The School for Advanced Studies IUSS Pavia, in collaboration with the EFC(European Funding Citizens), launched the Call for Ideas 2025 for doctoral students and recent PhD graduates. This competitive program transforms academic research into high-impact entrepreneurial ventures addressing real-world challenges. IUSS is committed to knowledge valorization through entrepreneurship, preparing doctoral researchers to translate scientific discoveries into sustainable enterprises. This initiative represents our institutional mission to integrate research excellence with practical application, generating measurable societal and economic impact.
Selected participants work on entrepreneurial ideas and build key business skills with guided mentoring, that lead to the development proposals ready for the market. The program ensures that academic excellence translates into tangible contributions to innovation and economic development.
Focus Areas: Energy & Sustainability, Space Technologies, Culture & Creative Industries
This initiative is a strategic component of the EFC network's joint actions and offers PhD students a solid opportunity to:
- translate their research into high-impact entrepreneurial ventures;
- develop entrepreneurial and soft skills, with the support of mentors, investors and industry experts;
- internationalize their journey through immersive experiences in global innovation ecosystems such as Silicon Valley;
- collaborate in an interdisciplinary, inter-university context, fostering dialogue among research, industry and society.
"From Research to Business: Bridging Knowledge to Market" took place on June 6-7, 2025 at UniverMantova (Mantua), specifically at the Mantegnesco Salon. This event introduced participants to the entrepreneurial potential of academic research, providing useful knowledge and tools for developing business ideas for high societal impact while offering tools and expertise to enhance research through innovation, technology transfer and enterprise culture.
The training event helped participants refine and finalize their business ideas through a comprehensive program that bridged the gap between academic research and market applications. Attendance at this specialized training provided essential insights for transforming research outcomes into viable business ventures with meaningful social impact.
The structured mentoring program of the “IUSS Call for Ideas” promote the systematic transition from academic research to commercial application through evidence-based methodologies and expert guidance. The online interactive workshop series emphasize market-driven innovation approaches, training participants to conduct rigorous needs assessment and customer validation prior to solution development. Participants will acquire human-centered design competencies that enable accurate identification of market demands and customer value propositions rather than technology-focused approaches.
Through structured practice sessions and professional evaluation, participants will develop essential communication skills including strategic presentation techniques appropriate for professional audiences.
Workshop completion ensures participants possess the necessary skills and materials to engage confidently with potential investors and industry partners, supported by communication strategies that effectively convey research value and commercial viability.
The online interactive workshops are scheduled from 18th September to 9th October.
On November 13, the first edition of the IUSS Call for Ideas 2025 concluded with its Final Pitching Event, hosted at the Venice International University (VIU). The event brought together ten young researcher finalists who presented their entrepreneurial ideas before a panel of venture capital investors and innovation experts.
Promoted by the IUSS School of Advanced Studies, in collaboration with the Educating Future Citizens (EFC) network partners, the initiative offered participating young researchers the opportunity to strengthen their entrepreneurial mindset through a series of dedicated workshops and to refine their project ideas with the guidance of experienced mentors.
The ten finalist ideas reflected the shared commitment of the IUSS School and the EFC network to foster sustainability, innovation, and social impact, transforming academic research into practical solutions addressing real-world challenges in Energy & Sustainability, Space, and Creative Industries.
During the final event, the ideas were evaluated by a jury composed of investors and innovation specialists, who assessed their potential for real-world application and entrepreneurial development. The winners of this first edition will participate in a five-day immersive experience in Silicon Valley, organized in collaboration with the Silicon Valley Fellowship network.
On 13 November, the Final Event of the first edition of the IUSS Call for Ideas 2025 took place at Venice International University (VIU), where the ten finalist teams presented their entrepreneurial ideas to a jury composed of investors and innovation experts.
The event marked the conclusion of a comprehensive training and mentoring program that, over the past months, guided participants in developing entrepreneurial skills and transforming their ideas into projects designed to create value for the market and society alike.
The five winning projects, all from the Energy & Sustainability research area, were selected by the jury. Their teams will participate in a five-day immersive experience in Silicon Valley, organized in collaboration with the Silicon Valley Fellowship Network, where they will connect with investors and key players from the global innovation ecosystem.
Below are the winning teams and their awarded ideas:
- Scalable Green Synthesis of High-Efficiency Semiconductors for Next-Gen Optoelectronics – Daniel Augusto Machado de Alencar
- Revolutionizing Recycling: Sustainable UV-Cured Coating for Fully Recyclable Packaging - Amir Akram
- Artificial leaf for CO2RR – Angela Mercedes Ronsisvalle
- Galaxy BatteryPass – Ling Li, Nouman Ahmed
- CarbonXAI: The Intelligent Pathway to Net-Zero– Angelee Mehta
The winning proposals range from the development of advanced processes for clean energy and sustainable recycling, to technologies for energy storage and CO₂ reduction, as well as digital platforms supporting companies in their ESG transition. The results of this edition further confirm the ability of young researchers to transform knowledge into tangible solutions for environmental, energy, and social sustainability.