Luigi Laezza
The one thing I'd bring
A recurring format, run through the EMC community. Entrepreneurs, residents and public bodies submit real, specific problems, such as waste collection, mobility, tourism flows or services for an ageing population. Each cycle, a few challenges are picked and matched with university students and researchers. Local founders and professionals act as mentors and reality checks. The aim is projects that become theses, course work or prototypes, with results published openly so the next team doesn’t start from zero.
Where I've seen it work
The Contamination Lab at the University of Cagliari.
How it would help local companies and entrepreneurs
Local companies and founders get access to fresh talent and new perspectives without needing a big budget. They bring a real problem and get motivated students, alumni and peers working on it, with outside views they wouldn’t normally hear. Real problems get worked on. Challenges that are always pushed down the to-do list get structured analysis, prototypes or proposals from interdisciplinary teams. A pipeline of talent. Companies meet students and recent graduates through real work, which makes hiring and internships easier and less risky than through CVs alone. Validation before investment. Founders can test an idea, a market or a technical choice with a team and quick feedback before committing money. A stronger network. Mentors, alumni and entrepreneurs keep meeting regularly, so the contacts and knowledge from each cohort stay in Cagliari. Knowledge that accumulates. Published results mean the next company or team can build on earlier work instead of starting over.
What we'd need to make it happen
A university contact (a department, a lecturer, or the career/placement office) willing to recognise the work as credits, thesis topics or internships A simple public list of open challenges and their outcomes A handful of entrepreneurs ready to mentor a few hours per cycle A pilot with 2–3 challenges, presented at an EMC meetup