Fondazione Agire

The Agire Foundation is the innovation agency of the Canton of Ticino, established with the mission of promoting and disseminating innovation and technological development in existing businesses and new startups. Its goal is to increase regional competitiveness and create highly qualified jobs. The Foundation offers support to both small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and startups. For SMEs, Agire provides free, neutral, and confidential support for innovation projects, including initial situation analysis, the search for best solutions, and implementation support, covering areas such as applied research, patents, and digitalization. They also offer a Digital Coach service to guide companies on their digital transformation journey and an Intellectual Property guidance service. For startups, the Foundation offers tools and coaching to guide them to success, directs them to existing initiatives, and connects them with useful stakeholders. It also manages the Tecnopolo Ticino, a growth platform for young innovative companies, and the Boldbrain Startup Challenge accelerator. Agire serves as the entry point to the Regional Innovation System (SRI) for all support requests. The Agire Foundation's primary target audience is twofold: on the one hand, local Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) seeking to innovate or digitize their processes; on the other, startups and young innovative companies seeking support for growth and development. They also reach out to independent inventors and university researchers for intellectual property issues.