INNOVATION OSCAR: Michela Sciurpa given the prestigious ANGI 2022 award

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Innovation Oscar: Michela Sciurpa wins prestigious ANGI 2022 award

Michela Sciurpa, CEO of Sviluppumbria, has received the ANGI 2022- Innovation Oscar award as Innovation Government for her achievements in the field of business support and technological, digital and innovative development of the territories and businesses of Central Italy.

The award ceremony was held in Rome at the Auditorium of the Ara Pacis Museum as part of the prestigious event organized by the National Association of Young Innovators. The ANGI award, now in its fifth edition, stems from the desire to network a team of Italian innovation that can act as a drive with institutions and the world of work by rewarding projects of excellence from the world of business and start-ups in fields ranging from science to health, from culture to tourism, passing through mobility, energy, environment, communication, smart city and much more.

"I am truly happy and honoured to receive this award, which recognizes the importance of the role that institutions can play in fostering the emergence of an ecosystem for innovation," said Michela Sciurpa, CEO of Sviluppumbria. “The Umbria Region's Economic Development Agency has taken up the challenge launched by the Umbria Region to focus on innovation as a factor in territorial revitalization and growth. It has done so by revolutionizing the way it stands alongside businesses, fostering projects and processes capable of attracting ideas, promoting technology transfer and generating new skills, making young people increasingly protagonists. Many activities have been carried out with this new approach over the past two years. Among these for 2022, a special mention goes to the Smart up project, which financed and accompanied 22 innovative start-ups made in Umbria, thanks to an acceleration path considered unique in Italy; to the restyling of Sviluppumbria's BIT Bollettino di Innovazione Tecnologica magazine to spread the culture of innovation with new cross-media languages; to the coordinating role played by Sviluppumbria to support the internationalization and innovation of SMEs in Umbria, Marche and Tuscany within the Enterprise Europe Network; and, last but not least, to the extraordinary results of the work carried out in synergy with the Commissario Straordinario Sisma 2016 thanks to which in Umbria more than 300 projects were presented to be validated on the Next Appennino - NRRP complementary fund calls for the areas of the Central Apennines affected by the 2009 and 2016 earthquakes. A collaboration that has seen Sviluppumbria promote the involvement of the development agencies of Umbria, Marche, Lazio and Abruzzo together with Invitalia to spread these opportunities in the area by working alongside the municipalities of the crater and businesses. I thank ANGI President Gabriele Ferrieri for this award,” concluded Sciurpa, “which testifies to the appreciation for the work done and encourages us to continue to make Umbria a true laboratory of innovation."

Confirming the recognition of Umbria as a region with great potential for innovation, an award was also given to the mayor of Norcia, Nicola Alemanno, who stressed in his speech how much territories, so deeply affected by the earthquakes, must restart from technology and especially from a type of innovation focused on the citizen.

Umbria Region Economic Development Councillor Michele Fioroni stressed that "today's is a recognition of how much the administration and Sviluppumbria, together, are building on the issue of innovation. The work on innovation requires constant commitment. Innovative companies have a very different path to growth than others. Every day they are racing against time, to get to market as quickly as possible, to not erode their often empty coffers, to turn something that works in their minds into something that actually meets customer need. Into this context, which we know is so complex, comes our obsession with wanting to offer support, acceleration and services tailored to their needs." Finally, the councilor concluded, "I thank the CEO, Michela Sciurpa, and the Sviluppumbria group that deals with innovation for being, passionately, at our side on this path, from which we are convinced Umbria will restart and become competitive in the coming years."