On 2 December 2025, the city of Naples hosted the second Peer Review Meeting of the Horizon Europe project BRIDGESMEs. The event was organised by the National Research Council of Italy – Institute of Heritage Science (CNR ISPC), in collaboration with the Meditech Competence Center and with the support of the Municipality of Naples. The meeting took place at the House of Emerging Technologies “Infiniti Mondi”, located at the historic Real Albergo dei Poveri.
The event brought together European and local actors, including clusters, SMEs, research organisations and policy stakeholders, to explore how to improve SME access to emerging technologies and strengthen the development of resilient, sustainable and human-centred innovation ecosystems.
Held under the theme “Fostering Ecosystem Readiness: Local Activation and Cluster-Led Innovation”, the day opened with a plenary session addressing the challenges and opportunities of Industry 5.0. This was followed by collaborative working groups where participants exchanged knowledge and practices, and discussed concrete actions to support SMEs in their digital and innovation journeys.
In the afternoon, attendees joined a demonstration tour of the immersive research labs developed by CNR ISPC and MEDITECH. The visit showcased advanced XR and digital technologies, providing real examples of their application in cultural heritage and industrial innovation.
The Peer Review Meetings are part of BRIDGESMEs’ broader capacity-building programme and represent a key milestone in the co-creation of strategic tools and policy approaches to support SMEs in their transition towards Industry 5.0.
