University Outreach

The Third Mission in the university context is defined as the set of activities that go beyond the traditional missions of teaching (first mission) and research (second mission), involving the university’s engagement with civil society and the business community, with the goal of promoting economic and social development—both in general and particularly in the region where the university operates.

Within this context, it is often useful to distinguish between:

the “Third Mission of economic enhancement of knowledge”, aimed at fostering economic growth, which includes activities such as intellectual property management, business creation, and contract research; and
the “Third Mission of cultural and social engagement”, which involves the production of “public goods” with cultural, social, educational, or civic value. These can take many forms, including public debates, expert consultations, scientific outreach, etc., which enhance societal well-being and are generally provided free of charge or, in any case, not at market prices.

In pursuing the Third Mission, the Department of Engineering at the University of Sannio operates in alignment with the university’s overall strategy, as outlined in its Strategic Plan.

Specifically, the Department of Engineering is active in the following areas:

Technology transfer: In this area, the objective is to transfer knowledge, technologies, and services developed by the Department’s faculty and researchers to the local productive sector and public institutions. The goal is to support the development of innovative products, processes, applications, materials, or services (so-called "contract research activities").
Scientific dissemination: Faculty and researchers actively engage in spreading their expertise to interested audiences through seminars, conferences, articles in journals and newspapers, online publications, and other scientific outreach initiatives.
Lifelong learning: The Department—both independently and as part of the University of Sannio—is involved in continuing education. It collaborates with schools and professional bodies (such as the Network of Technical Professions and Professional Associations, with particular reference to the Order of Engineers of the Province of Benevento) to carry out training and educational initiatives.

In conducting the above-mentioned activities, the Department of Engineering adheres to the Quality Assurance (QA) principles adopted by the university. It has implemented an internal organization that enables all stakeholders to work towards continuous improvement. In pursuing QA, the Department also aligns with the AVA-ANVUR system ("Self-assessment, Evaluation, and Accreditation of the Italian University System") and carries out continuous monitoring of the activities undertaken by its faculty and researchers in order to assess the effectiveness of the initiatives implemented.