Fondazione Restart

What Fondazione Restart does

Fondazione RESTART is an Italian non-profit foundation established in January 2023 to coordinate and execute the RESTART program (RESearch and innovation on future Telecommunications systems and networks, to make Italy more smart), Italy's largest public R&D initiative in telecommunications. The foundation operates as the Hub of a Hub-and-Spokes organizational structure, managing 27 partner institutions (universities, research centers, and companies) organized across 8 thematic Spokes covering major areas such as 5G/6G cellular networks, satellite networks, high-capacity fixed networks, distributed cloud, integrated optics, optical computing, AI, programmable hardware, and sensing technologies. Its activities are structured around 7 missions: Research (32 projects including 14 structural and 18 focused), Laboratories/Proof of Concept/Demonstrators, Innovation and Technology Transfer, Support for Start-ups and Spin-offs, Education and Training, Research Doctorates, and Communication/Standardization/Open Source Solutions.

The foundation does not sell products or services commercially. It is funded entirely by a 116 million euro grant from the European Union NextGenerationEU under Italy's National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) M4C2 Investment 1.3, originally allocated for a 3-year period from January 2023 to December 2025. Its 'outputs' are research publications (including Network Digital Twins whitepapers contributing to 3GPP standardization, the RESTART Book, and techno-economic foresight documents), laboratory infrastructure (e.g., the iTNT-NS Laboratory at Politecnico di Bari with a 2.5 million euro investment, and the PROGNOSE Laboratory at Politecnico di Torino), technology transfer events targeting Italian SMEs, startup acceleration programs (15 startups awarded 120,000 euros in the inaugural AI for Networks contest), and educational programs including the TLC Games national competition (300+ students in 2025, 160+ in 2026) and Short Masters for professional training.

The foundation's target beneficiaries include the Italian academic research community, SMEs seeking digital transformation, the domestic telecommunications industry (with direct engagement from TIM, WindTre, Open Fiber, and FiberCop), innovative startups in AI and networks, and secondary school students exposed to telecommunications career pathways. Leadership is structured around Program Coordinator Nicola Blefari Melazzi, Scientific Coordinator Antonio Capone, and Director Adele Del Bello.

Name

Fondazione Restart

Legal name

Fondazione RESTART

Website

https://fondazione-restart.it

Company type

Private

Founded year

2023

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Fondazione RESTART is an Italian non-profit foundation coordinating Italy's largest public telecommunications R&D program. Funded with 116 million euros by EU NextGenerationEU, it manages 27 partners across 8 Spokes, advancing 5G/6G, satellite, AI, and optical research through labs, tech transfer, and education.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Telecommunications Research

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Nanotechnology and Biotechnology) (541715)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGAKAI

Research & Science Grantmaking Foundations

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Philanthropy, Foundations & Grantmaking

SECONDARYEDADAHAC

Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts

Education/Education Administration, Accreditation & Policy/Education Funding, Grants & Financial Aid Administration

Keywords

• Telecommunications research
• 5G 6G networks
• Technology transfer
• Research consortium
• Innovation funding

Headquarters

HQ city

Rome

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations

Revenue model

1. Public Research Funding: RESTART is funded by the European Union NextGenerationEU program under Italy's National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) - M4C2, Investment 1.3. The program received 116 million euros (costs listed as 118 MEuro) for a 3-year period from January 2023 to December 2025. This is a non-revenue generating research program focused on advancing telecommunications in Italy.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Fondazione Restart is an Italian non-profit foundation that coordinates the RESTART research program (RESearch and innovation on future Telecommunications systems and networks), a national R&D initiative funded by the EU NextGenerationEU through Italy's National Recovery and Resilience Plan. The foundation orchestrates 27 partners across 8 Spokes (scientific clusters) covering 5G/6G, satellite networks, AI, optical computing, and cybersecurity, executing 32 research projects with €116 million in funding over three years (January 2023 to December 2025). It operates seven missions spanning research, laboratories, innovation/technology transfer, startup creation, education, PhD programs, and communication.

Product overview

Fondazione RESTART operates the RESTART research program (RESearch and innovation on future Telecommunications systems and networks), Italy's largest public R&D program in telecommunications, funded with €116 million by the European Union NextGenerationEU. The program is organized into 7 Missions (Research, Laboratories, Innovation & Technology Transfer, Startups & Spin-offs, Education, PhD Programs, and Communication/Standardization/Open Source) and delivered through 8 thematic Spokes with 27 partners. Key offerings include the TLC Games national competition for high school students, RESTART Tech Camp for intensive training, Startup Contest for AI ventures, the RESTART Book and Whitepaper publications for research dissemination, Short Masters for professional education, and Cascade Calls for ecosystem funding. The program focuses on technologies including 5G/6G networks, high-capacity fixed networks, satellite networks, distributed cloud, AI, programmable hardware, integrated optics, and sensing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• TLC Games: Telecommunications Olympics - a national competition for secondary school students promoting telecommunications education and awareness
• Tech Camp

Products and services

• RESTART Research Program A large-scale national research and innovation program organized into 8 Spokes (clusters) and 32 projects, covering 5G/6G, satellite communications, AI, optical computing, quantum, cybersecurity, and IoT. Designed for universities, research centers, SMEs, and telecom industry partners.
• RESTART Startup Contest

Quantifiable outcome

• 120,000 euros awarded to 15 innovative startups in AI for networks and data management
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered major, minor and core.

• WindTremajorTechnology or Integration · 22 October 2025Italian telecom operator providing industrial support to Spoke 2 under Ing. Fabrizio Brasca.
• FiberCopmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 October 2025Italy's most extensive telecommunications infrastructure operator contributing to collaboration between industry and research through agreement with CNIT, supporting RESTART's goals.
• ANFoVmajorGTM or Marketing Partner · 10 October 2025Association collaborating with Fondazione RESTART on events like 'Tech-Transfer: la leva delle TLC e del digitale per la svolta delle PMI' targeting SME innovation.
• Il Quadrato della RadiominorGTM or Marketing Partner · 10 October 2025Media partner collaborating with Fondazione RESTART and ANFoV on SME-focused innovation events.
• CNA (Confederazione Nazionale dell'Artigianato e della Piccola e Media Impresa)majorGTM or Marketing Partner · 10 October 2025Italian craft and SME confederation providing research on SME participation in innovation processes, represented by Marco Baldi, Responsabile Area Ricerche Economiche e Sociali.
• Fondazione GolinellimajorGTM or Marketing Partner · 8 October 2025Cultural foundation organizing scientific outreach events, co-organizing 'NanniCosta_X' innovation event with CNIT/WiLab and BI-REX.
• BI-REXmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 October 2025Competence center for big data and digital innovation, co-organizing innovation events and hosting Spoke 5 workshop with demonstrations.
• G-FactorminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 8 October 2025Innovation ecosystem participant co-organizing 'NanniCosta_X' science communication event.
• Plug and Play Tech CentermajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 September 2025Global innovation platform collaborating with Politecnico di Torino on the Spoke 4 mentorship program, supporting 24 entrepreneurial projects including startups and university spin-offs.
• Giffoni Innovation HubmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 April 2025Innovation accelerator collaborating with Spoke 2 (Politecnico di Bari) on INSPIRE program for startup acceleration in telecommunications networks and services.
• Open FibermajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 November 2024Fiber optic infrastructure company collaborating with RESTART through projects like GrapHICs, including a three-year scholarship with Università di Napoli Federico II for optical network research.
• TIMmajorTechnology or Integration · 14 June 2023Major Italian telecommunications operator participating in Spoke 4 (SUPER project) with Gabriele Elia as Standard & IPR Responsible, and supporting Grand Challenge activities.
• 3GPPmajorTechnology or Integration · 14 June 20233rd Generation Partnership Project leading 5G-Advanced and 6G standardization efforts that RESTART contributes to through its Network Digital Twins research and whitepapers.
• CNIT (Consorzio Nazionale Interuniversitario per le Telecomunicazioni)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023CNIT is the primary organizational partner for RESTART, responsible for organizing national events such as 'Telecommunications of the Future' and the TLC Games competition. CNIT brings together major Italian universities active in ICT technologies.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Open Fiber: Major Italian fiber infrastructure operator and RESTART strategic partner (e.g., GrapHICs project with Università di Napoli Federico II). Comparable as an Italian telecom infrastructure player collaborating with RESTART on optical network R&D.
• Smart Networks and Services Joint Undertaking (SNS JU): EU-level public-private partnership funding 6G research across Europe. Directly comparable as a multi-country, multi-partner telecom R&D funding consortium targeting the same 6G/5G-Advanced technology horizon.
• CNIT (Consorzio Nazionale Interuniversitario per le Telecomunicazioni): Italy's national inter-university telecom consortium and RESTART's primary operational partner. CNIT co-organizes RESTART's major events (Telecommunications of the Future, TLC Games) and shares the same national telecom R&D mission.
• IMDEA Networks Institute: Madrid-based telecom/networking research institute running 5G/6G, edge, and AI-for-networks programs. Comparable as a publicly funded, mission-driven telecom research lab with industry and academic partnerships.
• Italian Institute of Technology (IIT): Italian government-funded research foundation with multi-site labs and technology transfer mandate. Comparable as a publicly funded Italian research foundation operating Hub-and-Spoke-style scientific programs with industrial impact goals.

Others

• ETSI (European Telecommunications Standards Institute): European telecom standards body that RESTART contributes to via 3GPP and Mission 7 (Communication, Standardization, Open Source). Comparable as an adjacent ecosystem enabler in the same telecom R&D and standardization value chain.

Broad incumbents

• 5G PPP (5G Public-Private Partnership): EU-funded joint initiative between the European Commission and telecom industry that previously coordinated European 5G research. RESTART contributes to its successor (SNS JU); highly comparable as a multi-partner European telecom R&D program.
• CEA-Leti: French government research institute focused on micro/nanoelectronics, photonics, and telecom hardware. Comparable as a large publicly funded European research institute with telecom-relevant labs and industry transfer activities.
• Fraunhofer Heinrich Hertz Institute (HHI): Germany's flagship applied telecom research institute within the Fraunhofer Society. Comparable as a larger, established European telecom R&D organization with photonics, 6G, and AI networks programs and industry partnerships.

Emerging players

• Plug and Play Tech Center: Global innovation platform partnering with Politecnico di Torino on RESTART's Spoke 4 mentorship program. Comparable as an accelerator/innovation intermediary supporting the same deep-tech telecom startup pipeline.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/Fond_RESTART
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@FondazioneRESTART
• Facebookfacebook.com/fondazionerestart
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fondazione-restart
• Instagraminstagram.com/fondazione_restart

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Fondazione Restart