Italian inventors growing fast, but isolated from business

(ANSA) - Milan, March 9 - A boom in new patents in 2015 shows Italian inventors are quickly growing in number but they are still fewer than their European colleagues due to lack of synergy with the business and financial worlds, innovation experts said Wednesday at the presentation of the D-nest International Inventors Exhibition to be held in Venice on October 13-16.
    "The fact that patents deposited by Italians grew by 9% in 2015 is a very positive signal, but it's not enough to claim victory," said D-nest Director Gianfranco Gramola. "If we look at the numbers in Europe, we see that Italy has speeded up more than everyone else, it's true - but it only has 3,900 patents," Gramola said.
    "Germany, which fell 3%, has 20,000 patents and France, which is slower than us, is at 10,000. This means we have accumulated a significant delay, which we must make up for".
    Lack of relationships with the business and financial world is the primary reason innovation is being held back, he explained.
    "Italian small and medium businesses do not invest enough in research and innovation," Gramola said.
    "It is a problem of dimensions, but this is exactly why they should learn to network". "Innovation means creating a system - we need to create the conditions for an idea to become successful," said Verona University IT Professor Matteo Cristani, who is also the CEO of D-nest web LTD.
    "Steve Jobs himself would have gone nowhere on his own - we must create places where we can debate and share so that Italian Steve Jobs can also leave their garages and their labs and make their projects a reality," Cristiani said.