WHO I AM

My name is Sara Canella, and I have been a freelance consultant in European design since 2017.

However, my experience in the sector began much earlier, ranging from collaboration with different types of organisations mainly for technological projects (e.g. Horizon Europe Programme).

The organisations and companies with which I collaborate are of various types, from reserch centres to public organisations, from startups with their very first business idea, to medium-large companies with very precise and targeted investments in research and development. Furthermore, I also support various project coordinators or companies operating in the sector, aiding in their project preparation and drafting.

I have gained a lot of experience in the field of training with regard to European design, both in courses organized for small groups of entrepreneurs and employees, as well as in targeted training courses for the preparation of specific projects directly in companies.

My mission is to help organisations to develop their innovative technological projects, as I strongly believe that they are necessary to face present and future challenges.

If you have a project, I firstly try to understand what kind of opportunities you have, what resources you need, and how to activate them. The goal is then to draft your project, then transform it from an idea into a concrete and tangible proposal.

My story

I was born in 1979 in Padua, where I currently live. Since I was young I have been passionate about languages, travel, literature, writing, innovation, and issues related to inclusion and the environment.

After graduating in Sociological Sciences, I decided to spend a period abroad (first a work-study experience in Ireland, and then the European Voluntary Service in Spain).

I lived abroad for 10 years, during which time I deepened my studies with a Masters in European Studies and experimented with various jobs including European design. It was in this period that I fell in love with the world of European design: putting the various pieces together, ordering them, and creating projects and opportunities for the future.

I returned to Italy in 2013, where, after a specialization course in marketing and web-marketing, I started my collaboration with SOLWA, which is an Innovative Start Up and the creator of a green technology for desalination and water treatment. This new technology was also recognized by the United Nations as an Innovation for Human Development.

My task was to follow the international partners and stakeholders, in particular with the goal of participating in R&D European projects, in order to obtain funding for the development of the technological innovation. After the acquisition of Solwa by the Santex Rimar Group (a multinational company in the textile machinery sector), I continued to collaborate in their marketing team, and to follow the theme of European funding for research and development projects.

Since 2017 I have been working as a freelancer and I have collaborated with several companies, following different projects, as well as continuing my training path in the field of European design and digital marketing. The projects I follow are mainly concerning ICT, Smart Industry, Circular Economy and Social Innovation. I am currently enrolled in a postgraduate degree in Environmental Anthropology at Ca’ Foscari University in Venice.