On Wednesday, June 4, 2025, in the Graduation Hall of the Department of Economics at the University of Genoa – Darsena Campus – the P3 | Officinae RAISE Boot Camp officially began. This training initiative is aimed at graduate and PhD students and focuses on entrepreneurial innovation applied to artificial intelligence and robotics.
The opening day featured remarks from Nicoletta Buratti, Associate Professor of Business Economics and Management at the University of Genoa and coordinator of the Spoke 5 RAISE Training Plan, and Giorgia Profumo, Director of the Department of Economics. Both speakers welcomed the participants and emphasized the central role of this initiative in providing advanced training and strengthening the connection between academia and the local production system.
The Officinae RAISE project aims to equip participants with knowledge and tools to develop innovative, sustainable, and technology-driven business ideas. The program is designed to enhance strategic, communication, and persuasive skills, helping students create practical solutions that respond to real market needs.
In her introductory speech, Nicoletta Buratti highlighted how this final phase of the program marks the most immersive and hands-on experience for the participants:
“The P3 project has reached its final stage: three intensive days where students will work in teams on real business cases. The collaboration with Confindustria Imperia (represented by Director Dr. Paolo Della Pietra) and with Dr. Elena Sparago (who acted as a liaison between the RAISE team and local businesses) enriched the project, allowing academic training to meet real territorial needs. Participants are tasked with proposing robotics- and AI-based solutions to tackle concrete business challenges. This is a valuable opportunity to bring the academic and industrial worlds closer together, and we hope this type of initiative will become ongoing and systemic”.
Following this, Simone Valorani, Head of Strategy & Operations at Scientifica Venture Capital, presented Scientifica’s approach — a venture capital fund active in pre-seed, seed, and early-stage investments, focused on high-tech projects. He explained how the fund selects high-potential ideas emerging from scientific research, operating in sectors such as advanced manufacturing and materials, artificial intelligence, and quantum technologies. Scientifica invests at the earliest stage of innovation, aiming to turn promising insights and discoveries into companies capable of generating industrial and social impact. His presentation set the stage for the next part of the boot camp: the introduction of the business needs and the start of the practical work phase.
At the conclusion of his talk, the companies involved in the project – in collaboration with Scientifica and Talent Garden Genova – presented their “Corporate Needs”: real-world challenges related to the adoption of AI and robotics-based solutions, which the participants would tackle in teams. This was followed by team formation and the distribution of assignments, which will be the core focus of the following days.
In her closing remarks, Giorgia Profumo highlighted the strategic value of the initiative for the university: “Officinae RAISE is aimed at our students who want to develop entrepreneurial skills tied to digital transformation. It acts as a bridge between academic knowledge and the productive world, reinforcing a vital connection for the competitiveness of our economic system. We’re especially pleased to see so many students from the Department of Economics eager to engage with technologies like AI and robotics and apply them in real business contexts”.
At the end of the morning, participants received their project materials and gathered in their working groups, ready to take on three days of challenge, collaboration, and innovative idea development.
Filippo, one of the participants, expressed his excitement: “We finally get to take on real challenges. Talking with professionals and working in groups on practical problems gives us huge added value. It’s an intense experience that also allows us to build relationships and really live this training journey.”
With its official launch on June 4, the Officinae RAISE Boot Camp has opened a significant opportunity for dialogue between academia and industry, continuing through June 5 and 6 with the development of project work and final presentations.
