Joining the Innovators Community Lab at the University of Trieste
I have joined the 2026 ICL cohort: a multidisciplinary community developing entrepreneurial ideas through training, mentoring, collaboration, and direct exchange with industry.
On 13 April 2026, I officially joined the new edition of the Innovators Community Lab at the University of Trieste. The opening event brought the 29 selected ICLabbers together for the first time and introduced a programme built around innovation, entrepreneurial culture, and collaboration between people with very different areas of expertise.
Relationships, exchange, and cross-disciplinary thinking
Three ideas defined the opening day: relationships, open exchange, and the productive mixing of different skills. Each participant introduced the project or entrepreneurial idea they will develop over the coming months, turning the event into an early view of the experiences, disciplines, and ambitions within the cohort.
The group includes participants from Italy, Iran, Türkiye, Ukraine, and Cameroon and represents every level of university education: 18 bachelor’s students, nine master’s students, and two doctoral researchers. That range is one of the programme’s strongest qualities. Innovation rarely develops inside a single discipline, and the ICL creates a space where different forms of knowledge can meet around practical ideas.
Why networks matter when building something new
The event opened with Erik Vesselli, the University of Trieste delegate for technology transfer and relations with research bodies, followed by the round table The importance of networks in doing business, moderated by Cristiano Degano.
Antonio Iannamorelli of TIM, Angelo Manca of Polo del Gusto, Francesco De Michelis of MITO Technology, and Stefano Cocchieri of KLARO shared perspectives from institutional networking, industry, technology investment, finance, and entrepreneurship. Their discussion reinforced a simple point: a project does not grow through an idea alone. It also needs relationships, feedback, complementary competence, and the ability to communicate value clearly.
The work ahead
The Innovators Community Lab is a multidisciplinary training and development programme focused on entrepreneurship and innovation. Its activities bring together learning, mentoring, coworking, practical business tools, and contact with companies and professionals.
Becoming an ICLabber gives me a structured environment in which to develop an entrepreneurial idea while strengthening the skills needed to move it forward: business planning, communication, teamwork, validation, and the ability to learn from people who approach the same challenge from another angle.
I am looking forward to contributing my experience in European projects and international collaboration while allowing the community to challenge and expand the way I think about innovation.
Learn more through the official Innovators Community Lab page and the University of Trieste report from the opening event.