Agreement on "Lugano Plan ₿" signed between USI, SUPSI, Franklin University Switzerland and the City of Lugano

USI, SUPSI, Franklin University Switzerland and the City of Lugano signed a framework agreement to consolidate collaboration under the "Lugano Plan ₿" project and consciously integrate Bitcoin and Blockchain technology through educational and dissemination activities, creating a dedicated permanent roundtable to coordinate and strengthen educational offerings related to this technology.

Università della Svizzera italiana (USI), the University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland (SUPSI), Franklin University Switzerland (FUS) and the City of Lugano have been collaborating for years to enhance the debate in the area in which they operate. In particular, the four institutions have made it possible to develop Lugano Living Lab - the urban laboratory that promotes innovative and digital transformation projects in a public, academic and private partnership - and work in agreement on projects in the field of Blockchain technology, as in the case of the Plan ₿ Summer School held in July this year, with the MyLugano project or with the recent development of the 3Achain network, a blockchain platform designed to facilitate and support projects that need this type of technological infrastructure.

Therefore, the three universities and the City have signed a framework agreement regarding the "Lugano Plan ₿" to boost present and future initiatives while creating a dedicated permanent roundtable to coordinate and strengthen educational offerings related to this technology.

The City will directly support the universities in the context of research projects and events; it will also engage private organisations in support, including financial aid, for local universities, for example, through the provision of scholarships or the funding of chairs.

Each university will focus on topics of interest already being studied, including artificial intelligence, Blockchain in finance or ethics in business, digital currencies, design of the hardware/firmware world, distributed architectures, energy, electronics, governance and taxation, economic law, cryptography and cybersecurity.

In line with the vision of the "Lugano Plan ₿," universities will be able to coordinate and elaborate projects in basic and applied research, technology and knowledge development and transfer; develop and conduct courses, diploma projects, study programmes, theses, internships, hackathons, Summer and Winter Schools, CAS-Certificate of Advanced Studies, DAS-Diploma of Advanced Studies, MAS-Master of Advanced Studies and Doctorates; initiate exchange and internship projects; offer events and continuing education courses; participate in events and dissemination activities; promote events and activities of scientific dissemination, including conferences, seminars, and communication and outreach activities for stakeholders in the area and society in general.

The activities are carried out with full respect for the universities' scientific autonomy and academic independence, which are guaranteed.

For the City, this is a valuable agreement to promote the development of its region by ensuring the innovation, dissemination and effectiveness of the initiatives proposed under the "Lugano Plan ₿" through collaboration with qualified universities and the networking of skills and knowledge.