The first edition of the “SMAU Innovation Safari” was inaugurated in Dublin on March 12. This initiative aims to develop new partnerships, open innovation projects, and co-innovation activities between the Italian and Irish ecosystems and featured a program of visits to incubators, accelerators, companies, and other players in the dynamic and complex Irish ecosystem, with the aim of fostering new collaborations.
The SMAU initiative—organized in collaboration with the Dublin Desk of the Italian Trade Agency (ITA) in London—was held under the auspices and with the support of the Italian Embassy in Dublin, and with the participation of the Italian-Irish Chamber of Commerce and the local Italian Cultural Institute. The delegation — composed of innovation representatives from major Italian companies such as Terna, Edison, Iren, Hera Group, FNM, PNO Digital, Veolia Italia, and Trenord, along with several Italian regional governments and local agencies responsible for startup development and internationalization activities — toured some of the city’s most cutting-edge hubs, including the Guinness Enterprise Centre, Nova UCD (University College Dublin’s innovation hub), and the new Innovation Hub at Trinity College Dublin.
At the latter location, the companies also participated in a key networking event with some of their fellow Italians operating within the Irish innovation ecosystem, particularly those from the world of Big Tech (such as Google, LinkedIn, Amazon, and Datadog). They were welcomed by the Italian Ambassador to Ireland, Nicola Faganello, the Director of Trinity Innovation & Enterprise, Neil Gordon, and Filippo Mansani, Head of Innovation at the Italian Trade Agency (ITA) London office. In the afternoon, a stimulating meeting was also held at the offices of LinkedIn, one of the capital’s leading Big Tech companies.
At the end of the day, the delegation visited the Ambassador’s Residence for a convivial moment and discussion with local institutions active in the innovation sector, including Enterprise Ireland, the Shannon Foynes Port Authority, and the Local Enterprise Office, as well as representatives of the Irish and Italian business communities.
