On Friday 17 July 2026, the first inspection visit for the preliminary assessment of the TRACE project took place at the premises of the lead partner, Zschimmer & Schwarz Ceramco. The meeting was a key step in the technical and administrative review process required for access to funding under the Innovation Agreements programme (Ministerial Decree of 4 September 2025).

The preliminary inspection visit is a significant stage in the evaluation of research and development projects, as it allows direct dialogue between the proposing partners and the bodies involved in the assessment. Its purpose is to verify the overall consistency of the proposal, examine its qualifying features in greater depth and clarify the elements requiring additions or adjustments.

The meeting was attended by Mr Miccio, Scientific and Technical Expert from the CNR Institute of Science, Technology and Sustainability for Ceramic Materials Development (CNR-ISSMC) in Faenza, and Ms Cerminara, representing the managing body Mediocredito Centrale (MCC), who engaged with the project's Steering Committee. The discussion covered both technical and administrative aspects, with a joint review of the main components of the TRACE project.

On the technical side, the discussion addressed the overall structure of the project, the breakdown of its implementation objectives and its research and development content, starting from the core element of the proposal: the Cognitive Mirror of production inputs, the system designed to represent, interpret and anticipate the behaviour of raw materials, processes and supply risks across the ceramic value chain. The dialogue with the Scientific and Technical Expert, coming from the CNR institute dedicated to ceramic materials, made it possible to explore the level of innovation of the proposal and the soundness of its methodological approach, both central elements in the preliminary assessment phase.

In parallel, the administrative and procedural aspects were examined: the completeness of the documentation, the formal accuracy of the information submitted and the consistency between the development plan, the timeline and the requirements of the evaluation process. Involving the managing body makes it possible to align the project from the earliest stages with the expectations and operating procedures of the funding measure.

During the visit, the Scientific and Technical Expert and the managing body provided the Steering Committee with a series of specific indications aimed at additions and adjustments to the project documentation needed to properly continue the evaluation process.

This exchange of observations and suggestions is a constructive moment in the process: the requested additions do not constitute a final assessment, but a means of strengthening the quality of the proposal and making it fully consistent with the eligibility and evaluation criteria.

Holding the visit in person also made it possible to place the discussion in one of the settings where the project is taking shape: the research and development laboratories hosting the activities on process chemistry and on predictive models for the formulation of additives and materials for digital printing.

With the conclusion of the first inspection visit, the TRACE project now enters the next stage of its evaluation process. The partnership is already working on incorporating the indications received and updating the documentation: the next steps required to move forward in the evaluation, in line with the applicable procedures.