Role: PCP/PPI expert
Sara’s background varies from ICT contracts and procurement to innovation management and even competition law.
Since 2007 she has been working to introduce pre-commercial public procurement (PCP) into the Italian research and innovation policy framework. In particular, she provided strategic, legal and technical advice to the Italian Government to draw up the PCP Italian framework and Guideline and supported, as specialist/expert, the Italian Ministry for Research (MIUR) for the definition of legislative acts concerning the national policy of PCP, as well as for the evaluation and definition of the Public notice addressed to the Convergence Region for the recognition of innovation needs.
At EU level, she actively participated to the open consultation on the draft R&D&I-framework with the aim to support the PCP and innovation partnership regulation with a view to prevent actions liable to distort dynamic incentives in the market and discriminate against the participation of SMEs.
She is actively supporting major European public sector entities (policy makers and public procurers) and conducting several EU-funded projects, involving a network of more than EU 40 public entities established in more than 15 Member States, finalized to create practical impact on the use of PCP&PPI and to strengthen forward looking procurement strategies in several fields: health-care, water management & use, education, environment, ICT.
As PCP and PPI specialist she’s involved in the EAFIP initiative (European Assistance for Innovation Procurement.
She has developed a research for EC-DG Connect (SMART 2014-0009) measuring the impact of PCP across Europe compared to other procurement approaches. In the area of research, she conducted in 2008-2009 an Europe-wide benchmarking of PCP models (rational, phases, procedures, IPRs management..), as well as a comparative study of the EU versus USA model of PCP in collaboration with the U.S. Small Business Administration – Washington.
She ordinarily conducts post-graduate courses and multi-disciplinary training & coaching programme concerning innovation public procurement, targeted at departmental heads and procurement staff of primary public authorities and public companies.