Abstract

Background
The National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) is part of the Next Generation EU (NGEU) program, the 750 billion euro package, made up of approximately half of grants, agreed by the European Union in response to the pandemic crisis. An economic recovery project dedicated to Member States.
The Recovery and Resilience Plan proposed by Italy, provided for investments and a package of reforms, to which were allocated resources for 191.5 billion euros through the Recovery and Resilience Facility and 30.6 billion through the complementary Fund.
The Italian Plan developed over six missions. Mission 4 "Education and Research'': allocated a total of 31.9 billion euros (30.9 billion from the RRF Facility and 1 from the Fund) with the aim of strengthening the education system, digital and technical-scientific skills, research, and technology transfer.
One of the investments of this mission was dedicated to the creation of National Champions on the development of Key enabling technologies such as HPC, big data; agricultural technologies, sustainable mobility; biodiversity and gene therapy and drugs based on RNA technology.
The University of Padua was the coordinator of a huge project including public, private and business entities from all over Italy on scientific medical advancements on gene therapy and drugs based on RNA technology.
An opportunity of unprecedented scope and ambition.
This submission paved the way to the implementation of the Foundation Developing Gene Therapy and Medicines with RNA Technology, a private entity with 46 Founders and participants members with the ambitious goal to carry out cutting-edge research activities in medical fields, to deliver RNA-based and gene therapy medicinal products and identifying promising candidate drugs/genes in five major areas of human diseases (genetic diseases, cancer, metabolic/cardiovascular diseases, neurodegenerative disorders, and inflammatory/infectious diseases).
Furthermore, the Foundation aims to create and renew research infrastructures and laboratories, and to develop programs that support entrepreneurial initiatives through start-ups and spin-off research programs that enhance specific research results.
The Program received a funding of 320 Million. Activities started on November 1st, 2022, and will last for 36 months.
The Centre operates within a Hub-and-Spoke governance model as required by Ministerial rules, with the Hub responsible for management and coordination activities and the Spokes carrying out research activities.
The proposed presentation will focus on the analysis of tools and instruments introduced to manage huge funding from the Hub and Spoke governance point of view and wants to reflect on the big chance Italy is facing from a managerial point of view in research management, designing expectations and future plans.