Startup Thinking

Activities

• Tech Scenario and Scouting Workshops (Italian and English):

  5 research cycles on specific areas selected for each edition, to identify and analyze the most interesting Italian and international startups in the field. For each defined research area, a census, mapping, and analysis of startups is conducted. The following are also developed for each census: a detailed Database, a scenario Booklet, and spec sheets. Each research cycle ends with a Pitch Workshop (5) to discuss the innovation opportunities analyzed and startup pitches (approximately 10 per meeting) selected with partners. Partners are actively involved in the pre- and post-Workshop phases through one-to-one exchanges with Researchers. Support is also provided to Partner companies to arrange direct one-to-one meetings with startups of interest and for in-depth discussions with Researchers. Over the past ten years, more than 21,000 startups have been analyzed and surveyed.

• In-depth Methodology Workshops:

  The project also includes 4 annual workshops focusing on processes that characterize the approach to Open Innovation and Corporate Entrepreneurship, aiming to acquire skills and methodologies and sharing best practices. These workshops involve  the participation of professors from the Politecnico di Milano and other university, experts, guest speakers, and direct experience sharing between partners and experiential work groups.

• Annual Open Conference:

  Every year an open Conference is also planned, aimed at anyone involved in innovation, to which Partners can participate as speakers in round tables. The event is jointly organized with the and Hi-tech Startup and Scaleup Observatory and the Digital Transformation Academy Observatory. Last year, Conference saw the participation of approximately 30 speakers and over 500 attendees.

• Discovery Session – every year the Observatory organizes a visit to an ecosystem of excellence in innovation to which the entire community of partner organizations is invited. The objectives are to raise awareness and connect with technological excellence at national and international territory, improve community development, the atmosphere of trust and collaboration, and enable work that brings “out-of-the-box” innovation insights.

• Project work with students

  Startup Thinking opens its doors to some of the many assets of Politecnico di Milano. It offers the opportunity to conduct projects with Politecnico di Milano students based on briefs relevant to partners and to have privileged access to startups hosted by Polihub Innovation Park and Politecnico di Milano Startup Accelerator.

• Community

  Startup Thinking brings together the first and most vital Community of Innovation Managers in Italy. The eleventh edition of the project had over 500 individual participants from Partner companies attending project meetings.

• • Visibility actions for Partners

  The project endorses the visibility of partner organizations engaged in their cultural transformation journey towards open innovation, with a positive impact on their brand awareness and attractiveness, further aiming to invigorate and stimulate the ethe Country’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. Visibility is supported through participation in discussion and collaboration forums, in round tables, Workshops and Conferences organized by the Digital Innovation Observatories, as guest speakers at GSoM Politecnico di Milano Courses, and through collaboration with publications (EconomyUp, Startupbusiness, over 60 publications in the eleventh edition), with periodic publications agreed upon concerning the experiences of our partners, as well as social media actions. Partners can also host one of the scheduled events, boosting visibility both inside and outside the company regarding their innovation activities conducted with Politecnico di Milano.

• Weekly newsletter and Project Repository

  In addition to research and workshops, a weekly newsletter is published with the most important news on Italian and international startups and open innovation, providing comprehensive and ongoing information on the opportunities offered by this sector and highlighting the most promising companies.

  All results from all editions are accessible through the project repository.