The University’s ‘Third Mission’
Besides traditional university missions (‘higher education and training’ and ‘research’), “Tor Vergata” is working hard to develop new activities linked to the so called ‘Third Mission’. Through the Third Mission Universities can activate direct interaction processes with the civil society, institutions and the entrepreneurial fabric aiming at promoting social innovation and growth in local areas.
In such field recent agreements with IBM were set up in order to deepen research issues linked to methodology, technologies and innovative ICT applications (Big Data, Cloud, Cybersecurity, Smartcities, etc.). The same goes for the Italian National Body for Microcredit (Ente Nazionale del Microcredito) to create development programmes and support microentrepreneurship.
In this sense, the University of Rome Tor Vergata started an ongoing dialogue with institutions and businesses, offering support to the creation and development of innovative enterprises. In particular, the cooperation between Lazio universities and Lazio production system gave way to the Business Incubator, i.e. a project ‘open’ to businesses and integrated in the region, a strategic hub for academic institutions that have an impact on the same area: Lazio Region and Central-Southern Italy.
Moreover, at the University of Rome Tor Vergata being active in the ‘Third Mission’ means forging a link among the world of university education, schools and workplace, in order for companies and the civil society to find in loco the skills they need and provide young people with a correct guidance to their work placement.