Fifteen projects have been awarded and will advance to the acceleration phase: eight with exclusive funding from the University of Milan, three with grants from the Milan Monza Brianza and Lodi Chamber of Commerce, one with a grant from the IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico Foundation, and three without funding.

Fifteen innovative research projects have been awarded as part of the fourth edition of Seed4Innovation, the innovation program by the University of Milan and Fondazione UNIMI, aimed at fostering the industrial or commercial application of the most promising ideas.

Eight of these projects received funding of €50,000 each from the University of Milan, three were supported by grants from the Milan Monza Brianza Lodi Chamber of Commerce, one by the IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico Foundation, and three projects are advancing to the acceleration phase without funding.

Seed4Innovation, implemented with the operational support of Deloitte Officine Innovazione, Bugnion, and CA Group, seeks to bridge the gap between research and industry.

The fourth edition, part of the activities conducted under Spoke 3 “Creation and Strengthening of Innovation Ecosystems” of MUSA, saw a record participation of 98 projects submitted, about 30 more than the previous year.

The proposals were developed by the University of Milan in collaboration with research institutes and six hospitals in the region: the European Institute of Oncology (IEO), IRCCS Fondazione Ca’ Granda Ospedale Policlinico, Centro Cardiologico Monzino, Auxologico IRCCS, IRCCS Galeazzi Sant’Ambrogio Hospital, and IRCCS Neurological Institute “Carlo Besta.” The participation of Corporate and Investor Partners such as STMicroelectronics, Farming Future, Extend S.r.l. (Poli of Cassa Depositi e Prestiti), Indaco Ventures, Bio4Dreams, Fondazione Golinelli, Indicon, and Tecniche Nuove was also essential.

The award ceremony took place on December 18 at the Milan Monza Brianza Lodi Chamber of Commerce headquarters.

Projects Funded by the University of Milan

  • ANGELROCK: CO2 capture using nanometric olivine particles.
  • CardioScreen: Diagnostic kit for aortic valve sclerosis using blood samples.
  • COPE: New drugs for pancreatic cancer treatment.
  • Friends4Agri: Bioactive molecules as alternatives to chemical pesticides.
  • Nano-Detox: Life-saving solution for cardiac amyloidosis patients using nanobodies.
  • PREVIENI: Portable device for detecting joint edema with artificial intelligence.
  • STRIVE: Development of targeted therapies for triple-negative breast cancer.
  • ULYSSES: Innovation in electron microscopy with a new molecular probe.

Projects Funded by the Chamber of Commerce

  • EPIKIN: Analysis of functional effects of kinase inhibitors on target cells.
  • The EEM Team Spin-Off: Software for geophysical data analysis and visualization.
  • TouchStim: Neurostimulation device to reduce chronic pain.

Project Funded by IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico Foundation

  • GiraFFF: Non-invasive prenatal genetic diagnosis.

Projects Advancing to the Acceleration Phase Without Grants

  • CALCOW: Portable device for measuring bovine calcium levels.
  • ORGANORO: In vitro platform with cardiac organoids for studying heart diseases.
  • PRIMATE: Platform for pre-assessment of AI systems to combat bias and discrimination.

Seed4Innovation reaffirms its role as a catalyst for innovation, promoting ideas with tangible future impact and fostering connections between research, industry, and the local community.

Project Abstracts (PDF)