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.

Event reserved for members of partner associations and local entrepreneurs.

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/

13 April 2026

11:30 – 13:00

Inter-institutional Roundtable on AI in Biomedicine: an opportunity for the Pavia ecosystem- h: 11:30-13.00

A roundtable discussion with representatives from the institutions involved will present the initiative promoted by the University of Pavia, outlining its strategic directions and the results achieved to date.

Opening remarks:

• Riccardo Pietrabissa – Deputy Rector for Social Impact and Knowledge Valorisation, IUSS School for Advanced Studies Pavia
• Alessandro Reali – Rector, University of Pavia

Speakers:

• Lorenzo Preda – Director, Department of Diagnostic Imaging, IRCCS Fondazione Policlinico San Matteo
• Enea Parimbelli – Head of the Medical Informatics and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, IRCCS Fondazione C. Mondino
• Paola Baiardi – Scientific Director, IRCCS ICS Maugeri Pavia
• Giulia Fontana – Data Scientist, CNAO
• Annalisa Bonfiglio – Coordinator, National PhD in Science and Technology for Advanced Therapies, IUSS Pavia
• Masiar Laschai – Director of Information Systems, ATS Pavia
• Tommaso Assandri – Director of Information Systems, ASST Pavia
• Alessandro Lascialfari – Local Coordinator of the AIM_MIA project (Artificial Intelligence in Medicine: focus on Multi-Input Analysis), INFN
• Marco Foiani – Director, Institute of Molecular Genetics “Luigi Luca Cavalli Sforza”, CNR Pavia

Moderator:

• Prof. Riccardo Bellazzi – Coordinator of the PhD in Bioengineering, Bioinformatics and Health Technologies, University of Pavia

14:30 – 16:00

Human-Centred Artificial Intelligence: the future of humanity in the age of machines

Artificial Intelligence is transforming the way we work, make decisions and live. But what does this mean for us as individuals?

16:00 – 17:00

Innovating the Oltrepò: new opportunities for ideas and startups/third-sector organisations with Get it! 4 Oltrepò Pavese

Presentation of Get it! 4 Oltrepò Pavese, the Call for Impact aimed at fostering the growth of entrepreneurial initiatives—specifically ideas and startups/third-sector organisations—operating in the Oltrepò Pavese area.
The programme focuses on enhancing the local entrepreneurial ecosystem in the fields of Agritech, Tourism & Hospitality, and Food & Wine.

18:00

Book presentation: “The Future is HERE – Over 30 stories of innovative companies”

Presentation of the volume edited by journalist Raffaella Costa and published by Fabbrica Contenuti Srl.
The book features more than thirty stories of companies from Pavia that have invested in innovation—offering a journey through real experiences, business perspectives and ideas brought to life.

For more information: https://www.paviainnovationweek.it/extra/