DHITECH S.c.a.r.l.
High Technology Cluster
was established in 2005 in the framework of a program agreement signed by the Italian Ministry of Education, University and Research and Apulia Regional Government.

Dhitech is a limited liability consortium of public institutions and private companies that operate in the Apulia Region and carry out joint technological researches. Its partners are:
Università del Salento; C.N.R. - Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche; Università degli studi di Bari; Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia; Politecnico di Bari; Provincia di Lecce; ENGINEERING Ingegneria Informatica Spa; EXPRIVIA Spa; TMicroelectronics Srl; ALENIA AERMACCHI SpA; Nuovo Pignone Srl; TRE Spa - Tozzi Renewable Energy; GE Avio Srl; Clio Spa; Ghimas Spa; LINKS Management and Technology Spa; Ospedale San Raffaele Srl; Confindustria Lecce; NA-IF Srl.

Our mission
The main mission of the Dhitech is to promote innovation within the regional SME system, in the framework of the regional, national and EU policies thanks to joint activities of public research institutions and private companies.

The aim is to enhance technological transfer and the creation of new high-tech enterprises.

Nowadays, the DHITECH is carrying out its own 2012-2015 Strategic plan, funded by the “PON-Ricerca e Competitività” Program of Italian Ministry of Education, University and Research in accordance with the Apulia Regional Government and within the actions of the European Fund for Regional Development.
The aim of the strategic plan is to promote and organize an “Ecosystem of Innovative High Tech Entrepreneurship”, fostering the innovation and technology transfer process and the establishment of start-ups and spin-offs.

Socio-technical systems
On the basis of research partners’ scientific excellence, operating in the main productive areas of the regional economic system, the DHITECH has addressed its activities to the following technological areas:

► Molecular nanotechnologies for Health and Environment;
► Tissue Engineering for the Regenerative Medicine;
► Information and Communication Technologies for Products and Services.

Living Labs
The Dhitech will pursue its goals mainly by means of the Living Labs, where junior and senior researchers, SME, Public institutions and final users work together to define research products, test their effectiveness and evaluate their business capabilities.
A specific Living Lab will be activated in each technical area of the High Technology Cluster.
Three Living Labs are part of the European Network of Living Lab – ENoLL:
- "Puglia Smart Lab" focused on Knowledge Intensive Services.
- "TIE Living Lab" (TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION ECOSYSTEM) an entrepreneurial-minded Community.
- "KLIO Lab" Knowledge-based Lifecycle Innovation.

Education
Within the 2012 – 2015 Strategic Plan, the District is also managing a II level master school, involving 61 students with a degree in engineering, physics, chemistry, biology, economics and management. This two years course is based both on educational activities and on-the-job research training.

The professional profile pursued is an Innovator/Entrepreneur, able to evaluate the innovation and business capability of research products, in order to transfer them in a high-tech enterprise or to set up a start-up company.

The national and international context
Dhitech’s activities are oriented towards the socio-economic growth of Apulia Region considering both national and EU context.
The Dhitech is hence active member of the governance board of the National Technological Cluster for Smart Communities and partner of the National Technological Cluster of Future Manufacturing.

Following to the new EU program Horizon 2020, the Dhitech is carefully focusing on future objectives and establishing new relationships with other European Clusters.

We believe the role of the Dhitech to be effective for several local companies (ICT, Aerospace, Manufacturing, Biomedical, Biotechnology, Electronics, etc) and able to sustain the economic and social development of the Apulia Region.

Public Institutions

Università del Salento                        32,00 %
C.N.R. consiglio nazionale delle ricerche                        15,70 %
Università degli studi di Bari                         3,83 %
Istituto Italiano di tecnologia                          3,35 %
Politecnico di Bari                          2,39 %
Provincia di Lecce                          1,44 %

 

Private Companies

Engineering Ingegneria Informatica SpA                            8,16 %
Exprivia SpA                            5,23 %
STMicroelectronics Srl                            5,23 %
Alenia Aermacchi SpA                            2,87 %
Nuovo Pignone Srl                            2,39 %
TRE Spa - Tozzi Renewable Energies                            2,39 %
GE Avio Srl                            2,24 %
Clio SpA                            1,89 %
Ghimas Spa                            1,86 %
Links management and technology Spa                            1,86 %
Ospedale San Raffaele Srl                            1,86 %
Altea Spa                            1,80 %
ESI ITALIA Srl                            1,80 %
Confindustria Lecce                            1,44 %
NA-IF Srl                            0,27 %