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​MUSA, New Ideas in Sustainability and Digitalization

, by Via Sarfatti 25 Editors
The project involving four Milanese universities Bicocca, Politecnico, Bocconi and University of Milan funded for 110 million euros by the PNRR, was presented today. The initiative sees the collaboration of 24 public and private entities and aims to transform the metropolitan area into an ecosystem of innovation for urban regeneration

An ecosystem of technology and sustainable innovation is being created in Milan. The four major Milanese universities are already working to give a new face to the city. The collaboration between the University of Milan-Bicocca, the proposing body, Politecnico di Milano, Bocconi University and the State University of Milan bears the name of MUSA, Multilayered Urban Sustainability Action. It will enable the development of smart solutions for renewable energy and waste management, study new models of green mobility, create an incubation and acceleration pole for startups, optimize the use of big data for the health and well-being of citizens, develop new sustainable finance solutions, and create the conditions for an increasingly inclusive society, free from inequalities.

The goal is to transform the metropolitan area of Milan into an ecosystem of innovation for urban regeneration, a model that can be replicated at national and European level. This is the ambitious challenge that the four universities will face in the next three years thanks to the numerous partnerships with public and private entities and a total investment of 116 million euros, financed for 110 million by the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR).

The resources will be used to finance applied research, training and technology and knowledge transfer, with the aim of reducing the gap between the academic world and the productive fabric. The approach is innovative and inclusive, aiming to activate co-creation processes with local authorities, civil society and the third sector.

The MUSA project inaugurates a new model of public-private collaboration, based on the economic, social and environmental sustainability of city spaces. There are six areas of intervention in the project (technically called "spokes"), each coordinated by one or more universities:

  • Urban regeneration
  • Big Data and Open Data for Life Sciences
  • Entrepreneurship and technology transfer
  • Economic impact and sustainable finance, coordinated by Bocconi
  • Sustainable fashion, luxury and design
  • Innovation for sustainable and inclusive societies


"The spirit of collaboration that in recent years has transformed Milan and its universities into a true network of higher education and research has been decisive for the design of the innovation ecosystem funded by the PNRR," said Gianmario Verona, rector of Bocconi University. "Within MUSA, the specificities of each partner university are pooled to create a new way of doing technology transfer with direct repercussions on the Milanese territory. Bocconi will have the task of leading a spoke that focuses on financial education and technological impact in support of sustainability, within the context of the impact analysis of the various activities.»

Researchers and companies will collaborate to promote a sustainable and transferable urban transition in other places. The strong point will be the collaboration with research centers and institutions in Southern Italy with the aim of sharing technologies, innovation processes, feasibility plans, and transfer actions to those areas.

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