The European project SOPHIA – Synergies for Open Planetary Health Innovation Action, developed within the framework of the Circle U. European University Alliance, of which the University of Pisa is a member, is among the winners of the EIT Higher Education Initiative Call for Proposals 2025. Coordinated by Université Paris Cité, the project brings together partners from academia, research and industry across nine European countries and aims to accelerate the way universities transform research into innovation for Planetary Health, an approach that recognises the close interdependence between human health, the environment and food systems.
Its objective is to strengthen the role of universities in research valorisation by developing tools and expertise to help innovative ideas progress towards practical applications, while fostering collaboration between universities, businesses and local communities.
The role of the University of Pisa
With funding of approximately €300,000 allocated to the University, the University of Pisa will play a leading role in the SOPHIA project, contributing to the creation of new tools to transform research results into practical solutions to address the challenges of Planetary Health.
In particular, it will coordinate the development of a Planetary Health Venture Hub, a European platform that will connect researchers, businesses, investors and innovation professionals to support the creation of new entrepreneurial initiatives.
The University will also contribute to the development of an innovative framework for assessing and supporting entrepreneurial ideas, helping researchers and start-ups in research valorisation and bringing innovations to market. Activities at the University of Pisa will be coordinated by Professors Giuseppe Iannaccone and Chiara Galletti, with the support of the Research and Knowledge Valorisation Division.
The Start Attractor Foundation is also a partner in the project and will work closely with the University’s Research and Knowledge Valorisation Division, providing expertise, methodologies and links with the innovation ecosystem to strengthen the valorisation of research results, support the development of entrepreneurial initiatives, validate their market potential and business models, and contribute to due diligence processes and preparation for engagement with companies, investors and industrial partners.
Among the activities coordinated by the University of Pisa are the Rural Health Innovation Labs, which will build on the expertise of the Avanzi Centre and the University’s collaborations with institutions in rural and inland areas. Through these laboratories, students, researchers, businesses and local stakeholders will jointly develop innovative solutions in sustainable agriculture, nutrition, health and the ecological transition, in collaboration with EIT Food.
Particular emphasis will also be placed on training through programmes aimed at students, PhD candidates, researchers and university staff to strengthen competences in innovation, entrepreneurship and research valorisation. Drawing on the experience gained through previous EIT Higher Education Initiative projects such as Start for Future, the University of Pisa will act as an EIT HEI Pioneer, supporting the other European partners in building more effective innovation ecosystems while sharing methodologies and good practices that have already proved successful.
The SOPHIA project will also include a cultural and creative dimension to innovation, developed in collaboration with EIT Culture & Creativity. At the University of Pisa, this activity will involve Professor Marilù Chiofalo.
“SOPHIA is a concrete example of a European project focused on knowledge valorisation and the generation of impact,” comments Alessio Cavicchi, the Rector’s Delegate for the Circle U. European Alliance. “Through initiatives such as this, the University of Pisa contributes not only to the development of innovative solutions to the major challenges of our time, but also to the dissemination and sharing of good practices at an international level. Participation in European networks and alliances creates real opportunities for students, researchers and university staff, while strengthening the links between research, education and local communities.”
The EIT Higher Education Initiative
The funding awarded to Circle U. comes from the EIT Higher Education Initiative, a programme promoted by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), an EU body that supports innovation projects in higher education institutions under Horizon Europe.
The programme aims to strengthen entrepreneurship, technology transfer and collaboration between universities, research centres and businesses, helping transform scientific knowledge into innovation with tangible benefits for society.
The 2025 Call is funding 35 projects, representing a total investment of €70 million and involving 552 organisations from 49 countries. SOPHIA was selected under the Building Synergies strand, which promotes collaboration between the EIT’s Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KICs) and the European Universities alliances supported by the Erasmus+ programme.
