The initiative aims to promote the exchange of knowledge, scientific cooperation and shared development, with philanthropy serving as a catalyst for mobilising resources and launching high-impact projects.
Philanthropic foundations are playing an increasingly important role in supporting research and innovation, thanks to a careful balance of direct contributions, long-term investments and targeted training and capacity-building initiatives. In this context, a four-part collaboration model – the Public-Private-Philanthropic Partnership (4P) – is emerging as particularly effective in promoting international cooperation, with a special focus on developing countries. This approach forms the basis of the Memorandum of Understanding signed with the Ministry of University and Research. The memorandum aims to achieve two key objectives: first, to scale up to national level the cooperation initiatives with the African continent already launched by Compagnia di San Paolo, in line with the priorities of the Mattei Plan; and second, to launch joint pilot projects with the Ministry that can be evaluated and, if successful, expanded more widely. The aim is to contribute to the development of international cooperation grounded in knowledge, sustainability and innovation. To this end, we aim to support studies and pilot projects that demonstrate the strategic role of philanthropic foundations within the Mattei Plan as well as to promote experimental collaborations with universities to enhance the global competitiveness of Italian research and attract top talent from around the world. At the same time, we are committed to reinforcing the relationship between universities and local communities, helping to create strategic infrastructure in the fields of science and technology, starting in our own territories, but with the potential to generate significant benefits nationwide”, said the Chair of Fondazione Compagnia di San Paolo, Marco Gilli.
The memorandum sets out joint actions to improve access to European funding programmes, promote the Third Mission of universities, and develop strategic infrastructure for research and training.
Fondazione Compagnia di San Paolo, which is already active in projects across West Africa and eight other African countries in areas such as maternal and child health, agroecology, renewable energy, artificial intelligence and digital health, will pool resources and expertise to strengthen international cooperation and drive sustainable innovation.
This agreement represents a convergence of ongoing initiatives, bringing together public and private sectors, local and global stakeholders, research institutions and philanthropic organisations. Together, they will translate this collaboration into concrete projects designed to generate lasting value and significant social, scientific and economic impact.
For more details on the agreement and planned initiatives, please refer to the full press release.[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][vc_masonry_media_grid element_width=”3″ css=”” grid_id=”vc_gid:1757407230471-5ea69560-aec9-9″ include=”39381,39383,39385,39387,39389,39391,39393,39395″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row el_class=”sdg-list-wrap”][vc_column][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][/vc_column][/vc_row]