Innovation and Intellectual Property: The Department of Agriculture focuses on protecting trademarks and patents in Calabria.

The "FS Nesci" Seminar Room of the Department of Agriculture at the Università Mediterranea di Reggio Calabria hosted the training seminar: "Protected Innovation: How Trademarks and Patents Strengthen Businesses, Universities, and the Region - Focus Calabria." The meeting aimed to inform and update professionals, experts, companies, and technicians on how to effectively protect their intellectual and industrial assets, a strategic asset for ensuring added value to ideas and investments.

The event, opened by Marco Poiana, Director of the Department of Agriculture, marked the beginning of a qualified and synergistic exchange between the academic, professional, and business worlds, and involved the major institutional and professional bodies in the area involved in the protection of intellectual and industrial property.

Speakers at the panel included Dr. Antonino Tramontana, President of the Reggio Calabria Chamber of Commerce, and Dr. Francesca Chirico, Vice President of Confindustria Reggio Calabria, as well as representatives of the professional associations of Architects, Food Technologists, Engineers, Accountants, and Agronomists and Foresters. They emphasized the importance of providing businesses and professionals with the opportunity to better understand the protection of industrial and intellectual property rights. They also emphasized how these tools are vital to the national economy and contribute significantly to the success of Made in Italy products, effectively safeguarding the fruits of investments in creative and innovative activities in an increasingly globalized world.

The technical heart of the seminar was the presentations by two speakers, Dr. Giovanna Del Bene (Italian and European Trademark Attorney) and Dr. Dorotea Rigamonti (Italian and European Patent Attorney), representing Thinx Srl, a national consulting firm dedicated to supporting businesses in protecting their industrial property. They described intellectual property tools, with a particular focus on trademarks and patents, and their importance in leveraging research investments and thus preserving the region's identity, with a particular focus on Calabria. Their presentations highlighted how promoting Calabria also involves protecting its trademarks and patents, which are essential tools for protecting the identity, quality, and uniqueness of local products. They also highlighted how protecting innovation and the region's excellence strengthens its economic competitiveness and promotes sustainable development that combines tradition, creativity, and growth.

The participation of the main employers' associations confirms the Agricultural Department of the Università Mediterranea di Reggio Calabria as a leading force in disseminating knowledge and demonstrates how the promotion and dissemination of research findings and best practices can drive development for the Reggio Calabria Metropolitan Area and the entire region, with a view to the integrated growth of the Calabrian region.