TIE Living Lab is hosted by DHITECH (the Apulian High Tech District, in Italy)and stems from the research project VINCENTE (Virtual collective INtelligenCe ENvironment to develop sustainable Technology Entrepreneurship ecosystem), co-funded by the Italian Ministry of Education, University and Research. Currently, TIE Living Lab involves the main Universities within the region (University of Salent
o, Polytechnic of Bari and University of Bari), the Italian National Research Council, the Municipality and the Province of Lecce, a number of high tech companies (i.e.ENGINEERING Ingegneria Informatica, Exprivia, Links Management & Technology, ST Microelectronics, Avio Aereo, Alenia Aermacchi, Tozzi Renewable Energy, Ospedale San Raffaele), and several representative bodies such as Confindustria Lecce (the provincial association of entrepreneurs), Osservatorio Banche Imprese (the regional consortium of banks and entrepreneurs), NETVAL (the Italian association of Universities and public research centres for market exploitation of research results), and ADI (the Italian association of PhD students and post-doc). TIE Living Lab aims at operating as a smart platform to stimulate technology innovation and innovative entrepreneurship for local development in the global scenarios, by leveraging on talents, technology, collaboration, collective intelligence, and networking, in the strategic perspective to exploit and valorise research outcomes, technological assets and scientific results. Thus, TIE Living Lab acts as a bridge that virtuously connects civil society, academy, businesses, markets, government and institutions, aiming at helping entrepreneurs overcome the valley of death, and at fostering innovation and entrepreneurship.
