04 June 2026

C4T Consortium Visits the University of Calabria to Explore Technology Transfer, Innovation Ecosystems, and Industry 4.0 Solutions As part of the 3rd Transnational Meeting of the C4T – Companies4Tomorrow project, project partners visited the University of Calabria, one of Southern Italy’s leading centres for research, innovation, and technology transfer. The visit provided consortium members with a unique opportunity to explore successful models of collaboration between academia, research institutions, and enterprises, while identifying future opportunities for cooperation within the framework of the C4T initiative. The visit focused on two key pillars of the innovation ecosystem developed by the University of Calabria: the activities of TechNest, the university’s innovation and entrepreneurship hub, and the advanced technological infrastructure and laboratories of CAL-TEK, one of the most significant Industry 4.0 and smart manufacturing facilities in the region. Strengthening Innovation through TechNest The consortium was welcomed by representatives of TechNest, the University of Calabria’s innovation and business creation hub, which supports entrepreneurship, technology transfer, startup creation, and the commercialization of research results. During the presentation, TechNest showcased its extensive activities in supporting innovative enterprises, facilitating university-industry collaboration, and creating favorable conditions for knowledge transfer and economic development. Particular emphasis was placed on the mechanisms through which research outcomes are transformed into market-ready products, services, and business ventures. The discussion generated significant interest among C4T partners, as many of the methodologies implemented by TechNest align closely with the objectives of the C4T project, particularly regarding: • support for SMEs undergoing digital transformation, • entrepreneurship and innovation capacity building, • development of innovation ecosystems, • creation of collaborative networks between academia and industry, • and promotion of technology-based business opportunities. Representatives from TechNest also provided valuable suggestions for the future development of the C4T Cross-Border Hub, emphasizing the importance of establishing permanent cooperation channels between universities, chambers of commerce, research centres, innovation hubs, and SMEs operating across Greece and Italy. The exchange of experiences highlighted several opportunities for future collaboration, including the development of joint innovation support services, startup acceleration activities, digital skills programmes, and technology transfer initiatives capable of enhancing the competitiveness of enterprises in the cross-border area. eBusiness and UX Lab is leading the C4T Project