Padan Technological Park: how Italy embraces innovation

The Padan Technological Park (Parco Tecnologico Padano) is the first Italian scientific park active within food farming and bio economy. Thanks to the vast array of research programs and technological platforms, it is able to provide companies with innovative facilities. Among them, it is possible to distinguish between services for Research and services for Enterprises. The first set includes genotyping analysis, tilling (a technique allowing the identification of an allelic series of induced point mutations in candidate genes), gene expression, DNA/RNA Extraction, Biorepository and Diagnostic Services. The second category embraces agro-food products traceability, characterization of several items (such as rice, microbial populations and phylogenetics), certification of allergens and breeders/seeds producers, botanicals, breeding, pharma and veterinary.

Furthermore, the Park has also supported the Alimenta accelerator, which finances the launch of new original companies. Among its main goals the one of making Milan the ideal environment to start a business and to foster the training of mixed teams. The latters concern Italians and young foreigners living in Italy that would be encouraged to collaborate and learn the best practices by older managers.

Besides all these activities, the Park promotes innovative techniques like the controlled DNA. This initiative aims at assuring the quality, genuineness and the origin of the products we find on our tables as well as to guarantee the consumers a healthy and conscious diet.  It also stands as a benefit for the sellers who can verify the authenticity of their food products.

Additionally, the Technological Park is the engine of one of the main European Agro-Biotech Clusters, i.e. the Lodi Cluster. The latter includes several bodies in the ag-biotech sector. Examples are the Faculties of Veterinary Medicine and Agricultural Sciences of the University of Milan, and public and private research labs. Finally, it is on the forefront line with several innovative projects, such as Expofactory, Biogas Italy and a chocolate company to treat psychic disability.

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