AEP – Ticketing Solutions is now the leading Italian company that designs and manufactures systems and devices for electronic ticketing systems. AEP is part of the international Modaxo group and is recognized by customers as a specialist in the field and a reliable partner, playing a leading role in the evolutionary process of Electronic Ticketing Systems for public transport. AEP mainly operates in Italy and France but has implemented systems and supplies in 15 other countries worldwide.

In 2017, AEP acquired the Monetica sector activities from Finmeccanica / Leonardo and is now a supplier of devices and systems for Italian companies such as ATM Milano, GTT Torino, Trenord, Tper Bologna, and many others.

AEP has four offices in Italy: Florence (Signa), the headquarters, Genoa, Milan, and Brescia.

Cloud4Wi is changing the way businesses connect with customers. Their comprehensive location-based suite provides the best tools to deliver exceptional customer experiences, systematically helping businesses promote loyalty and revenue. Many leading companies, including Armani, Burger King, Campari Group, Carmila, Guess, Prada Group, The Cordish Companies, and Valentino, rely on Cloud4Wi.

Cloud4Wi is headquartered in New York with offices in San Francisco, Pisa, and Milan.

Innovation in Sciences & Technologies – IsTECH is a Knowledge Lean Innovative Company (KLIC), a technological innovation company founded in 2011 by a group of managers and scientists with over twenty years of experience in management and advanced research fields, including cutting-edge technologies.

IsTECH operates from research to market introduction (“from cradle to grave”) based on innovative, flexible, and scalable methods and models. Their goal is to provide state-of-the-art technological solutions by collaborating with qualified external partners in multidisciplinary projects and initiatives within an integrated supply chain.

Registered in the special register of Innovative SMEs, IsTECH has project areas spanning from new materials to energy, from biotech to the environment. IsTECH has developed and patented the technology and related solutions called “APA – Air Pollution Abatement,” a recognized and validated revolution in the field of Clean Technologies for effective environmental protection and human health, contributing to environmental, social, and economic sustainability following the principles and paradigms of the circular economy.

APA is an intelligent, multi-functional, scalable, and flexible air cleaning platform that doesn’t use filters and is based on the use of simple water. It’s designed for extensive applications in all aspects of life and work, both indoors and outdoors, at the industrial level, in workplaces, and even in urban areas (railway and subway stations, buildings, commercial centers and malls, schools and universities, theaters, museums and cultural sites, healthcare and hospital facilities, ports and airports, transportation hubs, and similar environments).

APA purifies the air we breathe and effectively eliminates particulate matter, IPA, heavy metals, light hydrocarbons, pollen, spores, NOx, SOx, CO2, microorganisms, and harmful substances for human health and the environment, all without using filters or generating waste.

Starting from its pioneering functional implementations developed in collaboration with CUBIT, APA has gradually evolved through targeted paths of open innovation and entrepreneurial risk mitigation. This disruptive innovation has been implemented by the spin-off Is CLEAN AIR Italia S.r.l. (trading under the name “ISCLEANAIR”), which is now industrialized and realized to enable large-scale applications.

Thanks to its versatile and multi-design characteristics, APA also facilitates the development of intelligent solutions that allow for rethinking and redesigning urban spaces, especially through integrated multidisciplinary projects. APA enables the creation of integrated, modular, and highly sustainable projects, particularly in the medical field, from both a financial and operational perspective.

The APA technology represents the flagship project initiated by IsTECH based on a forward-thinking vision that focuses on the added value of innovation and technology applied for tangible economic and social benefit. It was a visionary and daring direction taken about a decade ago, driven by the awareness that “the best way to positively live in a harmonious and congenial future is to create it directly!”

NetResults is a company founded in 2006 by a group of professors, researchers, and young collaborators (TlcNetGroup – Telecommunications Networks Group) from the Department of Information Engineering at the University of Pisa. They have acquired profound knowledge in the field of telecommunications networks. NetResults’ aim is to transfer scientific results obtained from academic research in the field of networking into innovative network components and devices.

The company develops ICT systems for digital transformation in businesses, with a strong focus on Industry 4.0 and Smart Working, particularly in the areas of VoIP and MoIP. Their technologies optimize communication processes and simplify the Business-to-Employee (B2E) relationship.

Through Kalliope, a platform designed for System Integrators and Service Providers, NetResults provides solutions in the field of Unified Communications & Collaboration (UCC). With Atena, they design and develop systems for perceptual measurement of the Quality of Experience for IT services (Testing & Monitoring).

Picotron Srl is an engineering and consulting company with specific expertise in the virtualization and Green IT ecosystem, Green Data Centers, and open and closed-source Cloud Computing architectures. Picotron has over a decade of experience in designing and managing complex business-critical information infrastructures. They have experience in designing local and national-scale networks for telecommunications operators, ISPs, and medium to large enterprises. Picotron specializes in building dedicated Storage Farms to manage significant amounts of data or for critical applications requiring high reliability.

In the field of virtualization and consolidation processes, Picotron has executed projects using both closed-source and open-source enterprise technologies. They pay particular attention to ensuring the protection, continuity, and governance of the solution through the use of backup systems, replication, measurement, control, management systems, and automation (orchestration tools).

In the realm of Green Data Centers, Picotron has been involved in designing and building high energy-efficient Data Centers (Green Data Centers) to TIA 942 standards for both public and private clients. They have established collaborations and partnerships with leading manufacturers such as VMware, Cisco, Veeam, Citrix, and Nexenta, as well as companies with highly advanced vertical competencies. This in-depth knowledge of the market, industry leaders, and innovative technological startups allows Picotron to provide clients with assistance in product and technology analysis, selection, and evaluation. They conduct infrastructure assessments and competitive vendor-independent analyses.

Picotron has well-established research collaborations with universities, research centers, and spin-off companies to study leading-edge technologies in Network Virtualization, Software Defined Networking, and innovative metrics for defining Green SLAs in distributed cloud environments. The company also contributed to the design of the Data Center for the Tuscany Region, providing specialized consulting for the overall infrastructure design, the development of the VMware vCloud Cloud environment, and new projects for highly reliable, distributed cloud architectures in metropolitan and geographic areas.

It’s a platform for innovation development that connects businesses, startups, and centers of excellence to create new business and development opportunities for the region. This is the Technological Center of Navacchio, established in 2000 just a few kilometers from Pisa, now the Tuscan hub for innovation and digital transformation.

It’s a multifunctional facility covering 20,000 square meters, housing offices, laboratories, and facilities dedicated to fostering the birth and growth of new businesses. More than sixty companies engaged in innovation and development operate here. This space accommodates over 700 individuals with highly specialized technical and scientific backgrounds and a high level of dynamism.

It’s a true Innovation Ecosystem where the digital transformation of businesses in Tuscany and the “Made in Italy” industries can be nurtured and encouraged.

R.i.CO. was founded in 1978 in Castelfidardo (AN), where it operates from a 20,000 square meter production facility. With over forty years of history and experience, R.i.CO. has grown and now possesses the know-how and departments necessary to oversee every phase of the production process, from prototype design to mass production of the finished product.

R.i.CO. also designs and internally manufactures the machinery required for production and testing, ensuring maximum efficiency and responsiveness in delivering products or evolving existing ones. With a strong network both in Italy and abroad, R.i.CO. works directly with some of the world’s leading automotive OEMs (including Audi, Volkswagen, Lamborghini, Bugatti) and indirectly with major industrial groups.

As one of the founding members of CUBIT, in 2013, R.i.CO. opened an office in Pisa at the Technological Center of Navacchio, dedicated to training new highly specialized personnel and creating new lines of research and innovative products. R.i.CO. has established technology transfer framework agreements with important research centers, including the Department of Information Engineering at the University of Pisa, the “E. Piaggio” Research Center, the NEST Laboratory of the Scuola Normale Superiore for nanotechnologies and PVD and Sputtering production processes, the Department of Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering at the University of Florence, and the Department of Biology at the University of Naples “Federico II.

The associated firm RQR&partners has a specialized branch dedicated to Business Case development and provides consulting services to companies in the telecommunications (TLC) and information technology (IT) sectors. In particular, they assist companies in creating Business Case Models, structuring Project Financing operations, and optimizing the tax impact during the launch of new technologies in the target market.

RQR&partners has developed its own methodology for business analysis and support, characterized by four main phases: Business Model, Project Financing, Market, and Enterprise Value.

SECO was founded in Arezzo in 1979 by the creativity and entrepreneurial spirit of its two founding partners, Daniele Conti and Luciano Secciani.

Over the years, by combining their deep knowledge of the Italian business and industrial landscape with an increasing international focus, SECO developed highly technological know-how to design, develop, and produce cutting-edge solutions for industrial clients.

Listed on the Italian Stock Exchange’s Telematic Stock Market (STAR segment), SECO is now a center of excellence in the field of innovation and technological integration. It operates globally with a product range that spans from miniaturized computers to standard or custom hardware solutions, high-tech complete solutions, and integrated hardware-software systems for highly diverse end markets. These markets include medical, industrial automation, aerospace and defense, wellness, and vending. SECO also offers Clea, an in-house developed end-to-end IoT and AI analytics software platform that delivers high-value insights in real-time based on data generated by on-field devices.

SECO’s R&D capabilities are further strengthened by long-term strategic partnerships with leading tech giants and collaborations with universities, research centers, and innovative startups. The company is committed to corporate social responsibility and undertakes various initiatives to reduce its environmental footprint and increase its positive impact on people and local communities.

The Department of Information Engineering (DII) at the University of Pisa is a center of excellence for research and education in the field of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), Robotics, and Bioengineering.

The department has 95 faculty members and 50 post-doc researchers. The main research areas include Electronics, Applied Electromagnetism, Communication Systems, Information Engineering, Robotics and Automation, and Biomedical Engineering.

In addition to the founding of Cubit, the DII has promoted the creation of 6 spinoffs and collaborates with public and private institutions to provide innovative solutions in key areas of ICT, bridging the gap between academic and industrial research.

The Department is involved in approximately 20 European projects (about 50 in the last three years), with 6 coordinated by DII faculty members, 3 ERC Grants, and 25 regional projects. In addition, there are about 25 commercial projects with companies and nearly 700 collaborations with companies such as Microsoft, Intel, StarCore, ST Microelectronics, Selex Sistemi Integrati, Selex Elsag, Selex Galileo, Tim, Piaggio, Nokia, Marconi, CISCO. As a result of research activities, there are approximately 400 publications each year in specialized journals and international conference proceedings, as well as 64 patents co-authored by faculty members of the Department.

Educational activities are aimed at approximately 4,000 students and 100 doctoral candidates. The Department organizes the Master’s program in Cybersecurity and Summer Schools “Open Medical Device Design“ e “Enabling Technologies for the Internet of Things“.

The Department hosts a unit of the Institute of Electronics, Computer and Telecommunication Engineering (IEIIT) of the National Research Council (CNR), a research unit of CNIT (National Inter-University Consortium for Telecommunications), a joint Research and Development unit with ST Microelectronics-University of Pisa, and a common University-CNR laboratory focused on pervasive computing systems (PERLAB).

In 2018, the DII received the “Department of Excellence” designation from the Italian Ministry of Education, Universities, and Research (MIUR) for the CrossLab project. This project aims to support the Industry 4.0 revolution in Italy through interdisciplinary laboratories open to large, small, and medium-sized enterprises.