by InTrieste
The regional government of Friuli Venezia Giulia has unveiled a package of budget adjustments worth more than €10 million, aimed at strengthening education, higher education, scientific research and family support across the region.
Presenting the measures before the Regional Council’s Sixth Commission on Monday, regional councillor for labor, education, universities, research and family policies Alessia Rosolen said the funding is intended to reinforce long-term investments while responding to emerging local needs.
“We are strengthening structural interventions in education, the right to study, research and family policies,” Rosolen said. “These resources consolidate initiatives launched in recent years while providing new responses to the needs of the region.”
The largest allocation is directed toward the regional school system. A total of €4.5 million has been earmarked for the 2026–2027 school year to continue financing the Pacchetto Scuola program, introduced in 2021. The funding will support additional teaching, administrative and technical staff, enhance educational programs and address operational challenges within schools.
The package also includes €530,000 to cover all eligible applications for the Dote Scuola financial aid program, €300,000 to expand the Scuola & Sport initiative, and additional funding to continue projects that transform historic secondary school buildings into exhibition spaces accessible to local communities.
Technical higher education also receives new support. The region has allocated €250,000 to enable Its Academyprograms to operate in strategically important locations during the 2026–2027 academic year, even when enrollment falls to a minimum of 12 students.
In addition, financial assistance for Its Academy students will become a permanent measure, bringing their access to study support in line with that available to university students. The initiative includes €1.11 million in 2026, with a total investment of €4.1 million over three years.
Universities will receive €1.5 million toward the construction of a new student residence in the former Kolbe Cloister in Udine. The residence is expected to serve students enrolled in medicine and other health-related degree programs.
The budget proposal also expands the authority of the regional student services agency, Ardis, allowing it to establish agreements with accredited psychology specialization schools affiliated with universities, with the goal of strengthening mental health services available to students.
Research and innovation represent another major area of investment. The package includes a €4.25 million extraordinary contribution to Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics for the renovation and modernization of the Adriatico Guesthouse in Grignano. The facility plays a key role in hosting international scientists and supports the development of UNESCO Science Hub Trieste.
Additional research funding includes €500,000 for the region’s participation in the European EP PerMed partnership on personalized medicine under the Horizon Europe program, along with contributions to the Twas-Sissa-Lincei Corporation Visits Programme and projects preserving the historical and documentary collections of the Fondazione Internazionale Trieste.
The investment package also dedicates €1.6 million to restoration work on part of the ground floor of the Giuseppe Tartini Conservatory and €250,000 to the Municipality of Trieste for the completion of the city’s Urban Center.
On the family policy front, the regional government plans to increase by €400,000 the fund used to reduce the principal balance of mortgages for families with a third child. The additional resources are intended to ensure that all eligible applications submitted through the end of 2026 can be funded.
