Four original prototypes developed by ITS students to respond to innovation challenges set by four companies in the provinces of Catania, (2 in digital) and Palermo (2 in biomed and biotech) were presented at Villa Zito in Palermo.
The event officially closes the second edition of Upskill Sicilia, the collaborative innovation program promoted by Fondazione Sicilia and Upskill 4.0. UniCredit is a partner in the initiative.
The initiative, launched in April 2024, involved four innovative Sicilian manufacturing companies: Vantea SMART, an Information Technology company, founded in 1993, specializing in Cybersecurity; Paradigma SpA, a company that develops digital solutions for businesses; Medigenium, an innovative startup that develops artificial intelligence solutions for the healthcare sector; and Qwince Innovation, a company at the forefront of developing the highest quality software for the healthcare sector.
More than 50 young students from the ITS New Technologies of Life Alessandro Volta Foundation in Palermo and the Web & Mobile Development course of the Steve Jobs Academy in Catania participated in the project.
Accompanied by Upskill 4.0 project managers Alice Rizzetto, Gizem Al and Selena Brocca, the teams worked closely with entrepreneurs to find original and effective answers to their innovation needs.
Through a step-by-step process codified by Upskill 4.0 and borrowed from innovation management methodologies such as Design Thinking, the youth helped companies rethink their products and services through digital technologies.
For Vantea SMART, a webinar series titled CyberSec and the CyberShield hackathon was held to promote a culture of cybersecurity and provide practical resources for defending sensitive corporate data.
For Paradigma SpA, a cyber quiz game was created with the aim of raising awareness of the importance of cybersecurity.
For Medigenium, MediFast, an innovative online platform using the company's open source artificial intelligence system, called Meris, was created to improve and speed up diagnosis during mass screening activities.
For Qwince Innovation, Mobile Doctor, a digital solution that enhances patients' therapeutic experience through technology, gamification and community support, was created.
Students competently and enthusiastically tackled the real-life challenges of the four companies operating in high-tech industries.
It was a journey full of surprises but also of confirmations: students can be protagonists of innovation when they consciously use tools and methods to manage innovation and give quality to the growth of enterprises and territories.
