The Region of Tuscany is a strong supporter of the local ecosystem of research, innovation and higher education, one of the most advanced in Italy. Investment in this crucial sector, which has a significant impact on economic development and the improvement of quality of life for all citizens through scientific discoveries, is increasing throughout Europe and in our country.
From 2006 to 2016, investment in research and innovation in Italy increased by 27 per cent to over 23 billion euros. In Tuscany, investment increased by an even greater amount — 41 per cent — reaching a total of 1.5 billion euros in 2016 (Eurostat data). This places Tuscany eighth among Italian regions for the largest increase in investment and sixth for the total amount of resources invested, well above the national average.
Tuscany, with seven state universities and a total of 69 departments, is the only region hosting all types of universities existing in our country. The region is also home to 43 public research bodies and structures, including 36 branches of the National Research Council (13 percent of CNR’s main sites), 5 branches of the National Institute for Nuclear Physics (14 percent of the national total), one branch of the National Institute for Astrophysics (INAF) and one of the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV).
Twelve per cent of Italian publications are produced in Tuscany, and 15 per cent of Italian European projects are developed in Tuscany.
Tuscan universities also attract students from all over Italy and the world: enrolments exceed 115,000, including more than 35,000 from other regions and 3,000 international students. Significant figures also concern staff engaged in teaching and research: in Tuscany, there are 4,130 researchers and lecturers and 1,530 research fellows.
In order to contribute to the creation and strengthening of shared values and objectives, as well as enhancing the social impact of research, Tuscany strongly supports the right to university study. In our Region, all students eligible for scholarships to attend degree programmes received the funding (data referring to the 2012–13 academic year, the most recent period covered by USTAT data). On average, 13,000–14,000 scholarships are awarded each year. In 2018, there were 4,706 accommodation places available, and 1,128,000 euros of funding were allocated for rent contributions in the 2017/2018 academic year.
In addition, the Region finances other types of intervention in support of tertiary education, such as curricular internships, vouchers for master’s programmes and study abroad schemes, and Pegaso doctoral scholarships (475 scholarships totalling over 27 million euros financed from 2014 to 2019).
Tuscany also finances calls for research fellowships in order to guide young researchers towards research topics with application potential. With the call issued in 2017, 5 million euros were allocated for 192 fellowships carried out within 142 research projects, while with the 2019 call “100 researchers for culture”, 4 million and 700,000 euros were allocated for 77 research projects and 111 fellowships.
There has also been significant support for entrepreneurial initiatives originating from the research world, such as Start Cup Toscana, which rewards the best high-tech start-ups from universities and research centres.
To promote exchanges with international contexts and to enhance the results of regional research activities, the Region promoted the creation of Tour4eu, an association bringing together the seven Tuscan universities to promote their interests in Europe.