On January 18, 2025, Dr. Mattia Crosetto unexpectedly passed away. We remember him for his vitality, cheerfulness, and intellectual curiosity — qualities that always defined his way of being — together with his deep connection to healthcare and innovation. Mattia made a tangible impact in the sector, passionately and expertly leading numerous transformation and development projects.

Born in Udine in 1966, Mattia dedicated his career to the design, management, and optimization of healthcare infrastructures, always with an eye toward a rapidly evolving system. After earning his Master’s Degree in Business Administration from Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, he obtained a DESS – Diplôme d’études supérieures spécialisées – Master in International Development Economics from the Université catholique de Louvain in Belgium.

His professional activity had a strong international dimension: he collaborated with the European Commission on operational measures supporting startups and promoting global partnerships, as well as with various national institutions. At the University of Udine, he coordinated multidisciplinary teams for the Age Labs project (Le Ancelle complex), managed European research funds, and enthusiastically supported entrepreneurship initiatives arising from academic research.

Beyond his professional achievements, we wish to remember the person. Mattia had a rare gift: he could inspire enthusiasm in every endeavor, no matter how small or large. His energy was contagious — capable of turning an idea into a shared project, fostering mutual trust, and building collaborative networks that connected people and institutions. It was thanks to this ability to act as a “bridge-builder” that we were able to start, together with Bio4Dreams, a collaboration that now finds one of its most meaningful outcomes in the Mattia Crosetto Award.

We first met Mattia a few years ago at the University of Udine, and from the very beginning, there was an extraordinary alignment in values and vision. In June 2025, together with the Department of Medicine of the University of Udine, we launched the Bio4DMED project, aimed at identifying entrepreneurial ideas born from scientific research and supporting their growth and value creation in the region. The project is already showing promising results and bears his distinctive mark.

His passing was a deep loss for his family, colleagues, and all who saw in him an inspiration and a point of reference. Yet his legacy continues to live on — in the projects he helped create and in the spirit of community he built.

Establishment of the “Mattia Crosetto Award”

To honor Mattia’s commitment and legacy in health innovation, Bio4Dreams, in partnership with the Department of Medicine of the University of Udine, will establish the “Mattia Crosetto Award” in 2026.

The award is dedicated to very early-stage entrepreneurial ideas and startups focused on tools and management models for the healthcare of the future.

The award is dedicated to very early-stage entrepreneurial ideas and startups focused on tools and management models for the healthcare of the future.

The recognition will be granted in 2026 to one of the projects from the University of Udine’s Department of Medicine, selected among those connected to the Bio4DMED initiative. The award will support the creation of a new entrepreneurial venture through an incubation program at Bio4Dreams, valued at €30,000.

This path will provide strategic guidance, access to grants, and networking opportunities within Bio4Dreams’ national and international ecosystem — continuing along the path Mattia envisioned: turning ideas into reality with enthusiasm, trust, and shared vision.