Knowledge Transfer and Entrepreneurship
DSEA develops structured relationships with public institutions, companies, professional bodies, foundations, third-sector organisations, universities and research centres to connect academic expertise with economic, managerial and societal challenges.
These relationships support collaborative and commissioned research, scientific consultancy, strategic initiatives, professional education, Public Engagement and student activities. Through these different channels, the Department translates research-based knowledge into evidence, methods, tools, learning opportunities and innovative solutions.
DSEA presents its collaborations through their objectives, activities and results, rather than as a list of individual commercial partners. This approach reflects the Department’s public mission, academic independence and commitment to transparency and mutual value creation.
Partnerships and Collaborative Research
DSEA works with external organisations through different forms of collaboration, selected according to the nature of the challenge, the expertise required and the expected outcomes.
These collaborations may involve funded and commissioned research, scientific consultancy, policy and regulatory analysis, strategic projects, research positions, educational activities and Public Engagement. They address areas such as digital and sustainable transformation, energy and environmental policy, artificial intelligence, finance, organisational development, welfare and social inclusion.
Partnerships are particularly valuable when they develop over time and connect more than one area of the Department’s mission, combining research, education, student opportunities and societal dialogue.
How We Collaborate
DSEA works with external organisations through different forms of collaboration, selected according to the nature of the challenge, the expertise required and the expected outcomes.
Funded and Commissioned Research
Research projects developed with external organisations to investigate economic, managerial, technological and public-policy challenges.
Consultancy and Expert Advice
Research-based expertise supporting organisational decisions, evaluation processes, regulatory analysis, reporting systems and institutional planning.
Strategic and Multi-channel Partnerships
Long-term relationships connecting research, education, stakeholder engagement and the development of shared initiatives.
Public Engagement and Knowledge Dissemination
Conferences, reports, professional forums and other activities that make academic knowledge accessible and relevant to external communities.
Spin-offs and Intellectual Property
Knowledge transfer is the process through which research findings, methods and expertise are made available beyond the academic community.
DSEA contributes to this process through applied reports, policy briefs, professional publications, analytical tools, advisory activities and research-based solutions. These outputs may support evidence-informed policy, organisational innovation, professional practice and public debate.
Academic entrepreneurship provides a further pathway for translating research into applications with practical and societal value. Where appropriate, research results may also be protected and valorised through patents and other forms of intellectual property within the University of Padova’s institutional framework.
These initiatives illustrate how research in economics and management can be transformed into scalable tools and services with applications beyond academia:
BrandRatio is an AI platform able to measure and enhance brand positioning for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The software evaluates storytelling quality and audience engagement, linking brand health to actual financial performance. The analytical framework focuses on three core pillars required to build a premium brand:
- Narrative authenticity: sharing company expertise and craftsmanship through verifiable proofs.
- Meaningful experience: building customer relationships that tangibly demonstrate product value.
- Community relationships: cultivating a strong reputation to bypass supply chain dependencies and engage directly with the global market.
This tool fills a market gap by providing small businesses with advanced metrics and insights previously accessible only to large multinational groups.
Rozes develops artificial intelligence algorithms to combat financial crime and support risk intelligence, helping to protect entrepreneurs, businesses and public administrations against fraud, money laundering, bankruptcy fraud and other financial offences.
The spin-off, established within the Department of Economics and Management “Marco Fanno”, has patented the world’s first artificial intelligence algorithm capable of identifying companies potentially involved in criminal activity or at risk of insolvency. It does so by measuring the degree of similarity between a company’s financial statements and those of companies linked to organised crime.
Student-led Initiatives
DSEA recognises the contribution of student-led initiatives to academic life, experiential learning and engagement with the professional and wider community.
The Department may grant institutional patronage to initiatives proposed by recognised student associations and groups when they are consistent with its educational mission, academic standards and institutional values. Institutional patronage recognises the educational and cultural relevance of an initiative. It does not necessarily imply that DSEA is the organiser of the event or that it endorses the commercial interests of participating external organisations. These activities complement formal teaching by creating opportunities for students to explore current economic and managerial issues, develop transversal skills and interact with professionals, entrepreneurs, alumni and other stakeholders. Over the course of time, the Department supported a broad range of student-led events, including seminars, festivals, hackathons, business games and professional-orientation activities.
Experiential Learning and Professional Orientation
Student associations organise activities that bring students into direct contact with professional fields, organisational challenges and evolving labour-market opportunities. Seminars, business games and networking events help participants better understand different career paths and apply knowledge acquired during their studies.
Forvis Mazars Business Game
https://www.instagram.com/sfclubpadova/?hl=it
An experiential learning initiative in which students worked in teams on a business challenge, applying analytical, decision-making and presentation skills. The programme included a kick-off session on 5 May and a final round on 19 May 2026.
Initiative promoted by the Young Chartered Accountants Association
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1wbn8wlAL4CsoTnedMMWrmTofER0W6Jzb/view?usp=sharing
An opportunity for students to engage with members of the accounting profession and gain insights into professional pathways, evolving skills requirements and the practical challenges faced by chartered accountants.
Entrepreneurship, Finance and Innovation
Student-led initiatives provide spaces in which entrepreneurial ideas, financial knowledge and technological innovation can be explored through dialogue with practitioners and project-based activities. These events encourage initiative, critical thinking, teamwork and an understanding of how organisations respond to change.
Inside Innovation: Paradigm and Start-up
https://www.instagram.com/sfclubpadova/?hl=it
An event dedicated to entrepreneurship and innovation, providing students with an opportunity to explore emerging business models, start-up development and the organisational changes associated with innovation.
Economic Debate and Social Impact
Other initiatives create opportunities for students and the wider community to engage with economic, social and geopolitical issues. Festivals, public discussions and challenge-based activities support informed debate and connect economic knowledge with societal and international developments.
WHAT IF – Economics Festival 2024
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1OEJFkL8EjMCub-S6DoCKBEAwsjZjsTWU/view?usp=sharing
Student Entrepreneurship and Challenge-based Learning
DSEA promotes entrepreneurial skills through experiential and challenge-based learning activities that enable students to work on real economic, organisational and societal problems.
Hackathons, innovation challenges and multidisciplinary projects provide opportunities to generate ideas, analyse complex issues and develop practical solutions within a limited timeframe. Students work individually or in teams, interact with members of the teaching staff, professionals and external stakeholders, and present their proposals to academic and practitioner audiences.
These activities complement formal teaching by strengthening initiative, creativity, teamwork, communication, problem-solving and the ability to translate knowledge into feasible projects. While they do not necessarily lead directly to the creation of a new venture, they contribute to the development of an entrepreneurial mindset and greater awareness of innovation processes.
https://www.instagram.com/p/DW9FLNPiLr2/
