FAST - Federazione delle Associazioni Scientifiche e Tecniche

FAST, the Federation of Scientific and Technical Associations, is a not for profit private organization founded in 1897, representing 32 Italian scientific and technical associations covering the most important and priority European industrial sectors. Since the very beginning FAST gained a leading role in the dissemination of research results.Thanks to the competencies and expertise of the associations belonging to FAST network, the Federation is able to address significant stakeholders at regional and national level and to guarantee a permanent liason with the most relevant EU industrial and research networks. FAST has a long standing relationship with different regional and local authorities providing them technical assistance in shaping and programming their policies with regards to innovation, research, education and training. FAST is well integrated at European level, having been and being a member of different international networks (Innovation Relay Centres, OPET, EuroCASE, Fedarene, Enterprise Europe Network, Milset, EHA, Eucys). Enterprise Europe Network is the biggest network cofinanced by EC-DG Growth, aimed at providing support to research centres and SMEs in business, technology and research cooperation. It actually involves more than 600 members from 54 EU and extra-EU countries. Since 1989 FAST has been the National organizer of Eucys (European contest for young scientists). Thanks to this commitment FAST gained a large network of contacts among high schools and universities and is a reference point in the promotion of scientific careers. FAST built long-standing knowledge and experience in managing project dissemination and communication activities, taking over the development of project dissemination and ommunication plans, the design and set up of the project brand identity and websites, the organization of internal and external events, the management of press office activities (press releases, editing of publication and articles, liason with scientific journals all over Europe). FAST has an own congress centre at its premises and a branch office in Brussels. FAST is actively involved in projects co-funded by the European Commission through the 6th and 7th Frame Programme and Intelligent Energy and FCH JU platforms. A number of European projects have been carried out or are still under way, among which: CODE1 and CODE2 (cogeneration and energy efficiency) , HyChain, HyLift, HyFacts, HyProfessionals, H2Trust, HyResponse, Alkammonia, PowerUP, KnowHy, Don Quichote (fuel cells and hydrogen both in stationary applications joined with renewable energy sources and in mobility). The themes touched by these projects spread from safety, training and education, public awareness and acceptance and dissemination, to new technology demo projects and pre-industrial applications testing and validation.