Casa Vallonia is back in Italy. This year’s theme is the energy transition and the circular economy. This travelling event will take place from 3 to 6 November in several towns and cities across Emilia-Romagna, including Rimini, where the ECOMONDO environmental technology trade fair is being held at the same time. Around ten Walloon companies will be exhibiting their innovative solutions there. Alongside this economic component, academic meetings are planned at several Italian universities. This will serve to celebrate and strengthen the already close ties between Wallonia, the Wallonia-Brussels Federation and Italy.
Casa Vallonia, which takes place every other year in Spain, is back this time in Italy. It is a 360-degree event aimed at promoting Wallonia and the key players of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation in all their facets.
Academic and cultural programme
Alongside the economic programme, a delegation from higher education institutions in Wallonia-Brussels will meet with their Italian counterparts.
The exchanges organised with the universities of Bologna, Parma, Modena and Reggio Emilia, as well as Ferrara, will help to strengthen existing academic cooperation and explore new partnership opportunities.
Particular attention will be paid to the internationalisation of institutions, student and staff mobility, Blended Intensive Programmes (BIPs) and European university alliances, notably UNIgreen.
The cultural programme will feature a presentation of the Italian version of Thierry Vanhasselt’s *The True Story of Saint Nicholas*. “Far removed from the traditional, sanitised image of an old man handing out sweets, this picture book draws on the original myth to address contemporary ecological and social crises.”
Did you know? Rimini has been twinned with the town of Seraing (Liège) since 1976. This twinning stems from the history of Italian immigration to Belgium following the Second World War.
Research and innovation: new prospects for cooperation between Wallonia-Brussels and Emilia-Romagna
A delegation comprising representatives from universities, research centres and innovation organisations will meet with scientific and technological stakeholders in Emilia-Romagna to identify new opportunities for collaboration.
In Bologna, participants will learn about the research activities of several university departments, notably DICAM, FABIT and DISTAL, as well as the CIRI Agroalimentare. A visit to the technology platforms of the Italian National Research Council (CNR) at the Tecnopolo in Bologna will also provide an opportunity to explore regional initiatives in applied research and innovation.
In Reggio Emilia, discussions with the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia (UNIMORE) will include a visit to the BIOGEST-SITEIA centre, which is active in agri-food research. In Ferrara, the meetings will focus in particular on research, innovation and knowledge transfer.
The programme will continue at the ECOMONDO trade fair in Rimini, with discussions with ART-ER, a key player in the regional innovation ecosystem, and Clust-ER Agrifood, which brings together stakeholders in the agri-food sector.
Discussions will focus in particular on the bioeconomy, industrial biotechnologies, the valorisation of agri-food by-products, bio-based materials and the circular economy.
The aim is to foster new scientific and technological partnerships, particularly within the framework of the European Horizon Europe programme, by bringing together the expertise of universities, research centres and businesses in both regions.
Economic section
Italy is Wallonia’s fifth-largest economic partner. Several Walloon companies have a subsidiary, a sales office or an industrial site in Italy, and there are more than 300 companies in Wallonia with a majority Italian shareholding.
This year, the focus is on environmental technologies, centred on Wallonia’s presence at ECOMONDO. This is an extremely important sector in light of current climate challenges. A structured programme of pitching and networking sessions, organised by the local authority, will enable all these companies to present their activities and develop new opportunities for collaboration with their Italian counterparts.
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Companies exhibiting at the Walloon stand at ECOMONDO |
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Solutions scientifiques pour l’analyse, le suivi et la protection de la biodiversité, notamment via des outils biotechnologiques. |
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Fungal biotechnologies using fungi for decontamination, waste management and soil remediation. |
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Designs equipment for the decontamination and treatment of infectious medical waste, with material recovery. |
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Specialises in the recycling and recovery of non-ferrous metals from complex residues and waste. |
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Develops industrial CO₂ capture technologies to reduce emissions and decarbonise industry. |
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A digital platform for energy management and optimisation, based on data and AI. |
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Designs recycled/recyclable vertical mini wind turbines to generate renewable energy locally. |
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Utilises industrial data and advanced analytics to optimise processes, energy use, reliability and performance. |
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Data-driven digital solutions for monitoring, analysing and optimising industrial and environmental performance. |
You’ll also find Flow-Tronic (smart water management) and Lefort (shears and presses designed for metal recycling), which will have their own stands.
As for the NCP (National Contact Point, your dedicated point of contact for your European research and innovation project), Ecostal Engineering (which manufactures and installs solar structures on challenging sites), Vanheede Alternative Fuels (which supplies alternative fuels for the cement and lime industries) and the Walloon green tech competitiveness cluster, GreenWin, will not be exhibiting but will certainly be present as participants at Casa Vallonia.