Laura is an experienced Policy Analyst with a demonstrated history of working in the areas of technological breakthrough and innovation. She has a strong professional experience in providing advice, analysis, ideas, and intellectual inputs for strategic policy decision-making.
A member of the Executive Agency of the European Research Council (ERC) since 2009, Laura provides advice and support to the ERC Scientific Council in dealing with questions of overall strategy and policy for the ERC. She advises the Scientific Council on issues related to the contribution of the ERC to the broader economy and the relation with business stakeholders, with focus on the assessment of the socio-economic impact of the programme and on the links between ERC-funded projects and innovation.
She was instrumental in the design of the Proof of Concept (PoC) grant, a funding scheme launched in 2011 linking ERC-funded frontier research to the first steps in the innovation chain. She continuously monitors and follows-up the development of the PoC scheme and its project portfolio with the aim of refining it and contributing to the re-definition of objectives, methods and means.
Her main area of expertise is on the “impact beyond science” of ERC-funded research, tracing over long periods of time the contribution of knowledge to driving commercial and social innovation and business inventiveness, generating economic growth, tackling societal challenges and influencing policy making.