From 8 to 11 April 2026, the Scuola Universitaria Superiore IUSS, hosted in the historic Palazzo del Broletto in Pavia, will welcome four days of meetings, innovation and business networking.
As part of Pavia Innovation Week, B2B EXTRA is launching — a new initiative dedicated to entrepreneurial networking that will bring together entrepreneurs, professionals and institutional stakeholders from across the Pavia area.
The EXTRA programme represents the starting point of a long-term platform for dialogue, conceived by the Festival’s promoters to foster innovation as a key driver of competitiveness for the local economic system.
The event will open on 8 April, from 9:00 to 10:00, with an institutional welcome session in the Sala del Camino at IUSS. Local institutions and associations will introduce the week’s programme, explain the networking format and officially launch the Business Speed Networking sessions.
Promoted by a network of local associations, with the support of the Camera di Commercio di Pavia and Assolombarda, the initiative aims to strengthen the local business ecosystem and foster a more integrated, dynamic and competitive environment.
A network-driven initiative
B2B EXTRA is the result of collaboration among key networking organisations in the area, including Activators, BNI Lombardia Sud, Innovation Center Giulio Natta, Pavia Open Your Mind and Polo Tecnologico di Pavia. The project was initiated by Sergio Pinto and Alessandro Colosi, with the goal of positioning Pavia Innovation Week as a reference platform for local economic development.
The format: Business Speed Networking
At the core of the event is the Business Speed Networking format, designed to maximise business connections. Participants will be organised into tables of 6–8 people, with 30-minute sessions in which each participant has 5 minutes to present their business and engage with others.
Thanks to table rotation, each participant can meet up to 20 professionals in a single morning. Sessions will take place daily from 9:00 to 12:00, with possible afternoon extensions, and will conclude with a light networking lunch.
More than 100 companies and over 50 networking tables are expected across the four days.
10 April: the institutional day
The highlight of the programme will be 10 April, with the event “Networking for Innovation”, starting at 9:15 in the Sala del Camino at Palazzo del Broletto. The programme will feature discussions and round tables exploring how collaboration between networks, businesses and research can drive innovation and local development.
The opening remarks will be delivered by the Rector of IUSS, Mario Martina, followed by the presentation of the National PhD Programme in Climate Change and Sustainable Development (PhD SDC), and a case study on the startup Blueeat, founded by IUSS alumna Carlotta Santolini.
The day will be structured around two thematic panels:
- Innovation: methods, research and success cases, featuring IUSS, the presentation of the startup Blueeat, corporate experiences on ESG and collaboration between companies, including the Fedegari–Simbiosi case and an example of international investment in the Pavia area;
- Networking across the Province of Pavia, with contributions from leading local associations and innovation hubs, including Pavia Open Your Mind (POYM APS), BNI, Activators APS, Fabbrica Vigevano, Polo Tecnologico di Pavia, Innovation Center Giulio Natta and Voghera Digital.
Both panels will be moderated by Michela Canova.
Beyond the event
B2B EXTRA represents the first step towards building a structured economic district in the Pavia area, capable of strengthening business relationships, enhancing collective reputation and addressing national and international market challenges in a coordinated way.
In this perspective, networking becomes a strategic tool to generate shared value and promote sustainable territorial development.
Practical information
Dates: 8–11 April 2026
Time: 9:00–12:00 (with possible afternoon sessions)
Venue: Palazzo del Broletto – IUSS, Pavia
Target audience: partner organisations’ members and local entrepreneurs
For more information: https://www.paviainnovationweek.it/extra/