enhanced are:

1. Neuroscience: a trans-disciplinary approach from modelling analysis to neuro-robotics, with human neuropathologies at its core.

2. Sustainable photovoltaics, energy storage and production, decarbonisation and "Green" processes: efficient low-cost photovoltaics, energy storage and innovative materials in a circular economy from water to waste.

1. Microelectronics: development of integrated circuits for sensors, medical diagnostics and Internet of Things, with special attention to communications with 5G standards.

2. Personalised medicine: from preclinical studies to the patient's DNA, passing through the "Next Generation Sequencing", the modelling of diseases, drug therapies and medical devices engineered for the individual patient.

3. Digital fluidics for Life Sciences: development of smart biomedical devices dedicated to hospital and home infusion in the therapeutic areas of hospitalization, artificial nutrition, pain therapy and resuscitation; development of new fluidic devices and advanced life science sensors.

4. Emerging viral threats: not just Covid-19; molecular, epidemiological and clinical research of emerging viral infections also carried by infesting insects.

5. Models and technology to monitor and predict movements of the earth's crust.

6. Archeology, and archaeogenomics: the Italian archaeological and archaeogenomic capital.

7. Linguistic resources and automatic language processing: digitisation and annotation of closed corpora of ancient languages and creation of corpora of contemporary languages.

8. 3D printing and advanced materials: design and production with innovative technologies of components in advanced materials for the manufacturing world and for the world of personalised health.

9. Legal discipline of complex equity companies, sustainability, interests. 

In addition to the enhancement of PhDs, the agreement entails the activation of a "Centro studi sul Diritto delle grandi imprese azionarie" named after Prof. Guido Rossi, former student and professor of the University, and of a specialisation course on "Grandi imprese azionarie, sostenibilità e compliance" (Large equity companies, sustainability and compliance) at Collegio Ghislieri. The project will be organised by the Centre in collaboration with the Department of Law, once again with a view to innovation and high qualification and will be supported exclusively by Intesa Sanpaolo.

Statement by Gian Maria Gros-Pietro, Chairman of Intesa Sanpaolo: "The Agreement with the University of Pavia, one of the oldest in the world and one of the most prestigious, and Fondazione Banca del Monte, now an Intesa Sanpaolo shareholder, is a powerful tool for developing the University's research capabilities and its potential to attract talent. Eleven three-year PhD scholarships for five consecutive cycles represent an important stability factor for the planning of research and study activities. Our intervention is part of a programme that sees over 60 Italian and a number of foreign universities collaborating with the Bank through scholarships and research projects, a commitment that has been strengthened in the last year of the health emergency. We support the university system to foster the advancement of knowledge and form future leadership, two elements that we consider central to the country's development. This also benefits the Group which draws specialist knowledge and competent resources from this lively and ongoing debate with universities: 83% of the people we hire have a degree, an important figure compared to the 3,500 young people who will join Intesa Sanpaolo from now to 2024."

Statement by Aldo Poli, Chairman of Fondazione Banca del Monte di Lombardia: "This excellent project bears witness to our conviction, namely, that the purchase of Ubi Banca by Banca Intesa renews the attention to the territory that had been guaranteed: in the transitions that have taken place, from Banca del Monte di Lombardia through the various credit institutions that have followed one another, the central position of the territories, in particular Pavia and Milan, has not changed. The initiative presented today marks an important step in the economic and social development of the area to which the Foundation has always dedicated its commitment."

Statement by prof. Francesco Svelto, Rector of the University of Pavia: "The new agreement of the University of Pavia with Intesa Sanpaolo and Fondazione Banca del Monte di Lombardia will make it possible to involve young scholars in research activities through a significant increase in PhD scholarships. More specifically, we will propose topics related to sustainability and new society challenges. It is my firm belief that a university engaged in research is a university that engages young people."

Press information

• University of Pavia – Grazia Bruttocao, Rector's Spokesperson, Mobile +39 320 6131351, grazia.bruttocao@unipv.it

Press Office: Epoché - Agenzia Giornalistica Culturale - Tel. +39 0382.538727, ufficio_stampa@unipv.it

• Fondazione Banca del Monte di Lombardia – Donatella Mele, Mobile +39 331 786 6898, d.mele@fbml.it

• Intesa Sanpaolo - Media and Associations Relations, stampa@intesasanpaolo.com