Genova Launches the Dual-Use Academy to Support Businesses in Strategic Technologies

Genoa Launches the Dual-Use Academy to Support Businesses in Strategic Technologies

Genova is positioning itself as a national reference point in the field of dual-use technologies with the launch of the Dual-Use Academy, an initiative promoted by the Genova Chamber of Commerce, the Start 4.0 Competence Center, the University of Genova, and RINA. The project aims to support the productive sector in understanding and managing dual-use technologies, an increasingly important field for industrial innovation and access to international markets.

Dual-use technologies are solutions developed primarily for civilian applications that can also be used in areas related to security, defense, or strategic control. This is a particularly complex sector, regulated at the European level by EU Regulation 821/2021, and one that is expected to play an increasingly significant role in the evolution of European research and innovation programs.

Further complexity is added by the emergence of so-called Emerging Disruptive Technologies (EDTs), which include artificial intelligence, advanced robotics, autonomous systems, quantum technologies, next-generation semiconductors, biotechnology, space technologies, advanced connectivity systems, innovative materials, and energy solutions. These fields currently represent some of the most advanced frontiers of research and industrial innovation.

In this context, the ability to correctly identify the characteristics of developed technologies and comply with export regulations is becoming increasingly important. Companies—particularly micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises, which make up the vast majority of Liguria’s productive fabric—are required to deal with increasingly complex procedures related to export control, technological security, and the management of risks associated with global value chains.

The Dual-Use Academy was established precisely to address these needs through an integrated approach that brings together complementary expertise. On one side, the experience of the Start 4.0 Competence Center in digitalization and security processes; on the other, the role of the Genova Chamber of Commerce in supporting business innovation, alongside the interdisciplinary expertise of the University of Genova and the certification, testing, and risk assessment activities carried out by RINA.

The initiative will offer advanced training programs for entrepreneurs, technical managers, export managers, and compliance professionals, with courses dedicated to European and international regulations, technology classification processes, and responsibilities related to export activities. In addition to training, the Academy will provide assessment services, support for the classification of products and prototypes, testing activities, and tailored guidance programs for companies involved in the design, production, or commercialization of potentially dual-use technologies.

The new Academy also aims to foster dialogue between research institutions, industry, and the broader productive sector through workshops, specialized laboratories, and discussion forums focused on the opportunities and implications of emerging technologies.

The ultimate goal of the Dual-Use Academy is to promote a stronger culture of technological, regulatory, and organizational awareness, helping companies develop innovation in a responsible, secure, and competitive manner. This initiative seeks to strengthen businesses’ ability to operate successfully in increasingly complex markets while enhancing the valuable technological and industrial expertise available within the region.

Edited by Rebeca Burgos