Home/The project

01 The project

It all began on stage. It didn't end there.

From needs to solutions: bringing together families, associations, research, businesses and investors to turn the needs of people with disabilities into concrete, sustainable projects that improve everyday life.

The story

The Call for Solutions, staged at the Festival della Robotica 2026, was designed to gather practical proposals in robotics and artificial intelligence that can be implemented straight away, with a focus on simple solutions, smart adaptations of existing technologies and replicable organisational models. The goal was not advanced experimental research but concrete application: improving processes, accessibility, quality of care and integration into services, with attention to economic sustainability and feasibility in the real world. We therefore asked for scalable projects with low start-up costs, capable of delivering measurable benefits in the short to medium term.

With this website we want to give the event continuity, allowing associations, families and people with disabilities to follow the progress of the projects already proposed and to put forward new ones. We will act as the link between the projects, the research laboratories and the companies able to identify and pursue a technological answer to the need expressed. Just as importantly, the site is open to potential funders, public or private, who wish to give a sign of solidarity and social participation and also to help build a network in the world of disability which, perhaps here more than elsewhere, has great potential to grow.

17:30 – 19:00Plenary session — Auditorium, Palazzetto

Call for Solutions: from need to solution, the road to innovation runs through the voice of the associations

  • Chaired byGiuseppe Turchetti (Scuola Sant'Anna)
  • Problem and solution: does complexity call for complexity?
  • Why this Call for SolutionsGiuseppe Turchetti (Scuola Sant'Anna)
  • Micro-innovations, big impact. What is really needed
    • Association pitches (5 pitches × 5 minutes)
    • Who can turn these needs into solutions?
  • Round table
    • Gastone Ciuti (Scuola Sant'Anna)
    • Lucia Pallottino (University of Pisa)
    • Antonio Mazzeo (Tuscany Region)
    • Patrizia Pacini (Chamber of Commerce)
    • Stefano Maestri Accesi (Assicurazioni Generali Italia)
    • Patrizia Pacini (Industrial Union)
    • Lucia Arcarisi (President of CNA Pisa Young Entrepreneurs and CEO of Weabios Srl)
    • Nicola Ciulli (National President of CNA Digital – Nextworks Srl)
    • Associations/Parents
    • Valerio Marchetti (FINECO Private Banking Roma)
  • The next 90 days: what happens now?Giuseppe Turchetti (Scuola Sant'Anna)
  • General discussion and conclusions
Fig. 02The programme of the “Call for Solutions” session at the Festival della Robotica 2026, where the project was born.

The needs are authentic and verified: they come directly from people with disabilities. This is what we build on, and it is why we keep going beyond the festival.

The spirit of Call for Solutions
A person wearing a robotic lower-limb exoskeleton during a demonstration: assistive technology and robotics for mobility and disability.
Wearable roboticsFrom real life to research: technology that walks alongside people.

02 The method

A triangle of needs, technology and resources.

Three worlds that struggle to meet on their own. We are the place where they come together.

Call for Solutions brings together

The need

Those who have a need

People with disabilities, family members and associations propose low-cost solutions capable of delivering measurable benefits in the short to medium term.

The technology

Those who can build

Research groups, such as those at Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna and the University of Pisa, as well as companies and spin-offs.

The resources

Those who can support

Companies, foundations, institutions and individuals who want to fund or adopt a solution.

A robotic rehabilitation session with a virtual-reality headset in a laboratory: technologies for the independence of people with disabilities.
Labs & researchThose who develop the technology, side by side with those who will use it.

03 The journey

From need to meeting, in six steps.

STEP 01

Propose

You fill in the form — in writing, with a voice message or a video. You describe the need and how you imagine the solution.

STEP 02

Validation

We read the proposal, make it clear and consistent, and get back to you. If it is relevant, it is published.

STEP 03

Online

The proposal appears in the public showcase, as a standardised card that everyone can read.

STEP 04

The community votes

People award stars: the ideas they care about most stand out and become a signal for those who invest.

STEP 05

They come forward

Those who can develop and those who can support express their interest in a specific proposal.

STEP 06

We put you in touch

We connect those who proposed, those who develop and those who fund. From there, the project stands on its own feet.

Propose your idea