What CIMA Research Foundation does

CIMA Research Foundation (Fondazione CIMA) is an Italian non-profit research foundation headquartered in Savona and established in 2007 as the legal evolution of the 1980s Centro Interuniversitario in Monitoraggio Ambientale. It develops and operates scientific platforms and mathematical models for disaster risk reduction, hydrometeorological forecasting, wildfire prediction, and environmental monitoring, serving government civil protection agencies, regional environmental bodies, EU institutions, UN agencies, and academic partners across Italy, the Balkans, Africa, the Caribbean, the Middle East, and South America. The foundation employs 30+ researchers drawn from multiple countries and runs 89+ active projects with 162 collaborating institutions; it is governed by a Board of Directors that includes the Italian Civil Protection Department, the University of Genoa, Regione Liguria, ARPAL, Provincia di Savona, and (since 2024) Regione Autonoma Valle d'Aosta, and it has held statutory designations as a Centro di Competenza (2012), a Struttura Operativa (2018), and a national meteorological entity under ItaliaMeteo (2020).

Its core technology portfolio is anchored by DEWETRA (and the web-based myDEWETRA.world), an integrated decision-support and early-warning platform used operationally by Italian and international civil protection authorities, and by ACRONET, an open-source distributed environmental sensor network. Supporting tools include DesInventar (disaster loss catalog), ERRA and RASOR (multi-hazard risk assessment), and the Sala Situazioni operations room, which functions 365 days/year as a direct-support interface to the Italian Civil Protection Department. The foundation also develops satellite earth observation capabilities — most notably the Hydroterra+ candidate mission for ESA's Earth Explorer 12 program targeting hourly-resolution water cycle observation — and conducts marine research through the Headwind research vessel, the Cetasmus training program, and the High Quality Whale Watching® ecological certification in the Pelagos Sanctuary. ICT delivery is executed in part by wholly-owned subsidiary Fondazione ACROTEC.

CIMA does not operate on commercial pricing; revenue is generated through competitive research grants (EU Horizon Europe, Civil Protection Mechanism, INTERREG), bilateral institutional contracts with civil protection and environmental agencies, technical assistance work for multilateral organizations (UNDRR, World Bank, UNDP), and doctoral and professional training programs. Project acquisition is institutional rather than sales-led, with funding flowing from government channels, EU mechanisms, and international cooperation frameworks. In 2024 the foundation added operational offices in Genoa (co-located with ARPAL) and Bari, and wholly-owned Fondazione ACROTEC serves as its embedded technology arm for platform and sensor development.

Name

CIMA Research Foundation

Legal name

Fondazione CIMA

Website

https://cimafoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

CIMA Research Foundation is an Italian non-profit research foundation that builds and operates scientific platforms (DEWETRA, ACRONET) and mathematical models for disaster risk reduction, hydrometeorological forecasting, wildfire prediction, and environmental monitoring, serving government civil protection agencies, EU institutions, UN agencies, and academic partners globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Research and Disaster Risk Management

NAICS

Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Environmental Consulting Services (54162)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Emergency Management & National Resilience (Civil Protection) (BPAIAAAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Disaster Risk Reduction & Climate Risk Management (BPADALAK), Emergency Preparedness Planning & Readiness (HLAJAGAA)

Keywords

• Disaster risk reduction
• Environmental monitoring
• Early warning systems
• Hydrometeorological forecasting
• Civil protection services

Headquarters

HQ city

Savona

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Research Project Funding: Funding from EU projects, international organizations (UNDRR, World Bank, UNDP), and national government programs for research activities in disaster risk reduction, climate adaptation, and environmental monitoring
2. Institutional Collaborations: Collaborations with civil protection agencies, regional governments, and universities for specialized research and operational support services
3. Training and Education Programs: Revenue from doctoral programs, professional courses, and specialized training in natural risk management and environmental sciences
4. Technical Assistance Contracts: Contracts for technical assistance to strengthen regulatory frameworks and monitoring systems in partner countries

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Fondazione CIMA is a non-profit research foundation that conducts scientific research, develops proprietary platforms (DEWETRA, ACRONET, DesInventar, RASOR), and delivers technical assistance and capacity building for disaster risk reduction, hydrometeorological and wildfire forecasting, and environmental monitoring to governments and international organizations. It directly supports the Italian Civil Protection Department through a 365-day Sala Situazioni operations center and operates internationally via EU, UN, and World Bank-funded projects.

Product overview

CIMA Research Foundation operates as a non-profit research center focused on environmental monitoring and disaster risk reduction. The foundation offers a portfolio of interconnected platforms and services centered around its DEWETRA/miDEWETRA.world platform for civil protection, complemented by specialized tools including ACRONET for distributed sensor networks, DesInventar for disaster loss databases, and ERRA for risk assessment. Marine research capabilities include the Cetasmus training program, the High Quality Whale Watching® ecological certification, and the Headwind research vessel. The foundation's operational capacity is supported by its Sala Situazioni monitoring center, while the RASOR platform enables multi-hazard scenario development. Research areas span hydrological modeling, wildfire prediction, satellite observation, and marine ecosystem conservation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• DEWETRA / myDEWETRA.world A comprehensive decision-support and operational platform for environmental monitoring, disaster risk reduction, and civil protection operations. It provides real-time monitoring, early warning, and decision support for flood and wildfire risk management and is used by Italian and international civil protection agencies.
• ACRONET An open-source hardware and software network of environmental measurement stations implementing distributed sensor networks for real-time data collection on weather, water levels, and environmental conditions. Used for environmental monitoring and civil protection operations.
• DesInventar A disaster inventory and loss data catalog system that creates detailed, geographically located records of historical disasters following a shared methodology for disaster risk analysis. Provided to civil protection agencies, governments, and international organizations.
• Sala Situazioni An operational situation room functioning as a prototype for regional civil protection operations centers, operating 365 days a year and providing direct support to the Italian Dipartimento della Protezione Civile. It also serves as a testing laboratory for applications and procedures.
• RASOR A platform for developing risk assessment scenarios supporting multi-hazard risk analysis for disaster management purposes. It is used by the foundation and partner institutions for scenario-based disaster risk analysis.
• ERRA A platform for risk assessment and analysis supporting disaster risk reduction activities and operational decision-making for civil protection partners.
• Cetasmus Programme A marine research and training program focused on cetacean observation and marine ecosystem monitoring, including dedicated training courses for researchers and practitioners operating in the Mediterranean and ACCOBAMS areas.
• High Quality Whale Watching® A registered ecological quality mark for sustainable whale watching tourism operations, developed to protect marine biodiversity in the Pelagos Sanctuary and certify operators that follow environmentally responsible practices.
• Imbarcazione di ricerca Headwind An 18-meter sailing catamaran research vessel equipped for marine research on large pelagic animals and marine mammals, with capacity to deploy UAVs, ROVs, and AUVs for oceanographic and biological monitoring campaigns.

Quantifiable outcome

• Developed national early warning system for flood and wildfire risk still operational today
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Regione Autonoma Valle d'AostacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Joined governance in 2024 as latest founding partner. Collaborates on mountain environment and civil protection research.
• ARPAL (Agenzia Regionale per la Protezione dell'Ambiente Ligure)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Joined governance in 2019. Collaborates on environmental monitoring and operates an office at ARPAL in Genoa.
• Dipartimento della Protezione Civile (Italian Civil Protection Department)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2007Founding partner and primary institutional collaborator. The foundation was established with support from the Department and maintains ongoing collaborations for national early warning systems, disaster risk management research, and operational support through the Sala Situazioni.
• Università di Genova (University of Genoa)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2007Founding partner represented on the Board of Directors. Collaborates on research projects, doctoral programs, and academic research in environmental sciences and engineering.
• Regione LiguriacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2007Founding partner represented on the Board of Directors. Collaborates on regional environmental monitoring and civil protection activities.
• Provincia di SavonacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2007Founding partner represented on the Board of Directors through its President.
• UNDRR (United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates on disaster risk reduction initiatives globally, including DesInventar methodology promotion and Sendai Framework implementation.
• UNDPcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates on capacity building and disaster risk management projects in various countries.
• European Space Agency (ESA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Earth observation missions. CIMA is developing Hydroterra+ as ESA Earth Explorer 12 candidate mission for hourly water cycle observation.
• ACROTEC (Fondazione ACROTEC)coreTechnology or IntegrationIn-house technology partner for software development, including DEWETRA platform, ACRONET monitoring stations, and other information systems. Multiple ongoing research collaborations and service contracts.
• ACCOBAMSminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational agreement for the conservation of cetaceans in the Mediterranean, supporting marine ecosystem research activities.
• Pelagos SanctuaryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTransboundary marine protected area for Mediterranean marine mammals. CIMA conducts cetacean research and sustainable whale watching certification programs.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Euro-Mediterranean Center on Climate Change (CMCC): Italian non-profit research consortium on climate science and impacts. Highly comparable as a domestic Italian research entity operating in hydrometeorology, climate modeling, and impact assessment, often co-funded by Italian ministries and the EU.
• Deltares: Dutch independent applied research institute specializing in water, subsurface, and infrastructure. Highly comparable to CIMA as a non-profit, mission-driven research foundation delivering hydrological modeling, flood risk forecasting, and early warning systems to governments and international partners.
• HR Wallingford: UK-based independent civil engineering and environmental hydraulics research organization. Comparable to CIMA in providing project-based research, hydraulic modeling, and flood/coastal risk consultancy to governments and international development institutions.
• National Observatory of Athens (NOA): Greek public research center operating BEYOND Centre for earth observation and disaster risk. Comparable to CIMA as a Mediterranean national research organization delivering satellite-based environmental monitoring, early warning systems, and civil protection support.
• IIASA (International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis): Austria-based international research institute applying systems analysis to environmental, climate, and risk challenges. Comparable as an intergovernmentally-funded research foundation producing modeling tools and policy-relevant science for member states.

Broad incumbents

• ECMWF (European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts): Intergovernmental organization producing global numerical weather predictions and Copernicus services. Comparable to CIMA as an institutional hydrometeorological data producer, though much larger in scale and operating a different governance model.
• ISPRA (Italian Institute for Environmental Protection and Research): Italy's national environmental agency under the Ministry of Environment. Comparable as a public research entity in Italy addressing environmental monitoring, hydrology, and risk assessment, though broader in mandate than CIMA's disaster-risk focus.
• United Nations University (UNU): UN academic and research arm conducting policy-relevant research including on climate risk and environmental security. Comparable to CIMA's UN-funded project work and its mission-driven, multi-country research model.

Emerging players

• JBA Risk Management: Private flood and natural hazard risk analytics firm. Comparable to CIMA in flood risk modeling and disaster loss cataloging (analogous to DesInventar), though commercialized rather than grant-funded.
• Reask: Private catastrophe risk analytics firm producing probabilistic natural hazard models. Comparable to CIMA's hydrometeorological and wildfire modeling work, but with a venture-funded, software-as-a-service business model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@CIMAfondazione
• Facebookfacebook.com/cimafoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cima-research-foundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/fondazionecima
• Xx.com/cimafoundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about CIMA Research Foundation