CONFINDUSTRIA PIEMONTE

Their core work

Confindustria Piemonte is the regional employers' federation for Piedmont (northwest Italy), representing industrial companies in the Turin area. Within H2020, they operate as part of the ALPS Enterprise Europe Network consortium, delivering innovation management services, business coaching, and growth support to SMEs. Their practical work involves helping small companies access EU instruments (SME Instrument, EIC Pilot), scale up, internationalize, and exploit research results commercially.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In 2014-2016, Confindustria Piemonte focused on foundational innovation management and H2020 competitiveness enhancement for SMEs, with a strong emphasis on business coaching and the SME Instrument. From 2019 onward, their scope broadened significantly toward scale-up support, internationalization, digitization, and helping companies exploit research and innovation results — reflecting the EU's shift from the SME Instrument to the EIC Pilot. This evolution shows a move from basic EU funding navigation toward more ambitious growth-oriented and technology transfer services.

Moving toward helping SMEs commercialize research outputs and scale internationally, aligned with EIC and post-H2020 priorities.

How they like to work

Confindustria Piemonte primarily participates as a partner rather than leading consortia — they coordinated only one early project (ALPSKAM14) and joined four others. Their network is notably local: 8 unique partners all within one country, reflecting their role in a stable regional EEN consortium (ALPS) rather than building diverse European partnerships. Working with them means accessing a well-established regional business support network in northwest Italy, though they are not a hub for pan-European consortium building.

Their collaboration network is entirely domestic — 8 partners within Italy, all part of the recurring ALPS EEN consortium serving the Piedmont and northwest Italy region. No cross-border partnerships visible in H2020 data.

What sets them apart

As a major regional employers' federation, Confindustria Piemonte offers direct access to the industrial fabric of Piedmont — one of Italy's strongest manufacturing regions centered on Turin. Unlike research institutes or consultancies, they represent actual companies and can mobilize their member base for technology adoption, pilot testing, or market validation. For EU project coordinators, they are a gateway to Italian SMEs rather than a technical partner.

Highlights from their portfolio

• ALPSKAM14
  Their only coordinated project — launched their KAM (Key Account Management) and innovation management service line for SMEs in 2014.
• ALPS INN3 (2020-2021)
  Largest single grant (EUR 86,596) and most mature service offering, covering EIC Pilot, internationalization, digitization, and research exploitation.