Eucentre is a non-profit private law foundation whose mission is to conduct research and provide training and services in earthquake and safety engineering 
Eucentre promotes science, research and innovation for the benefit of the community, offering targeted methodologies and concrete solutions for prevention, safety and resilience. It collaborates with institutions and companies to disseminate competencies for the common good.
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Eucentre carries out research activities in earthquake engineering and risk reduction through laboratory testing and numerical analysis, aiming to improve the seismic performance of structures and soils and to develop innovative seismic retrofitting techniques.
The Foundation promotes diverse and high-quality training activities aimed at academic and professional contexts, with constantly updated and innovative programs and initiatives designed to meet the evolving needs of the sector and society 
Eucentre ensures communication aimed at informing institutions, professionals, and citizens about ongoing activities and projects, with the goal of disseminating useful and accessible content and knowledge. It contributes to promoting a shared and informed culture of prevention and resilience.
The Lombardy Region has launched a new industrial policy model aimed at structurally rethinking collaboration among companies, research, training, and institutions. The Innovation and Development Zones (ZIS) represent the core of this strategy: not simply geographical areas, but organised ecosystems in which public and private players operate according to a standardised plan and share growth objectives.
The initiative, presented during the regional event on November 17th, 2025, as part of the ‘Lombardia Protagonista – Qui Puoi (Lombardy Protagonist – Here You Can)’ tour, stems from the desire to overcome fragmented approaches and foster greater cohesion between areas that, by their very nature, must dialogue: economic development, innovation, universities, higher education and technology transfer.
A new paradigm: from sectoral policies to integrated ecosystems
The ZIS aim to build stable networks by bringing together production chains and knowledge players within a single, long-term strategic framework. The idea is to make the most of territorial specialisations, from advanced manufacturing to hi-tech sectors, through logics similar to those of ‘smart specialisation strategies’, which are now fundamental in the European context. This approach enables concentrating resources, skills, and investments in high-potential areas, avoiding dispersion and duplication.
How a ZIS is created: the two-stage process
The process of creating a ZIS is articulated and requires genuine collaboration among companies, public bodies, universities, and the education sector.
Phase 1 – Expression of Interest and Preliminary Masterplan
In the coming months, public-private partnerships will be able to present a joint Masterplan including
- the thematic and territorial specialisation they intend to focus on;
- economic and employment data of the sector;
- competitiveness and positioning analysis;
- indications on infrastructure, laboratories, services and training needs;
- the economic and financial sustainability of the project;
- a solid Revenue Model (decisive element in the technical evaluation).
For Phase 1, the Lombardy Region is making available a total budget of EUR 1 million. Each proposal may receive a contribution of up to EUR 100,000, covering 50% of the consultancy costs required to prepare the application. Further resources will be allocated to implement the actions envisaged in the Phase 2 Strategic Plans.
Phase 2 – Negotiation and Final Strategic Plan
Partnerships that pass the preliminary assessment will enter a second phase of technical and planning negotiations with the Lombardy Region to draw up the final Strategic Plan.
To be formally recognised as a ZIS, each project will have to define
- a stable and multi-level governance
- measurable objectives and KPIs;
- a five-year business model;
- a long-term strategic vision (horizons 2030-2050);
- strategies to attract investment, talent and new payers.
A maximum of 2 ZISs per province will be established, with no numerical limit on inter-provincial applications. Only one SAC, however, may be recognised at the regional level for each thematic specialisation.
Why the ZIS represent a step change
According to councillor Guido Guidesi, the SIZs are not ‘one more thing’, but an attempt to bring together parts of a jigsaw puzzle built up over three years of industrial policy. The aim is to integrate:
- research and innovation;
- university and technical training;
- attraction of investment and talent;
- financial instruments, credit and private initiatives;
- technology transfer centres and clusters.
The Region thus aims to create permanent structures capable of intervening in the strategic sectors of Lombardy’s manufacturing industry through coordinated, non-fragmented interventions. The proposed model also tends towards simplification, connecting realities that today operate individually, often without complete mutual visibility.
The long-term expectation: economic and social impacts
The extended time horizons (2030-2050) will make it possible to measure not only the capacity of the ZIS to generate economic value, but also
- the impact on skilled employment;
- the quality of work and dissemination of good practices;
- the adoption of innovative business tools;
- The growth of territorial competitiveness.
The model thus aims not only at industrial development, but also at the evolution of the social fabric and culture of innovation.
Pavia: the microelectronics district at the centre of the ZIS strategy
For the province of Pavia, the ZIS represents a particularly relevant opportunity. The territory is one of the most advanced Italian districts in microelectronics.
With over 20 companies and around 500 engineers employed, the Pavia district has already been presented by President Attilio Fontana as an example of Lombardy’s excellence, capable of attracting investment and highly specialised skills. The presence of the Chips.it Foundation, a government-funded national centre for microchip design, further strengthens the area’s position in international semiconductor competition.
Local companies today require middle managers and specialised technicians: this is why the province has launched free training courses in collaboration with the production fabric, demonstrating an immediate response to emerging needs.
According to the pro-rector of research at the University of Pavia, competition in the microchip sector is ‘extreme’. It requires continuous investment and a structured involvement of universities, especially in technology transfer, advanced training, and support for industrial research.
Why is this model also of interest to the earthquake engineering sector
Although the Pavia ZIS is focused on microelectronics, the principle underlying the initiative, i.e. building territorial ecosystems with shared governance, is also entirely relevant to the sector of seismic risk prevention, innovation in building materials and systems, and infrastructure safety technologies.
The logic of the ZIS enhances elements that have always been central to the Eucentre Foundation’s mission:
- multidisciplinary applied research;
- collaboration between universities, companies and institutions;
- training of advanced skills;
- technology transfer to support the production system;
- long-term strategic vision.
The systemic approach promoted by the Region consolidates the idea that innovation and competitiveness require stable networks, planning and a shared commitment to the territory.