NOI-Techpark in Bolzano: The "Silicon Valley" of South Tyrol

Collaboration between university, research institutes, and companies

The Technology and Innovation Park in Bolzano opened its doors in 2017. NOI stands for Nature of Innovation, but it also alludes to the German “neu” and the Italian noi - “we”. An innovation district is now growing where an aluminium plant once stood.

The Techpark aims to facilitate collaborations between technology, private industry, science and research. EURAC Research, the Free University of Bolzano and the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft are among those represented on site. One focus of the more than 600 research & development projects and the players in the NOI is on the four technology fields: Green, Food & Health, Digital, Automotive & Automation. But the entire population is also invited to take part in the rich art and culture program and to get to know the Techpark.

As part of the interregional Sunrise project kick-off, MCI Professor Antje Bierwisch and MCI Professor Oliver Som met with the project partners at the Techpark and were able to take part in one of these events. A TechParcour invited experts from and for the skilled trades sector to present innovative and sustainable solutions for companies and institutions. True to the motto parcour: the participants covered meters of altitude and showed legwork, since the stations were spread across the entire site. The NOI Techpark site covers 12 hectares - and they were put to good use! From the greening of buildings to the hygrothermal performance of various materials, this event inspired many visitors with exciting new topics. The architecture office “raumprobe” from Stuttgart was represented with its comprehensive collection of what they call the “healthiest” materials possible. The office sends out physical samples of these materials for companies, inviting them to literally grasp them.

The Fraunhofer Institute showed how they are trying to increase efficiency in building renovation. The BAU-DNS project is trying to research a holistic process to find sustainable, modular and circular ways. The focus is on three pillars: continuous data use, sustainable processes, and systemic production.

A highlight of the event was the presentation by Antje Bierwisch and Oliver Som, who brought together their combined knowledge of business, innovation, and future studies to talk about sustainable futures. Oliver Som started with the status quo of sustainability and its complexity, and explained why it is so difficult for us to understand and adapt to this topic. Antje Bierwisch picked up on this and showed ways that can lead to sustainable change. The “Inner Developmental Goals”, which are the intrinsically motivated counterpart to the Sustainable Developmental Goals (SDGs), name the qualities we need for this. If we cultivate these, we can think systemically and learn to see the economy and society embedded in the environment as a whole.