(VEE) COMPETITION BEGINS FOR ITALIAN INNOVATION PRIZE

(VELINO) Roma, 12 Sep - Applications have begun flying in from numerous countries for the "Innovazione che parla italiano" (Innovation that speaks Italian) prize, recently established to reward the innovative value of Italian Tech Startups abroad. The initiative was launched by the Italian Foreign Ministry's Directorate General for Cultural and Economic Promotion and Innovation, PNICube, the Italian Association of University Incubators and Local Business Plan Competitions. The call to participate is extended to startup founders operating in Argentina, Australia, Austria, Brazil, Canada, China, Denmark, Egypt, France, Germany, Great Britain, India, Israel, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, Russia, Serbia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the US, and Vietnam. The winners will receive a medal and a diploma from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation at the Scientific Attache's Conference in Rome on 10 January, 2017 which will be attended by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Paolo Gentiloni, and the Minister of Education, Universities and Research, Stefania Giannini. Italian nationals must fulfill two conditions to take part: at the time of the applications deadline, they must be a founding partner of an innovative technology-intensive startup operating in one of the selected countries; they must also possess a university degree, and have carried out at least part of their university studies (undergraduate or postgraduate) in Italy. Their Tech Startup must prove to have a significant potential for innovation, with state-of-the-art technology in both their host country and at international level. The key assessment criteria will be: how much the startup has grown in economic terms and in terms of raising risk capital and creating jobs; its competitive advantage; the technical-scientific and innovative level of what the startup is offering on the market; whether it offers solutions and services that can have a significant spillover effect in terms of fulfilling the Sustainable Development Goals of the UN's 2030 Agenda; the startup's profile and activities in matters of corporate social responsibility; how much the candidate contributed to the startup's founding and growth; and lastly, the startup's current or potential impact on Italy's socioeconomic growth. vel
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