iNEST Cross-cutting Activity #2 - Deliverable Milestone 19

1 CROSS-CUTTING ACTIVITY #2 — CREATION OF A NETWORK OF JOINT STRATEGIC LABS BETWEEN UNIVERSITIES AND COMPANIES Deliverable of Milestone #19 April 2025 Leader: University of Udine Topics: Abstract An overview of the deliverable Spoke 1: University of Bolzano Spoke 2: University of Trento Spoke 3: University of Udine Spoke 4: IUAV University of Venice Spoke 5: University of Padua Spoke 6: University Ca’ Foscari Venice Spoke 7: University of Verona Spoke 8: University of Trieste Spoke 9: SISSA 2 ABSTRACT This deliverable follows that of Milestone #18, completed in April 2024. In that deliverable, a critical analysis of the state of the art of each spoke was conducted. Moreover, some possible pilot experiences conceived by each spoke were illustrated together with their execution plans. Pilot experiences were identified as the appropriate way to create and start a new lab village, where it was not there, and to consolidate, promote, and expand the lab village, where it was already present. In the following, we describe the achievements of Milestone #19, that started on May 1, 2024, and ended on April 30, 2025, and will be followed by Milestone #20, that will last 8 months, starting on May 1, 2025, and ending on December 31, 2025. At the beginning of Milestone 19 (May-June 2024), all the spokes have defined a detailed plan of activities, including the specification of the estimated budget for each of them. All the planned activities have actually been completed. As for the incurred costs, reference will be made above all to those ones not attributable to personnel expenses, but rather to the implementation of the pilot experiences, foreseen in the previous milestone, to promotional initiatives of various nature, and to the construction of the Lab Villages network, with a particular attention to the development of the software platform that will support it and to its more advanced modules. In this deliverable, we give an account of the many and different activities carried out till now and of the results that they achieved. Here, we would like to mention some of the most significant ones: (i) TCube, a tool based on Generative AI, developed by Spoke 9, that links knowledge and capabilities of researchers to industrial needs via a simple and natural language, (ii) the advanced multimedia, virtual reality, and augmented reality systems platform to facilitate networking of laboratory instrumentation developed by Spoke 1, and, in particular, the Online Lab Virtual Tool, that supports navigation and 360 degree visualization features through a 3D digital twin, and (iii) the exhibition infrastructures to support communication with companies developed by Spoke 4. A remarkable role will be played by the iNEST Lab Village digital platform, that will support the development and the implementation of the network of lab villages. It will become the reference point for the interactions among the lab villages at the various spokes and between universities (and research centers) and companies. All the developed tools of general interest will be integrated into it in the next milestone. Spoke 3 is in charge of the realization of the platform. It fully worked out its requirements, published an open call, and selected one of the received proposals. We expect such a digital platform to be one of the most significant outcomes of the project, that will be maintained and further developed in the coming years. 3 1 AN OVERVIEW OF THE DELIVERABLE The efforts made so far by the nine spokes in the cross-cutting activity 2 in Milestone #19 are converging towards the objective that we initially set ourselves, namely the creation of a network of joint university-business laboratories distributed throughout the North-East territory. This network is organized on two levels. The first level is the physical one and it consists of all the laboratories, and the staff who work there, organized in Lab Villages at each spoke. To achieve this level, work was done at a local level in Milestone #17, Milestone #18, and Milestone #19 for the consolidation of existing laboratories, where there was already a lab village, namely, Spoke 1 and Spoke 3, and for the creation and start of new lab villages where there were none, namely, Spoke 2, Spoke 5, Spoke 6, and Spoke 8. Spoke 4 and Spoke 7 concentrated their attention on the design, development, and validation of methodologies and tools to support communication with companies, ranging from exhibition infrastructures (Spoke 4) to dedicated events and workshops (Spoke 6). At the same time, in the last months, a lot of work has been done to create the second level of the joint laboratory network. This level is digital in nature, and it consists of a central core, the Lab Village Digital Platform, which will interconnect all the laboratories and all the activities of the different Lab Villages with numerous networking, co-working, and matchmaking features. The requirements of the digital platform that will support the network of lab villages have been identified and formalized by Spoke 3. A call for the selection of a company that will develop such a platform has been published some months ago. We received four expressions of interest and selected the most convincing one. The selected company is already working on the platform. In addition to the central core, a set of additional modules have been developed by other spokes, such as a virtual reality and augmented reality modules for visualizing the organization and structure of the laboratories, developed by spoke 1, and a generative Artificial Intelligence module, called Tcube, to help companies in identifying research work going on at lab villages which is relevant to their own business, developed by spoke 9. Quite often barriers of technical and/or linguistic nature make it difficult for companies to recognize the most appropriate interlocutors. The developed tool should break down or at least reduce these barriers. At the moment, the tool has been experimentally evaluated in isolation in the domain of SISSA mathLab group. In order to check the generality and versatility of the tool, other experimental evaluations will be done in different domains. The first one will be that of health, in collaboration with Spoke 2. In the next milestone, Tcube will be integrated into the general digital platform to make it available to all the interested companies. These modules will then be integrated into the Lab Village Platform to complete it. The next and last milestone of the the cross-cutting activity 2 will be devoted to the completion of the implementation of the network of joint laboratories so that it can offer to the territory a powerful tool for the collaboration between the companies and the research world. 4 2 SPOKE 1: UNIVERSITY OF BOLZANO 2.1 CC2 OBJECTIVES OVERVIEW – UNIBZ As pointed out in the deliverable of Milestone #18, the main goal of UNIBZ is the development and deployment of novel solutions and prototypes of advanced multimedia, virtual reality, and augmented reality systems to facilitate networking of laboratory instrumentation, teaching and lifelong learning activities, and public engagement. 2.2 CC2 TOPICS AND ON-GOING RESEARCH ACTIVITIES – UNIBZ Following the proposals stimulated by the results of Milestone #18, the main pilot experiences to be worked out at UNIBZ aim at facilitating the collaboration among research scientists physically working at NOI Tech and other stakeholders connecting remotely, making the infrastructures of B5 Lab experimental areas usable by: • Equipping the B5 spaces with in-house developed tools for an effective hybrid meeting experience. An example is given by conference cameras with 360 view and sound and, in the perspective of digitalization of specific experimental activities, installation of special cameras in hardto-reach areas with specific stresses, like, for instance, extreme operating conditions, high temperatures, and presence of water. • The sharing within B5 of a remotely controlled mobile infrastructure via the web space, totems, or telepresence robots consisting of a mobile wheeled base, a computer connected to bidirectional audio/video online streaming capability, and a screen to show the remote user’s appearance, providing telepresence capabilities to remote users. • Providing an augmented reality experience for remote and on-site users, enriched by feedback about some key variables, such as telemetry of some sensors and controls used in the experimental test benches. • The integration of the various tools into a dedicated web space for the iNEST lab village, accessible to members of various laboratories, students, and companies collaborating in the activities. A key initiative involves a close collaboration with Eurac Research's communication team to explore the feasibility of developing a comprehensive online platform. This platform is envisioned to serve as a centralized hub, showcasing the extensive range of laboratories, testing facilities, and simulation tools available at Eurac Research. Such a local platform will be accessible from the Lab Village Digital Platform; moreover, some of its modules will be directly integrated in that platform in order to provide other labs of the network with their advanced functionalities. 2.3 CONSOLIDATED PILOT EXPERIENCES The following pilot experiences are at the final implementation stage that allows a detailed estimation of their costs with a high level of accuracy. They are listed below, and are considered “well-defined pilot experiences”: 2.3.1 HYBRID MEETING SOLUTIONS FOR CONFERENCE AND EXPERIMENTAL AREAS OF B5 LAB 5 Proposal: implement systems that provide special hybrid meeting capabilities to the conference and experimental areas of B5 lab, allowing remote and on-site participants to collaborate via video, voice, and document sharing. For the experimental areas, it is important to overcome the challenges imposed by the huge industrial space. Current state: after a detailed investigation on suitable devices, following the input of several researchers working at B5, a detailed list of requirements has been finalized containing required features, supporting equipment (cables, racks, adapters, etc..) and installation services. The equipment and tools are now being integrated by the supplier before delivery and installation. Special devices and features are now developed before the final test application to achieve the required goals of smart multimedia systems for interconnected laboratories. Estimated Cost: € 70.000,00 / 80.000,00 2.3.2 VIRTUAL PRESENCE SYSTEM Proposal: telepresence system allowing a remote collaborator to control an on-site PTZ style camera while talking and showing his/her face, preferably including also a remote-controlled navigation system, being so a fully-featured telepresence robot. Current state: after investigating some reference commercial devices, containing the desired features and coming from providers compatible with Italian public administration requirements, the Ohmni Labs telepresence robot, which was already acquired and applied by some Italian universities, including the University of Padova, was selected. These devices are now specifically developed and re-designed to meet the novel requirements of an interconnected laboratory. Estimated Cost: € 5.000,00 / 7.000,00 2.3.3 PRE-SETUP STATIONS FOR REMOTE ACCESS OF EXPERIMENTATION TELEMETRY Proposal: 2 to 4 stations ready for connecting with experimentation telemetry from several of the B5 experimental areas and ready for being remotely accessed, allowing remote collaborators to follow real-time telemetry, including some degree of control of ongoing experiments. Current state: queued for continuation among other pilot experiences listed in this report, currently set to low priority in favor of more complex proposals that require better definition as soon as possible. Estimated Cost: € 4.000,00 / 8.000,00 2.3.4 EXTENDED REALITY REMOTE SUPPORT AND WORKFLOW SYSTEM Proposal: XR application for mobile and RealWear Navigator 500 devices supporting real-time videocalls between an on-site device supporting augmented reality mapping of the 3D environment around and a remote device from where an experiment expert user can indicate and tag the real-world objects so the on-site collaborator is supported on operating that experiment. Additionally, extra features to support workflow of operating experiments of B5 Lab have been considered requiring no extra budget in terms of equipment. These features would be centered around multiple QR code 6 stickers distributed through experimental areas, which could trigger informative material about the respective experiment and/or experimental device functionality and/or setup. For operators using a RealWear Navigator 500 devices, the support of XR playing/exhibition of this content is a relevant goal. Current state: the specific high concept document for this proposal was finalized on August 2024, and the first production sprint immediately started, aimed at addressing unknows and risks while elaborating a detailed roadmap covering from the proof-of-concept delivery to the final one. Such a tool is currently still under development. It is one of the tools that was targeted strategically for iNEST, beyond UNIBZ specific spoke goals. Such a generality was somehow taken into account when defining its requirements. However, the proposal and budget here refer to the original concept elaborated at UNIBZ, and could be possibly incremented in the next milestone. Estimated Cost: € 4.000,00 / 15.000,00 2.3.5 ONLINE B5 LAB VIRTUAL TOUR THROUGH 3D DIGITAL TWIN COMPATIBLE WITH VR Proposal: online virtual tour of B5 Lab experimental areas through a 3D digital twin providing navigation and 360 visualization features compatible with virtual reality devices for an immersive experience, but supporting also PC and mobile browsers. The project is inspired and based on its concept and design on the already available virtual tour for the Smart Mini Factory (matterport.com) (UNIBZ). Current state: this activity is closed to completion and it foresees the acquisition of 360° images and video of the B5 laboratory in order to define a digital twin of the lab spaces, where it is possible to integrate VR and AR features. As for the previous tool, this is one of the tools that was targeted strategically for iNEST, beyond UNIBZ specific spoke goals. Estimated Cost: € 2.000,00 / 5.000,00 2.4 ADDITIONAL PILOT EXPERIENCES The pilot experiences listed below are still on a preliminary stage being all mostly related with web development and having no accurate budget estimation per experience yet. Instead, UNIBZ is pushing ahead on these pilot experiences with the budget reference range below. Most probably, they will be completed in the last milestone. Budget reference range for pilot experiences from 2.4.1, 2.4.2, and 2.4.3: € 50.000,00 / 70.000,00 2.4.1 VIDEO STREAMING SYSTEM FOR EXPERIMENTAL AREAS Proposal: different set of video cameras, organized around different experimental areas of the B5 labs, providing to remote users, together with a web platform solution, a detailed visualization of each of these experimental areas during experiment execution, including the possibility of video recording the experiment. Current state: the project is finalizing all the privacy concerns of having video cameras potentially recording workplace of workers not necessarily connected to the experiment. In the meanwhile, the requirement analysis focus will be shifted to the web platform and then to specific experiment needs and challenges (like, e.g., water spills, risk of impact, dust, cabling connection restrictions). 7 2.4.2 ONLINE PLATFORM IN COLLABORATION WITH EURAC RESEARCH Proposal: to develop a web-based, interactive dashboard, that visualizes energy system modeling results for South Tyrol, enabling stakeholders to explore various future energy scenarios and their implications. Results will be displayed through interactive charts and graphs, with options for side-byside scenario comparisons and data exportation for further analysis. By providing an intuitive, interactive experience, the dashboard aims at stimulating informed discussions about energy transition strategies and encourage deeper engagement with EURAC's expertise and services often provided in partnership with UNIBZ and its research personnel. Current state: the pilot experience is at its intermediate requirement analysis stage with one assigned responsible from Eurac research working together with an assigned responsible from UNIBZ. The platform has been drafted and the database with the energy data and model has been integrated before the dashboard and the graphical interface is implemented. 2.4.3 B5 LAB WEB PLATFORM Proposal: the proposal for a dedicated web platform of B5 Lab still open to eventual requirements and inspirations arising from other pilot experiences listed in this report. As an example, the video streaming system from experimental areas may benefit from a bigger web platform around its features as wells as the virtual tour through the 3D digital twin could find on a dedicate web platform a more suitable source of engagement on its visualization. The proposal of an iNEST dedicated platform, connecting web platforms from several spokes, could also inspire, define requirements, and boost the potential of this pilot experience. Current state: new sources of potential applications and requirements are currently evaluated to inspire and motivate additional pilot experience, as well as the progress on the design and development of a software platform to support a network of Lab Villages. 8 3 SPOKE 2: UNIVERSITY OF TRENTO 3.1 A SHORT OVERVIEW OF THE OBJECTIVES The Spoke 2 Lab Village (S2-LV) aims at boosting the development of products and services for Digital Health through the integration of companies' technologies and the achievements of R&D laboratories. The final goal is to support market access of technology innovation coming from the North-East Italian territory. As a first step, the S2-LV thought of various initiatives aimed at establishing a new paradigm of innovation support based on dialog among developers, academics, health care providers, and citizens/patients. The Lab Village that we are setting up in Trento consists of laboratory spaces where demo and usability rooms are installed. Health technologies are strongly influenced by the national and European regulatory framework, which is currently undergoing profound evolution that claims for new attitude to technology development based on a by-design approach, where all regulator elements have to be considered. To adapt to this deep transformation, developers must be accompanied with adequate training and refresher courses. In addition, implementing the technology requires appropriate planning and careful evaluation of the proposed care value. To this end, the physical spaces of the Lab Village, where technologies coming from research laboratories and companies are integrated to devise new products and services, will be accompanied by educational and training activities, working groups, workshop, and the like to support the access to the market. 3.2 THE LAB VILLAGE CORE DEVELOPMENT 3.2.1 LOCAL EXCELLENCE In addition to the University of Trento, the public partners of Spoke 2 include Fondazione Bruno Kessler (FBK) and Hub Innovation Trentino (HIT). The partnership among these actors will be enhanced by the Lab Village, serving as a starting point for new innovation pathways. Fondazione Bruno Kessler is a recognized research foundation active internationally in the field of Artificial Intelligence with laboratories focused on the application of digital technologies, in general, and AI, in particular, to the delivery of healthcare. University of Trento is a medium-size university with an excellent score in both research and teaching. S2-LV will exploit the research competences and joint laboratories in the areas of Medical Robotics, Telemedicine and Remote Sensing, and Health Technology Assessment. These competences will be paired with the teaching activity by involving the students of the master course of Bioengineering for Personalized Medicine and of the School of Medicine and Surgery in demo and usability rooms. The local area hosts well-established companies working in the field of digital health. A public call for interest has been used to enroll industries, startups, and developers in working groups and to contribute to the Demo rooms. A special role is played by HIT. HIT is the joint center for technology transfer and innovation of Trentino academy and research centers. It is also involved in others iNEST activity, like, for e.g., the cross-action for startup and spinoff. Its role in 9 the project is thus crucial to ensure a better connection with both well-established companies and emerging enterprises, to manage the matching between research and industry and, last but not least, to assure the continuity of the project achievements beyond the end of 2025. 3.2.2 FEATURED TECHNOLOGIES The combinate analysis of market trend, local competences, and industry interest, led to identify a number of Digital Health technologies as starting points of S2-LV. DTx. Digital Therapeutics are promising technologies to improve the modern approach to healthcare, based on personalized care and the promotion of primary care. FBK hosts highly qualified research groups with a long score of international R&D projects and collaboration with Health care providers. . MR. Medical Robotics is a large field where modern robotics and virtual angel technologies are being leveraged to enhance healthcare by providing personalized care, diagnostic tools, and therapeutic solutions. At University of Trento is present a jointed laboratory on Robotics that is proposing new tools for remote healthcare and patient assistance. PS. Pharmacy Services are intended to serve as a supporting service for primary care. According to the national legislation, pharmacies may offer diagnostic services to citizens and patients improving their access to healthcare services. However, issues related to acceptability, quality, risk assessment, and other factors remain unresolved, preventing this opportunity from becoming a reliable service fully recognized by the National Health Service. The skills of researchers at the University of Trento in the field of health technology assessment will be central to the analysis and improvement of such a new care paradigm. DST. The Digitization of the Operating Room, which goes beyond robotic surgery, aims at allowing a complex acquisition of data from the entire ecosystem (operating table, furniture, support devices, etc.). to improve care capacity and patient comfort, and alleviate operator fatigue. Researchers at the University of Trento are deeply involved in developing systems for recognizing stress and fatigue, as well as applying IoT technologies to healthcare delivery. 3.2.3 DEMO AND USABILITY ROOMS At the heart of S2-LV there is the creation of a series of environments where industrial products and innovative technologies will be integrated and made available for usability testing. In S2-LV, the concept of usability will be extended up to the level of implementation within the National Health Service. As a consequence, aspects such as quality, clinical risk, and value evaluation will be deepened. The University of Trento, in collaboration with Trentino Sviluppo (the regional development company of Trentino), provides space for the new headquarters of the Master's degree course in Bioengineering. The location of the laboratories in close proximity to students is a deliberate choice to encourage the development of immersive training courses and the possibility of massive testing of developing technologies. 3.2.4 INNOVATION CLUB In the European Union, medical device development is now governed by a complex regulatory framework, including the AI Act, the HTAR, the EMDR, and the GDPR. These rules and related concepts must be understood by developers and integrated into the research and development process from the planning phase (compliance by design approach). Market access is greatly influenced by the demonstration of the value brought by innovative technologies, just as quality and clinical risk are determining factors for the success of a product on the market. Therefore, S2-LV aims at improving the 16 features will offer collaborative digital environments for document sharing, project management, and development coordination. Machine Learning and Automation. AI tools, in particular machine learning ones, will be used to optimize user interaction, improve the experience, and gather insights from data. This includes personalized suggestions, intelligent matchmaking, interaction monitoring, needs forecasting, identification of areas for improvement, making the platform responsive and dynamic. Marketplace and Collaborative Design. An integrated marketplace will facilitate the publication and participation in research projects, enabling the formation of interdisciplinary teams. A design management system will provide tools for the creation, management, and monitoring of projects, including resource management, progress tracking, and document sharing. Course Delivery and Learning Repository. An integrated Learning Management System (LMS) will offer online training for various users, with a digital repository to access learning resources. Evaluation modules and a training activity tracking system will be available to monitor participation and progress. Online Events and Funding Opportunities. The platform will support the organization of virtual events (webinars, workshops, video conferences) with registration management, notifications and live streaming. Modules for managing funding requests and intellectual property (IP Management) will be available, facilitating access to funding opportunities and the protection of innovations. Advanced Features and Future Integrations. The platform will be a tool for Lifelong Learning with interdisciplinary training paths, certification programs, and citizen engagement initiatives. It will be expandable and integrable with new technologies (AR/VR, AI/ML) via RESTful APIs to connect with other research systems and platforms. The iNEST CC2 Lab Village platform has been thought of to be highly flexible, scalable, and interoperable, ready to grow and to evolve together with the needs of its users, and able to integrate advanced technologies to maintain its relevance in the landscape of applied research and UniversityBusiness collaboration. The company that will implement the platform in the coming months has been selected. The platform will be ready by October 2025 and will be tested in November and December 2025 to be fully operational in January 2026. The total expenditure is 124,400 euros plus VAT. 4.5 CREATION OF THE LAB VILLAGE COMMUNITY In order to launch the Lab Village platform, we decided to carry out market research aimed at identifying a company that will perform a careful testing activity and create a community of researchers and entrepreneurs who will profitably use the platform. To this end, the selected company will have to search for users among the nine universities in the Northeast and the research institutions involved in the iNEST project and the local companies that were selected by the open calls. It will have to study strategies to animate the platform and encourage collaborative research between companies and universities. A budget of 40,000 euros is made available for this project, thus exhausting the quota available to the University of Udine. This work is planned between October and December 2025, i.e., upon delivery of the Lab Village platform, so that from January 2026 the platform will be operational and animated by a community. 17 5 SPOKE 4: IUAV 5.1 CC2 OBJECTIVES OVERVIEW The Cross Cutting Activity 2 (CC2) of iNEST, called “Creation of a network of joint strategic laboratories between universities and companies”, aims at creating and strengthening the links between the Iuav University of Venice and the companies present in the Triveneto area, with a particular focus on the creation of a Lab Village and the activities that characterize it, around the theme “City, architecture and sustainable design” of Spoke 4 of which the Iuav University of Venice is the leader. As already illustrated in previous documents, the Lab Village is an infrastructure, in the case of Spoke 4 a physical one, where people from both the academic world and research institutes and the companies act together to create advanced products, services, and innovation artefacts. To make this happen, CC2 has set itself the goal of organizing a series of actions aimed at achieving such a target. Various of them have already been completed; others are in the process of being finalized and implemented. 5.2 CC2 TOPICS E ON-GOING RESEARCH ACTIVITIES Focusing on the central theme of Spoke 4, a series of activities have been undertaken within the scope of CC2 to foster new connections between the university and the business sector, as well as to strengthen existing ones. Since the project’s inception, efforts have focused on developing a Lab Village model, addressing both its physical structure and its relational and operational framework. The first step involved selecting and developing the physical site for Spoke 4’s Lab Village: Ca' Tron in Venice, the historic headquarters of Iuav University of Venice, which holds significant symbolic value. Next, the planning of pilot activities was undertaken, involving both academic and professional sectors, with the goal of creating an activity model designed to promote exchange and collaboration between these two groups. These activities are to be carried out at the Lab Village headquarters. In this context, several actions have been planned and implemented, some of which have already been completed, while others are still in progress. The actions completed so far include: • Preliminary study to define the scope and objectives of Cross-Cutting Activity 2; • Definition of the Lab Village event format; • First Lab Village event organized in collaboration with CRESME; • Second Lab Village event held in partnership with the Sustainable Exhibit Cluster; • Setup and enhancement of the Ca’ Tron spaces; • Midterm Meeting of Spoke 4; • Design and implementation of the contents for Lab Village space in Ca’ Tron; • Planning of upcoming activities. In the last months, a special effort has been devoted to the structural development and setup of the Lab Village iNEST Spoke 4, which occupies the ground floor of Ca’ Tron building. This area has been designated to introduce the iNEST ecosystem, showcase research themes, and foster relationships with the involved companies. A map of the floor and a picture can be found below. For the development of these spaces, significant attention was given to exhibition technologies and the flexibility of spatial configurations. The space has been equipped with a system of mobile panels 18 that can be reconfigured according to varying curatorial and functional needs, allowing for different types of temporary exhibitions, including large-format displays. The exhibition infrastructure has been conceived to encourage public interaction and can be adapted as needed. Furthermore, the layout includes a series of LED wall screens designed to continuously display research outcomes from both iNEST and the broader Iuav University throughout the year. Sustainability was a guiding principle in the design of the exhibition setup, not only in terms of materials and solutions adopted, but also in terms of accessibility: improvements were made to the boat landing area to ensure easier and more inclusive access to the spaces, particularly for individuals with reduced mobility. 19 The space has been developed not only in terms of its physical infrastructure but also through carefully curated contents aimed at communicating the core themes of the research carried on by the iNEST Spoke 4, with a particular emphasis on carbon neutrality. To disseminate research outcomes and engage a broader public—while fostering potential collaborations with businesses—a series of interpretative maps has been produced as cognitive tools to explore the territory and inform future actions. So far, four maps have been developed: "North-East as a Valley Section" offers a long-term historical perspective and introduces a cognitive strategy for approaching design and planning. "Weak Signals of Neutrality" examines present-day conditions and highlights emerging, subtle signs of transformation toward carbon neutrality. "Fragile North-East" and "Fragile Italy" both take a forwardlooking approach, identifying risks and vulnerabilities that the region and the country may face by the year 2100. In addition to these thematic investigations, the maps and exhibition materials include a narrative of the various realities that make up the iNEST Spoke 4 network, visually representing their presence and role within the territory. This territorial visualization allows visitors to understand not only the research themes but also the concrete network of institutions, projects, and partners involved, thus reinforcing connections among academia, local stakeholders, and industry. These tools are designed as both analytical instruments and communicative devices, intended to spark dialogue and collaboration among academia, public institutions, and private enterprises. 5.3 TABLE OF EXPENSES The following table presents a comprehensive breakdown of project expenditures as of 31 May 2025, detailing actual costs versus allocated budgets across reporting periods M17 to M20. EXPENSES AS OF 31/05/2025 M17 M18 M19 M20 Total Cost Expenses Budget Expenses Budget Expenses Budget Expenses Budget Expenses Structured personnel 118.000,00 119.801,00 10.000,00 10.220,00 36.000,00 35.551,00 36.000,00 67.240,00 36.000,00 6.790,00 New hired 85.900,00 51.333,10 - - 39.200,00 12.815,10 39.200,00 35.123,04 7.500,00 3.394,96 Materials/Events 24.000,00 - - - 12.000,00 - 12.000,00 - - - Equipment/Licenses - - - - - - - - - - 20 Consulting and external services 196.327,50 147.620,00 - - 196.327,50 - - 147.620,00 - - Indirect costs 30.585,00 25.670,12 1.500,00 1.533,00 11.280,00 7.254,92 11.280,00 15.354,46 6.525,00 1.527,74 Total 454.812,50 344.424,22 11.500,00 11.753,00 294.807,50 55.621,02 98.480,00 265.337,50 50.025,00 11.712,70 Difference -110.388,29 253 -239.186,49 166.857,50 -38.312,30 As a complement to the above expenditure overview, the following table provides a detailed account of the external consultancy services, which include the setup of the spaces designated for the Lab Village as previously described, and were incurred in correspondence with Milestones M19 and M20. Each entry specifies the type of service provided, the supplier, and the related financial data, within the broader framework of project implementation. Budget Item Milestone Category Description Supplier Amount) IVA Total Notes Consulting and external services M19 Costs for specialist consultancy services Rental supply and installation of painted honeycomb panels using high-quality water-based paint in white, with satin-finish aluminum edge trim, mounted on beams using a dedicated fastening system TOSETTO S.R.L. UNIPERSO NALE 77.000,00 16.940,00 93.940,00 Consulting and external services M19 Costs for specialist consultancy services Rental supply and installation of 3 LED walls measuring 1 x h 3 meters. Including round-trip transport via dedicated land/water vehicle to/from IUAV – Ca' Tron TOSETTO S.R.L. UNIPERSO NALE 44.000,00 9.680,00 53.680,00 Consulting and external services M20 Costs for specialist consultancy services Rental of docking platform for boats TOSETTO S.R.L. UNIPERSO NALE 18.000,00 3.960,00 21.960,00 Paid in December 2025 5.4 NEXT ACTIVITIES To elaborate on the remaining activities, the goals to be achieved within the specified timeframe will continue to revolve around organizing Lab Village meetings. The planning and execution of activities associated with Lab Village will move forward through the organization of additional study and discussion days. These events will bring together universities and companies to explore themes identified in earlier meetings and by professors involved in the Spoke 4 research of the iNEST project. 21 Following the established Lab Village model, each event will include both a seminar component and thematic discussion tables. These sessions are intended to generate ideas for potential collaborations. 22 6 SPOKE 5: UNIVERSITY OF PADUA 6.1 OVERVIEW OF CC2 OBJECTIVES In the past months, the spaces dedicated to the Lab Village of Spoke 5, led by the University of Padua, have undergone significant renovation and upgrading work to create state-of-the-art laboratories, enabling cutting-edge research that connects enterprises and universities. Specifically, the area hosting the I-SHELL – Inclusive Smart Environment Lab has been equipped for domestic use, with kitchen drainage systems and appliance connections. The room will host the inclusive kitchen. In addition, restroom areas have been intensely reconditioned to make them an inclusive space. In particular, a new restroom designed for people with disabilities has been built (Figure 4). A site inspection was carried out with a wheelchair user and their caregiver to assess the adequacy and accessibility of the spaces. This inspection highlighted the need for additional minor work to further enhance the level of inclusiveness of the facilities. Finally, the area dedicated to the common room in the I-SHELL Lab has been partially arranged with the installation of a smart lighting system (Figure 5). Figure 5. The area dedicated to the common room in the I-SHELL Lab. On the left, the installation of the smart lighting system. On the right, the smart lighting system installed. Figure 4. On the left, the kitchen drainage system purposefully built in the I-SHELL Lab. On the right, the accessible restroom built in the I-SHELL Lab. 23 The I-FIVE – Workplace of the Future Lab has been set-up, with the installation of an adaptive workstation equipped with the collaborative robotic arm UR10e. The lab is housed in a spacious room, enabling experiments involving both single users and small groups interacting with the workstation. To facilitate comprehensive data collection, the laboratory features a video-recording system consisting of three cameras, covering the workstation area from multiple angles for structured videoanalysis of participants’ and robot’s movements and behaviors. Additionally, an olar10 chest strap for heart rate monitoring and the portable Starstim20 EEG headset (Neuroelectrics) have been integrated to unobtrusively record continuous neural and heart signals from users freely collaborating with the collaborative robot. A depth camera has also been implemented to track 3D human body joints and robot joints estimates, enabling precise motion capture of both human and robot’s movements. All mentioned tools are fully synchronized and configured to flexibly adapt to different experiments. The set-up also allows for the seamless integration of additional measurement tools, such as eye trackers or other physiological monitoring devices, ensuring adaptability to a wide range of research needs. Altogether, this comprehensive set-up offers a unique opportunity to capture human actions alongside behavioral, cognitive, and physiological responses in relation to the robot’s movement patterns. Its modular and extensible design enables an in-depth human-centered analysis of the collaborative dynamics emerging between humans and collaborative robots. Furthermore, a comprehensive system incorporating a digital twin of the collaborative robot (cobot) has been implemented and tested. This virtual model has been seamlessly integrated with a headmounted device, enabling both visualization and control capabilities. Figure 6. The I-FIVE – Workplace of the future Lab. The laboratory features an adaptive workstation equipped with a collaborative robotic arm, and several state-of-the-art technologies for monitoring the behavior and the psychological status of the user. 24 In addition, the I-TRAINING & EDU – Places and Technologies for Education and Training has been partially arranged (Figure 7). Specifically, a large and comfortable room has been furnished with a table and a number of chairs, and a video-projector has already been installed. Additionally, the I-TRAINING & EDU Lab features a lighting system that allows the educator/trainer to adjust both the intensity and the temperature of the light. This will allow not only to build a more pleasurable experience, but it will also enable to create a learning environment that can leverage the effects of lighting on the cognitive performance. Finally, the areas intended for meetings between iNEST researchers and enterprises have been started to set up. In particular, a waiting and welcoming area has been arranged to foster networking and ideas exchange (Figure 8). 6.2 NEXT ACTIVITIES In the coming months, all the laboratories within the iNEST Padova Lab Village will be completely furnished. In particular, the Inclusive Smart Environments Lab will be equipped with an accessible kitchen. Inclusive furniture, including beds, will be installed to create inclusive bedrooms. Finally, the arrangement of the large common room will be completed with inclusive furniture and smart technologies. These actions altogether will allow to build a living lab where also longitudinal research designs could be experimented. Indeed, individuals with disabilities could spend full days and nights interacting with specific technological solutions and contribute to assess and validate them in an ecological context, facing diverse usage scenarios and after prolonged usage time. Likewise, the I-TRAINING & EDU Lab will be completed with the addition of dedicated spaces and equipment for learners of different ages, that is, both children and adults. Furthermore, common areas that are meant to serve as workspaces shared by the researchers of the iNEST project and the local enterprises will be set up. In doing that, the iNEST Padova Lab Village will also serve as a catalyst for fostering ideas exchange and accelerate opportunities for joint projects involving both Industry and Academia. Finally, an opening event will be organized to advertise the iNEST Padova Lab Village not only to the network of local enterprises, but also to the community of citizens. Figure 7. The learning room within the ITRAINING & EDU LAB. Figure 8. The welcoming area at the iNEST Lab Village. 25 The budget is as follows: Cross-cutting CC2 Accounted For To 31/04/2025 Budget committed * Total expense Personnel expenses 90.395,80 60.749,50 151.145,30 Indirect costs 13.559,37 9.112,43 22.671,80 Consumables/Equipment/Licences 16.852,69 48.268,08 65.120,77 Building costs (rent and living lab set-up) 67.285,85 79.196,38 146.482,23 Other expenses (missions/events/publications) 1.119,46 1.119,46 Total financed 189.213,17 197.326,39 386.539,56 Budget 384.662,50 Difference 1.877,05 *Budget already committed to be accounted for until the end of the project. 32 Lab Village Spoke 6 seeks to continue inhabiting and animating this space, creating opportunities for dialogue and experimentation between the local cultural heritage and tourism dynamics, to collectively build a more inclusive and sustainable tourism model. In this direction, the 'diffused' and non-residential laboratories actually create a diffused residentiality of this research and action approach on the territories, overseen by the local community and stakeholders apparatus (which is destined to evolve and integrate over time) by consolidating experiences in existing spaces that are transformed and integrated into roles as innovation hubs in long-term collaboration with Ca' Foscari University of Venice. Our project aims at establishing at least one or two physical spaces in the territories as pilot action sites, to serve as permanent spaces for experimentation and work within the Lab Village territories, even after the conclusion of the PNRR project. The budget is as follows: Cross-cutting CC2 Description Expenses Prototyping labs Design and management of 9 workshops for the creation of cultural prototypes (once suitable places, subjects, and spaces have been identified and involved) - 3 107.000,00 euro (iva excluded) 33 have already been completed, 3 are in progress, and 3 have been scheduled for the period JulySeptember 2025. Events and communication Organization of at least 3 cultural events, one of which has already been realized, and communication campaigns for the presentation to economic and institutional bodies of the results obtained from the experiments. 74.000,00 euro (iva excluded) Residential event Organization of a collaborative action-research residential event dedicated to the theme “tourism, culture and creative industries: policies, practices and territorial innovation” involving at least 60 participants to be held by November 2025. 75.000,00 euro (iva excluded) 34 8. SPOKE 7: UNIVERSITY OF VERONA 7.1 CC2 OBJECTIVES OVERVIEW As illustrated in the previous deliverable, in the case of Spoke 7, the activities of the Lab Village consist of a series of knowledge transfer events to promote innovative know-how, approaches, and technologies in the agrifood sector. 7.2 CC2 TOPICS AND ON-GOING RESEARCH ACTIVITIES From May to August 2024, with the assistance of the company Vinidea, a series of four events dedicated to agrifood topics were scheduled. These meetings provided a valuable opportunity for dialogue among university researchers and industry experts. Their primary objective was to discuss the latest technological innovations, regulatory challenges, and growth opportunities in the agrifood sector. Below are the details of the events that have taken place in Villa Eugenia, San Floriano, San Pietro in Cariano (Verona). 07 May 2024, 16:30-19:00. Technical Meeting: Enological Tannins - Technological Innovation and Regulatory Advancement. Speakers: - Fernando Zamora, full professor at the Faculty of Enology of the Rovira i Virgili University in Tarragona (Spain) and President of the OIV Technology Expert Group. The subject of his lecture was the chemical-physical dynamics triggered by wine tannins and the recent evolution of international legislation. - Maurizio Ugliano, full professor at the Department of Biotechnology of the University of Verona and President of the Didactic College of Science and Technology viticultural and enological. The presented research focused on clarifying the differences in composition and reactivity of the various types of tannin of wine currently on the market and the effects of their use on wine quality. - Gianmaria Zanella, head of the enological R&D Department of “Enologica Vason”. He presented the enological company's perspective by introducing a range of tannins with well-defined technical functionalities to create a distinctive wine identity. 24 May 2024, 16:00-19:00. Technical Meeting: No Management without Measurement - New Analytical Solutions for Monitoring Critical Points in Winemaking Processes. Speakers: - Dominik Durner, enological professor at the University of Applied Sciences in Kaiserslautern, at the Weincampus in Neustadt an des Weinstrasse, Germany. The subject of his lecture was the control of the extraction and reactions of polyphenols during red winemaking. - Maurizio Ugliano, full professor at the Department of Biotechnology of the University of Verona and President of the Didactic College of Science and Technology viticultural and enological. He presented topics on rapid colour analysis, the prediction of colour instabilities (pinking and browning), and aroma issues (light damage). 35 - Alessandro Candiani, CEO of the start-up DNA-PHONE, presented a real-time colour analysis system they developed using the CIElab method to monitor polyphenol extraction during winemaking. 11 June 2024, 16:00-19:00. Technical Meeting: Vineyard robots - Commercial robots and new solutions for autonomous operations in the vineyard. Speakers: - Christophe Gaviglio, from IFV Sud-Ouest (French Institute of Vine and Wine) has tested nearly all the robots currently available on the European wine market and shared his experiences and opinions with the audience. - Francesco Visentin, researcher at the University of Verona, and Davide Quaglia, associate professor of the Department of Computer Science, showed an autonomous robotic rover for unsupervised monitoring of different types of culture with a demo in the vineyard. The last event of the series scheduled for Spring/Summer 2024 will take place on August 01, 2024, at Villa Eugenia in San Floriano, focusing on the topic of entomology. Below are the planned details. 01 August 2024, 16:00-19:00. Technical Meeting: Digital Monitoring of pests - Modern technologies allow remote monitoring of key agricultural pests, enabling economic and environmental efficiency in defence programs. Speakers: - Andrea Sciaretta, professor of general and applied entomology at the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Food of the University of Molise. He illustrated the development of automatic traps for remote monitoring of fruit flies, developed as part of a Horizon 2020 project. - Andrea L. Launeck, managing director of Trapview Italia. He introduced the system of data acquisition for the monitoring of insects, their management and finally processing for the benefit of technicians and farms. The goal is the efficiency of defense instruments, to ensure targeted interventions in the timing and choices of active ingredients. - Nicola Mori, professor of Agricultural Entomology at the Department of Biotechnology of the University of Verona. He described the development of automatic traps for monitoring of grapevine leafhoppers and olive phytophagous. - Giacomo Ortis, research fellow at the Department of Biotechnology of the University of Verona. He presented the technical characteristics and make a demonstration in front of Villa Eugenia of the automatic traps to monitor the Scaphoideus titanus (vector of the golden flavescence of the vineyards) and the olive fly. 06 December 2024, 16:00-19:00. Technical Meeting: DALLA VIGNA AL DIGITALE Smart Label per una nuova era di trasparenza e interazione. Speakers: 36 - Roberta Capitello, professor of Food and wine marketing at the University of Verona. She illustrated the results of her studies on “Customer Journey” alla ricerca di autenticità e informazioni. - Claudia Bazzani and Marta Bonioli, respectively professor and post-doctoral fellow at the University of Verona. They presented their joint work on Smart labels, in particular those based on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) framework. - Francesco Cavaggioni and Daniele Bravetti of WoV Labs. They described an already available solution for wine smart labels. Following these events, a repository of contents (fact sheets, videos, tutorials, etc.) has been created to support innovation transfer in the agrifood industry. Additionally, the Communication Office of the University of Verona has launched a YouTube channel to host recordings of the events: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL4U4LydJPmo2F3BppS7JBhyiySrn9p6t7 Last but not least, on May 31, 2024, we hosted at Villa Eugenia, San Floriano, a plenary meeting of researchers from Spoke 7 to provide everyone with the opportunity to learn about the research conducted by the various research groups. 7.3 FOLLOW UP OF ACTIVITIES Following the above-described activities, in the last months of Milestone #19 and in Milestone #20 an extension of the workshop program has been defined, outlined in the following chart (workshops 5-9). Activity Period location Target participants Web recording Workshop n.6 March 2025 Spoke 7 Lab village Technical staff YES Workshop n. 7 April 2025 Spoke 7 Lab village Technical staff YES Workshop n.8 June 2025 Spoke 7 Lab village Technical staff YES Workshop n.9 September 2025 Spoke 7 Lab village Technical staff YES International scientific conference May 2025 Auditorium Fiera di Verona Technical staff Scientists YES In addition, the international scientific conference GreenWINE https://enoforum.eu/green-wine/ on the topics of green and digital transition in the wine sector has been organized in Verona (It will take place on May 2025), giving further visibility to iNEST contents and results. Organizing and scientific committees have been defined, and the submission deadline for oral presentations has been closed with over 70 proposals received from different research groups worldwide. The evaluation of the proposals led to the definition of the sessions program, along with keynote speakers selection. Additional contributions arrived in the form of poster proposals. Cost of activites of Spoke 7 Lab village Type of activity Cost per single activity Number of activities planned Total cost Workshop 9.280 9 82.520 GreenWINE conference (within the Enoforum event) 50.000 1 50.000 37 9. SPOKE 8: UNIVERSITY OF TRIESTE In an ‘Open Innovation’ perspective, the University of Trieste (UNITS) is committed to facilitate interaction among academic research groups, private companies, and external entities in order to promote and accelerate innovation and economic impact, with a view to collaboration and territorial growth. In such a spirit, the development of an iNEST Lab Village aims at facilitating interaction between public and private researchers and innovators. Its first physical location has been identified at the Urban Center of Trieste, whose management has been recently assigned to the Polo Tecnologico Alto Adriatico (PTAA), affiliated partner of iNEST, which is participated by Regione Autonoma Friuli Venezia Giulia and Confederation of Industries of the former provinces of Pordenone, Gorizia, and Trieste. UNITS, in cooperation with PTAA, has scheduled and completed a series of appointments aimed at strengthening the relationship between research and companies, reported in the following lines. The ultimate goal is to build a lab village at the Urban Center by creating some labs operating in areas of special interest for the territory. As early as March 2024, UNITS finalized the recruitment of a technologist to support the design and implementation of the Lab Village and related activities. The process of the development of an iNEST Lab Village at the Urban Center, coordinated by UNITS and PTAA, has several stages, rhythmed by dedicated events. On 19 April 2024, the Lab Village of Spoke 8 iNEST was officially presented at the Urban Center in Trieste. Located in the heart of Trieste and easily accessible by train, bus, and car, the spaces of the Urban Center, managed by PTAA, were chosen as a hybrid territory where to start the development of a Lab Village. A project office for the Lab Village (LV) Trieste has been activated, also in the spirit of providing targeted support to UNITS Technology Transfer functions, which will aim at facilitating the flow of information between UNITS research groups and companies converging at the LV. Some themes have been identified for the LV, namely Blue Economy, Life Science, Data Sciences, Sustainability, and Advanced Materials. Since 30 April 2024, the spaces of the Urban Centre have also been identified as the headquarter or local office for some regional technological clusters, that are coordinating companies of the Friuli Venezia Giulia (FVG) Region, being active on specific themes (we would like to mention “Life Sciences”, “Home system and furniture”, “Maritime technologies”, “ICT and digital sector”, “Agrifood and bioeconomy”, and “Metalworking” clusters). The UC becomes the “Casa dei Cluster”, that is, the House of regional technological clusters. On May 7th, 2024, a public event where the activities of blue innovation (related to water, marine, and maritime technologies) of INEST and the idea of a Lab Village has been organized within the Festival MareINFVG, co-organized by the Maritime Cluster. Moreover, in order to provide a criterium to select the initial population of academic groups at the LV, as announced at the second “Casa dei Cluster” event held on July 15, 2024, a call for ideas for UNITS researchers was opened. In the first phase of the call, local companies were approached to propose priority research themes for the development of their activities, consistent with the strategic fields of iNEST LV UNITS. Five of them were selected. Subsequently, the researchers of the University of Trieste proposed their projects on the selected themes. The selected proposals received from the iNEST CC2 funds pertaining to UNITS a budget of €15,000 each for further developing the themes in order to 38 enable the development of Joint Research Projects with companies, and/or PoCs, increase TRL, and make the results more mature and suitable for technology transfer. On January 17th, 2025, the presentation of the winning proposals allowed the project to step forward to build a space where to strengthen research and enterprise interactions for the development of innovation in the territory (the main goal of Lab Village). Five ideas at first can get benefits of having access to the LV. Cost: € 75.000,00 The access of university staff to the Urban Center allows researchers to connect with a stimulating and conducive environment with respect to technology transfer and innovation practices. Researchers are offered a program of engagement and needs analysis to identify elements of applied research transferable to businesses. PTAA, whose majority shareholder is Confindustria Alto Adriatico, deals with business support, technology transfer, and innovation. Its primary objective is to contribute to the development of the area from both an economic point of view, by helping in creating new enterprises, and an environmental and social point of view. After acquiring the favourable opinion of the iNEST project hub and assessing the actual and proven management and organisational skills of PTAA, UNITS made available to PTAA the financial resources necessary to achieve the common aims and objectives of the CC2 activity. The Urban Center is also a meeting place for project officers of the “One Water” KIC proposal working groups that is working at the construction of the candidature of Trieste as one of the co-location centres on marine and maritime themes, whose call is expected to open in 2025. Collaboration was also started with the Forum of Adriatic and Ionian Cities to define system projects for territory, enterprise, and research in the Adriatic basin with Focus Water. In this context, the Forum's 25th year of foundation was attended on 18 October 2024 by actors of Julian governance on the Blue Economy at the workshop “The Blue Economy in the Adriatic Macro Region” (Ancona) (https://www.aiips.org/images/PROGRAmma-25-FAIC_18.10.2024.pdf) In addition, we scheduled meetings with university technology transfer delegates of each of the UNITS Departments to create video clips that are an accessible guide to innovation processes, so to deeply diffuse culture of impact in the University departments, which are the true knowledge mines and sources from which innovation can spring. In order to effectively pursue the strengthening of interactions with the system of enterprises, UNITS transferred to PTAA part of the budget originally allocated to UNITS Spoke 8. In this frame, as a goal for the coming months, upon completion of Milestone #19 and Milestone #20, we aim at completing a series of actions already initiated and starting some new ones to finalise the project of building and consolidating the LV (see list below) and make it a crucial place for training and information exchange, and to communicate the presence of the LV in the area: - realisation of name, logo, and slogan claim of the LV as well as related digital strategies, e.g., social, event platform, newsletter, and so on; - qualitative and quantitative research aimed at understanding the needs and expectations of university departments and companies; - valorisation of research products; 39 - execution and impact assessment: reporting and development of reports with user satisfaction questionnaire at the end of events and services; - business meetings on strategic themes for the territory; - development of a portal for the creation of joint digital labs to match business and research; - brokering services. Cost: € 140.000,00 Finally, the iNEST CC2 project managed by University of Trieste will provide resources for a training event related to Intellectual Property protection and maximization of the impact of fruitful interactions between universities and businesses within complex research and development projects. A suggestion for the future development of the LV in new spaces very close to the Urban Center (in the area now known as Porto Vivo) is provided by the title of iNEST Spoke 8 “Toward the Digital Twin of the Upper Adriatic”, that points at the development of middle/long term interactions between researchers from public Institutions as UNITS and OGS (institute of Oceanography, Geophysics, and Seismology) and private companies winners of the Open Call for the development of the machinery for the digital twin of such a complex open system. To summarize, the LV of UNITS at the Urban Center, in coordination with the SISSA initiative, aims at becoming a place where researchers from public entities and private R&D structures meet and generate concrete innovation, trust, new projects, and economic value. Last but not least, the LV also plays a role as a room for service provisioning for both the research and the business worlds. 40 9. SPOKE 9: SISSA 7.4 CC2 TOPICS AND ON-GOING RESEARCH ACTIVITIES The efforts of Spoke 9 are focused on the development of an online platform, called TCube, which is empowered by generative AI and should favor the interaction between academia and industry, acting as a search engine for matching requests and competences and as a translator of language and expertise between two contiguous, but not always overlapping, worlds. The Lab Village envisioned in the Trieste area is structured as a network of interconnected sites, each providing access to the platform designed for consulting and interacting with the Generative AI system that powers TCube. This model enables a compelling narrative designed to attract economic operators, whether they are engaging with the Trieste area for the first time or seeking a deeper understanding of the region’s scientific and innovation ecosystem. The extension of the platform to the whole iNEST is in progress. Among these locations, one site—already planned in the initial design phase—is set to be established in Porto Vecchio, symbolizing Trieste’s deep-rooted economic tradition. This is a long-term project extending beyond the scope of iNEST project. During the project, we are finalizing agreements with stakeholders to position totems to access the platform in the city center and near industrial and business hubs, showcasing the broad range of applications that Lab Villages can facilitate. The development of the platform is in good stage, at the moment in a beta testing, having identified few research groups and companies populating the platform with their data and testing it. More precisely, TCube is a platform powered by a GenAI core, designed to facilitate matching between research and industry. It was conceived in Spring 2024 and developed over the following months. The platform leverages OpenAI’s APIs, but its true value lies in the logic behind its proprietary, domainspecific knowledge base. This knowledge base is structured using Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) techniques and enhanced by custom-designed scripts. In Fall 2024, performance testing began, involving researchers from Spoke 9—particularly the SISSA mathLab group—as well as companies engaged through strategic partners such as Confindustria Alto Adriatico and the Camera di Commercio Venezia Giulia. On December 5th, a launch event for the platform was hosted by the Camera di Commercio Venezia Giulia. Since then, TCube has been accessible online (@TCube.sissa.it), allowing anyone to test it. At this stage, the platform remains a Minimum Viable Product (MVP), given the limitation of its initial knowledge base and the ongoing development of some important features (storage of user chat, possibility to go in depth in a specific paper, and so on). During the first months of 2025, in addition to continued testing, we focused on optimizations based on early user feedback, as well as on expanding the knowledge base. A key part of this expansion involves engaging additional spokes of the iNest ecosystem, such as Spoke 2. The economical efforts of the spoke concentrated on the development and implementation of TCube and on an effective communication strategy. Part of this strategy resulted in a video presented during the launch event on December 2024, at the Camera di Commercio Venezia Giulia. An additional longer video is in preparation. In relation to the realization of the work foreseen in Milestone #19 and Milestone #20, we conclude by describing how the available budget of € 197.000,00 (including VAT) was allocated. 41 TCUBE DEVELOPMENT The offer made by the supplier includes the design of the platform, the development of the “pilot version”, and the testing of the platform until the official launch. € 150.000,00 [already spent] TCUBE O&M + optimizations Management includes environment on which to deploy and then run the platform, tokens to OpenAI (or different LLM), full time equivalent for support and interventions. An initial provisional estimate was made, as a result of which an indicative cost of € 5.000,00/month was determined. Of course, depending on the environment on which the platform will be run, a ‘setup and hardening’ activity may be required to put it into production, with the resources available to those who will have the management. The allocated budget ensured O&M of the platform until April 2025. € 25.000,00 COMMUNICATION & MARKETING Realization of two videos presenting TCube. € 10.860,00 EVENTS, WORKSHOPS & SEMINARS It was envisaged that these activities would be developed according to memoranda of understanding and agreements signed with interested partners and stakeholders, enabling events to be held with zero or limited costs. Therefore, an indicative amount has been prudentially charged, but subject to revision if not. € 9.000,00 The budget was fully allocated and sufficient to support the project costs budgeted until April 2025. The additional activities required for the development and implementation of the TCube project and the resulting additional costs will necessarily be integrated with the implementation of the general digital platform of which TCube will be one the distinctive components.