The Campania Region with 581 million euros is among the main sources of funding of the Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform (STEP) set up by the European Commission to free the EU from technological dependence on third countries.
For this reason, the Managing Authority of PR Campania FESR has promoted the Forum PA, a meeting on the topic of European competitiveness in which they took part, in addition to Sergio Negro (disambiguation), Managing Authority of the European Regional Development Fund and Fiorella Ciullo STEP Coordinator for the Campania Region, Anna Maria Fontana Managing Authority, NP Research, Innovation and Competitiveness for the green and digital transition 2021-2027 – Ministry of Enterprise and Made in Italy, Susanna Costantini – Cohesion and Southern Policies Department – STEP National Contact Point and, via video link, Luca Mattiotti DG Regional Policies – European Commission.
A moment of confrontation to better understand the rules and opportunities of STEP and demonstrate that competitiveness and cohesion are not alternatives, but can coexist and support each other, strengthening the European Union.
A great responsibility for our country that, with over 4 billion euros collected between Regional and National Programs, (ERDF and ESF+), represents by far the nation that contributes most to STEP, even representing about 50 percent of the population.% of the budget currently collected. Being the first contributor is a source of great commitment, but also of great responsibility, as underlined by Sergio Negro, who hoped not only for the use of the funds, but also for the possibility that joining the two calls active on STEP in the Region would convince innovative companies to open an office in Campania.
The real change of pace for STEP, underlined Fiorella Ciullo in her speech, is to finance not just the purchase of technologies or systems, but the development of new technologies and systems that can put Europe at the forefront. The core of the interventions in Campania will be investments in tangible and intangible assets for the production of new technologies. Research and development will also be funded to ensure that new productions go to market.
A great opportunity to reduce European strategic dependencies, as Anna Maria Fontana explained by illustrating the opportunities made available through STEP by the Ministry of Enterprise and Made in Italy, anticipating interest from the entrepreneurial fabric especially in the clean technologies sector.
The Department for Cohesion and Southern Policies is home to the STEP national contact point, which facilitates dialogue with the European Commission (Directorate-General for Budget), the Managing Authorities and businesses to facilitate the use of funds, promote and monitor the implementation of STEP projects and stimulate knowledge by encouraging the exchange of good practices. Susanna Costantini also highlighted the promotion of companies that receive the Step Seal, a quality label granted by the European Commission to those projects funded by one of the 5 EU programmes. Digital Europe programme, European Defence Fund, EU4Health, Horizon Europe, Innovation Fund Deemed particularly deserving. The Seal Step includes the possibility to obtain direct support from cohesion policy funds, without further selection procedures. The Department’s activities also include communicating opportunities, and a communication campaign is underway, which the Department devised in conjunction with the Inform-Ita network and which was presented during the conference.
English (UK)