Rome Future Week: The impact of European funds as told by institutions and businesses

As part of the events scheduled for the third edition of Rome Future Week —an event dedicated to the future and innovation—the " Generation of Opportunities " initiative, promoted by the Lazio Region, was held at Link University. The initiative focused on cohesion policies and territorial development strategies, highlighting the concrete impact of European funds : from data to programs, to the stories of businesses, young people, and communities who have found new prospects thanks to tools such as the PR FESR Lazio 2021-2027.

The stage featured not only institutions and managing authorities , but also startups , businesses , and citizens benefiting from regional programs, in a narrative that transformed technical language into tangible experiences, demonstrating how European resources—ESF, ERDF, and EAFRD—translate into development and inclusion tools . The Rome Technopole was also presented during the day, a strategic project that aims to make Lazio a European technology hub, capable of attracting investment and talent.

Rome Future Week is also the occasion to launch a €3 million call for proposals dedicated to startups, SMEs, and young talent, with extra points for female leadership in tech projects: an investment that translates gender equality into a driver of growth and innovation.

Ample space was also dedicated to businesses, testimonials from those who benefited from the funds, and new funding opportunities. The meeting concluded with an institutional discussion with the Lazio Region Councilors, who, from different yet complementary perspectives, emphasized the role of young people and culture as drivers of innovation.

From left: Michele Franzese, Manuela Rinaldi, Giuseppe Schiboni, Simona Renata Baldassarre (Rfw)

September 22, 2025

Simona Renata Baldassarre, Councilor for Culture, Equal Opportunities, Youth and Family Policies, and Civil Service, stated: "Young people and culture represent an extraordinary combination, which, combined with innovation, becomes synonymous with the future. Rome Future Week is a concrete example of this: a place where ideas are transformed into projects, reality, and opportunities. These are opportunities that the Lazio Region promotes with calls for proposals dedicated to culture, art, and music, already underway and soon to be launched. Even those who aren't successful will still have had a valuable experience, developing critical thinking, vision, and creativity: crucial skills for becoming professionals and citizens of the future. This is the spirit that animates Rome Future Week and which we want to make an everyday reality, ideally transforming it into a Rome Future Every Day."

Also central to the institutional debate is the importance of nurturing talent through the creation of inclusive opportunities, transforming the region's energies into shared growth and sustainable development. Giuseppe Schiboni, Councilor for Urban Planning, Labor, School, Training, Research, and Merit, stated: "Opportunities are a fundamental principle of the Lazio Region's administrative and political action. They are aimed primarily at young people, but also at those who, having left the workforce, are experiencing age-related difficulties, as well as all vulnerable individuals, through integration and training programs. Generating opportunities and communicating them effectively is essential: in this sense, Rome Future Week represents a significant opportunity, as it addresses issues deeply rooted in the Region's social fabric. At its core is the development of talent, which must be networked and nurtured so that each individual can fully express their abilities. This is a strategic objective that the Lazio Region intends to pursue with determination."

The choice to host the event at Link University underscores the importance of a symbolic place for education, research, and dialogue between academia and the business world. According to Carlo Alberto Giusti , Rector of Link, "University is the true gateway to the world of work, provided that connections between universities and businesses are strengthened. The primary task of universities today is to enrich students' cognitive capacity, offering an education that is not based on facts but rather open to dialogue and innovation. This is essential in a global context where no one knows for sure what skills will be most in demand in ten or twenty years, what the impact of artificial intelligence will be in the near future, and what the repercussions of global political, economic, and war imbalances will be."

During Rome Future Week, Generazione di Opportunità established itself as a strategic event, demonstrating how cohesion policies are an integral part of the innovation ecosystem and an enabler of collective growth. "This event was one of the key moments of Rome Future Week, demonstrating that the future isn't just about technology. It starts with ideas, concrete investments, and shared opportunities," emphasized the event's founder Michele Franzese .