The University of Trieste played a leading role in the success of iNEST – Interconnected Nord-Est Innovation Ecosystem, one of the major Innovation Ecosystems funded under Italy's National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR), which has now concluded having fully achieved all of its project objectives. The final report by the independent scientific reviewers confirms the successful completion of all planned activities, recognizing the initiative's significant scientific, economic, and societal impact.

The University of Trieste played a key role in Spoke 8, dedicated to maritime, marine, and inland water technologies, developed in collaboration with the Alto Adriatico Technology Hub, the Eastern Adriatic Sea Port Authority, and the Universities of Padua, Trento, Ca' Foscari Venice, and IUAV University of Venice.

The project addressed some of the most pressing challenges related to environmental sustainability and climate resilience in the Upper Adriatic region, leveraging the area's extensive scientific expertise while promoting knowledge transfer to industry.

Spoke 8 focused on five strategic research areas: marine ecosystem biology; the management of physical and chemical hazards and their impact on the hydrosphere; sustainable coastal transport; integrated land-sea planning; and the development of the Upper Adriatic Digital Twin. By integrating environmental data, predictive models, artificial intelligence algorithms, and advanced visualization systems, the project developed innovative decision-support tools with significant benefits for the sustainable management of coastal areas.

Alongside its research activities, the project placed strong emphasis on technology transfer. In this context, it developed a digital platform designed to connect researchers, businesses, and investors, as well as a scientific and technological information service aimed at disseminating funding opportunities, research results, and best practices across the ecosystem.

A central hub for these activities was the Lab Village, hosted at the Urban Center in Trieste. Conceived as a meeting place for researchers, companies, startups, and public institutions, it was established to accelerate innovation processes and foster new collaborations.

More broadly, iNEST's achievements highlight both the scale and the effectiveness of the initiative. Over nearly four years of activity, the ecosystem produced 977 scientific publications, involved 517 researchers, supported 99 projects dedicated to early-career researchers, and, through 35 cascade funding calls, financed more than 200 projects carried out by companies, SMEs, public bodies, and regional administrations.