On May 30, 2025, as part of the Venice Boat Show, the first conference of the Sustainability Biennale 2025 (BS25), titled “Research, Education, Innovation: Toward a Knowledge Cluster in Venice”, took place in the Sala degli Squadratori at the Arsenal. Promoted by Venice Sustainability Foundation (VSF), the event was organized in collaboration with Eurocities, the Municipality of Venice, and Vela Spa, with support from Eni.
The conference centered on developing an urban knowledge cluster as a catalyst for the city’s socio-economic regeneration, aimed at rebalancing a local economy currently heavily reliant on tourism. Venice’s historical, cultural, and academic landscape provides an ideal foundation for establishing an integrated ecosystem dedicated to research, innovation, and higher education.
After opening institutional greetings from Rear Admiral Domenico Guglielmini (Italian Navy) and Mayor and VSF Vice President Luigi Brugnaro, VSF President Renato Brunetta reaffirmed the Foundation’s objective of strengthening the city's scientific, technological, and entrepreneurial capacity by fostering a collaborative network connecting businesses, institutions, and universities.
The first session featured contributions from Benno Albrecht (Rector of Iuav University of Venice), Giuseppe Schivardi (Director of ISMM – Italian Navy), Luiza Anna Bialasiewicz (Ca’ Foscari University of Venice), Francesco Marcello Falcieri (CNR ISMAR), and Paola Mar (City Councilor for University Affairs, Municipality of Venice). Discussions focused on the “Venice City Campus” project and opportunities for joint cooperation between academic research, education, and local authorities.
The second session highlighted international case studies, with insights shared by Willem Van Winden (Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences), Delphine Lapray (Aix-Marseille-Provence), and Mar Ferrer Sáez (Valencia Innovation Capital). Speakers presented urban models built on strong synergies between universities, enterprise, and public administration designed to drive innovation and sustainability.
The final panel explored contributions from VSF’s corporate members, featuring Giuseppe Ricci (Chief Operating Officer Industrial Transformation, Eni), Maria Enrica Danese (Director of Institutional Communication, Sustainability Projects and Sponsorships, TIM), Dino Brancale (Managing Director, AVL Italia), Agnese Ratzenberger (Public Affairs Director Italy, Enfinity Global), and Emanuele Mugnani (General Manager Ambulatory Information Systems Europe, CompuGroup Medical). Panelists emphasized the need to interconnect ongoing regional initiatives to construct a coherent, shared knowledge ecosystem.
Concluding the proceedings, Paolo Costa (Senior Partner, C+3C Sistemi e Strategie) underscored the value of leveraging Venice’s broader metropolitan dimension – integrating expertise and resources across the wider territory from Venice to Padua and Treviso – to consolidate the region's position within the national knowledge economy.
