The University of Florence is one of the largest and most productive public research systems in Italy. This result is related to the number of permanent and temporary researchers working in a wide range of disciplinary and scientific fields, and the numerous junior scientists in training. It is also due to an intensive participation in research programmes of national and international relevance, the significant scientific results achieved, and the financial flow from outside supporting activities of research and knowledge transfer. This combination of factors qualifies the Florentine institution as a modern research university, and accounts for its excellent ranking in national and international classifications.

The researchers of the University of Florence belong to 70 different departments and have at their disposal approximately 60 research structures comprising interdepartmental and inter-university centres as well as 10 centres for research, knowledge transfer and higher education. In recent years the University of Florence has increasingly consolidated its activities in the sphere of knowledge transfer: from the filing of patents (approximately 50 in 2007) to the setting up of joint workshops with enterprise (15), through to participation in 5 spin-off companies. Transfer activities are co-ordinated by a special office (ILO – Industrial Liason Office), that facilitates collaboration with other universities in Italy and abroad. The participation of the University in the innovation processes of the national and regional production systems is promoted by a special body, the Fondazione per la Ricerca e l’Innovazione, set up by the University in liaison with the local authorities.