PNRR e università. Una prospettiva locale

The dramatic economic and social consequences triggered by the COVID-19 crisis have urged countries to adopt exceptional measures to support the recovery of their economies. In July 2020, the European Council agreed upon the Next Generation EU (NGEU), a €750 billion plan to support Member States hit by the crisis. To receive financial support, Member States must prepare national recovery and resilience plans (NRRP) setting out their reform and investment agenda to be implemented by the end of 2026. Out of all the EU countries, Italy is one of the main beneficiaries of the NGEU. The effective implementation of its NRRP will depend on the governance mechanisms put in place to ensure coordination between the State, Regions, and Municipalities. In this multi-governance system, Municipalities play a central role, as recipients and implementers of several projects. Acknowledging the challenges faced by Municipalities that would benefit from the NRRP, this study reviews the supporting role of universities in the context of collaborative models for innovation, including the Triple and Quadruple Helix. Drawing on the Third Mission of the University, the study reports the preliminary results of a survey, launched by the University of Macerata, to explore the challenges faced by local Municipalities in accessing to NRRP funds. Indications are provided to support the col labor a t ion among local administrators and universities. This co-creative approach might inform NRRP projects’ design and implementation, also generating short-, medium- and long-term impacts on the academic and local community, in economic, social, cultural and environmental terms.