Spin-offs of the Third Mission and social innovation: the case study of the research–training–intervention project of Geodata Ltd

As a result of enactment of Law 297/1999, many Italian universities could improve the opportunities in applied research, activating spin-offs and start-ups in conformity with those regulations. This is a new challenge in the universities’ mission: universities are capable (and therefore they are asked) to generate not only new knowledge and competent professional profiles, but also to make a new effort in implementing the “third mission” for promoting social innovation. Considering this background, we present a research project – a training intervention named “Participatory culture, personal branding and organisational wellness” – by Espéro Pvt, a spin-off of the University of Salento, for Geodata Engineering Ltd., located in Turin, Italy. Presented below are the theoretical framework (learning organisation, empowerment evaluation and organisational wellness) and the methodology, as well as the first results.