Among over 40 submissions, six projects were selected as winners, including the IIT start-up
On Tuesday, November 26, the SeMI Innovation Award was presented by the Foreign Press Association of Milan in the elegant setting of Palazzo dei Giureconsulti. This award celebrates and showcases Italian innovation, through the most outstanding ideas from small and medium-sized enterprises and start-ups, as seen through the eyes of foreign journalists living and working in Italy. Among over 40 submissions, six projects were selected as winners, including IIT’s start-up IAMA Therapeutics. The jury praised the project for its potential positive impact, stating: “The project will benefit the community by improving access to innovative patient treatments, fostering collaborations with academic institutions and research centers, and contributing to economic growth and public health.”
This inaugural edition of the award featured entries divided into four main categories: New Technologies, Life Sciences, Manufacturing, and Design. To further recognize excellence, two additional categories, the Civic Award and the Social Award, were introduced, broadening the scope to celebrate the achievements of even more enterprises.
Organized in collaboration with the Milan Monza Brianza Lodi Chamber of Commerce, the SeMI Innovation Award embodies values like creativity and social impact, qualities that local institution representatives have identified as defining characteristics of the Lombardy region. “This award celebrates who help us translate these values into the global arena,” noted Fiorenza Lipparini from Milano & Partners/Chamber of Commerce and member of the jury.
At the opening ceremony, Lombardy Governor Attilio Fontana emphasized the region’s commitment to supporting young talent through “targeted measures aimed at fostering their ideas and transforming them into business ventures.” He added, “We believe that innovation, human capital, and a welcoming environment create fertile ground for entrepreneurial initiatives.” Governor Fontana also highlighted Lombardy’s leading position in Italy for patent registrations, as well as its strong network of research institutions and SMEs. He acknowledged the importance of foreign correspondents’ work: “Giving voice and visibility on international outlets, print and online, to the stories and the institutions where the awarded enterprises were born, is a crucial step”.
Despite its ties to Milan, the Foreign Press Association extended its focus beyond regional boundaries, acting as a bridge between Italy and the global stage. “The SeMI Innovation Award highlights how essential it is for us, as foreign journalists, to witness and share the excellence of Made in Italy,” said Tatjana Dordevic, a delegate of the Foreign Press Association in Milan.
The jury, which included six foreign journalists (Andrew Spannaus, Tatjana Dordevic, Cristina Bellon, Sanja Lucic, James Imam, and Susanne Schaller) and three external experts (Professor Marco Taisch from Politecnico di Milano, Francesco Cavalli from Leftloft Studio, and Fiorenza Lipparini), recognized outstanding projects from Lombardy, Liguria, Campania, Abruzzo, and Piedmont.
Liguria’s IAMA Therapeutics, an IIT start-up, stood out as the winner in the Life Sciences category.
“We are deeply honored to receive this prestigious recognition, which validates the importance of our work and the mission of IAMA Therapeutics: to develop innovative treatments that improve the quality of life for individuals with neurological disorders and their families,” said Laura Cancedda and Marco De Vivo, founders of the start-up and Principal Investigators at IIT. “This award not only acknowledges our efforts but also inspires us to continue innovating and growing as a team, with the goal of bringing hope and new therapeutic opportunities to patients worldwide.”
“This recognition reflects the outstanding work of the IAMA Therapeutics team and our collaboration with esteemed partners, such as the Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia. Together, we are committed to addressing challenges in neuroscience and diligently advancing our clinical candidate, IAMA-6, toward patients, following its successful trials in healthy volunteers,” stated Paolo Vigo, a board member of the start-up and Senior Associate at Claris Ventures.
The Foreign Press Association in Milan plans to promote the award again next year: as U.S. journalist Andrew Spannaus, the event moderator, remarked, “Italy is renowned for its food and fashion, but it is also a hub of innovation, as highlighted by this award.”
