Start Cup Toscana: registration is open until Tuesday, 10 September, for the competition, promoted by the Region with the support of Giovanisì, which helps realise innovative business ideas. The Sant'Anna School involved in the organisation

Applications to take part in the Start Cup Toscana 2024, the competition that rewards the best high-tech entrepreneurial ideas from the world of research, are open until Tuesday, 10 September. Participation is open to individuals or groups that have developed ideas based on scientific, technological, social and humanistic research activities. Those who have set up a company with a declaration of start-up may also participate.

All Tuscan universities are involved in the organisation: University of Pisa, University of Siena, University for Foreigners of Siena, Sant'Anna School, Scuola IMT Alti Studi Lucca, Scuola Normale Superiore and University of Florence.

The competition, funded and sponsored by the Region of Tuscany, is part of Giovanisì, the regional project for the autonomy of young people. The competition is organised in connection with the PNI, the National Award for Innovation, of which it represents the regional phase. The best business plans participate in the final event, scheduled for Monday, 14 October at the University of Florence.

Four are the technological or market fields of the project applying for the StartCup, with the possibility of specifying relations or transversal relationships with other technological or market fields.

• Life Science - MedTech: innovative products and/or services to improve people's health);
• ICT: innovative products and/or services in the fields of information technology, new media, cybersecurity and cloud computing (e.g. e-commerce, social media, mobile, gaming) and innovative hardware and software technologies (e.g. microelectronics and photonics devices, advanced materials for ICT, new computational architectures, AI/LLM technologies, imaging);
• Cleantech & Energy: innovative products and/or services aimed at improving environmental sustainability through improved agricultural production, environmental protection, energy management);
• Industrial: innovative products and/or services for industrial production that do not fall into the previous categories, innovative in terms of technology or market).

In addition, on Friday 5 July at 10 a.m. there will be a Training Day on the Rules and Regulations and Business Plan training day in videoconference mode to present the call for proposals and to learn how to draw up a Business Plan. Those interested can attend the training day after registering via the dedicated form.

For further details on the Start Cup Toscana 2024 Edition please visit the Regione Toscana website: https://www.regione.toscana.it/startcuptoscana.