Disclaimer
The organization and implementation of this SIGN impulse event are fully supported through external funding sources. No financial resources from the budget of SIGN e.V. have been employed in its preparation, execution, or related activities.
The sustainability of innovation systems stands at the heart of the economic, environmental, and social challenges of the 21st century. The international workshop Sustainability of the Italian and German Innovation Systems, held at Villa Vigoni, brings together scholars, policymakers, and leaders from research institutions and universities to examine the long-term resilience, adaptability, and inclusiveness of innovation ecosystems in Italy and Germany—two European countries with distinct but complementary economic, cultural, and industrial models.
In a context marked by rapid technological evolution, geopolitical volatility, and the urgent imperative of ecological transition, both countries face converging and diverging challenges in aligning innovation with sustainability. The workshop will offer an interdisciplinary and comparative platform to analyze public policies, industrial strategies, and R&D networks, as well as the role of SMEs and large enterprises in shaping innovation trajectories.
Discussions will explore institutional frameworks, funding mechanisms, and public–private partnerships, with particular focus on the role of universities and research centers in supporting sustainable innovation. The agenda will pay special attention to strategies that promote regional cohesion, intergenerational renewal, and the twin transitions—green and digital—that are redefining Europe’s innovation agenda.
By fostering dialogue among researchers, policymakers, and economic actors, the event seeks to identify good practices, structural weaknesses, and potential synergies, contributing to a more integrated and resilient European vision of sustainable innovation. Supported by Villa Vigoni, the German–Italian Centre for the European Dialogue, the workshop ultimately aims to generate actionable insights for enhancing the long-term sustainability, inclusivity, and strategic coherence of innovation systems in Europe.
Confirmed delegates:
