ICONS is a private Italian group founded in 1999 and headquartered in Lodi, Italy. Established by market and business analysts Elena Gaboardi and Mario Martinoli, ICONS initially focused on business analytics and public communication strategies for research, quickly expanding its role in European science and innovation projects. Its first major achievement was the SODA project—a service still utilized worldwide by solar radiation experts.
In 2016, the organization consolidated its activities under Fondazione ICONS, formalizing its work in science communication, business innovation, and quantitative research impact analysis. ICONS operates primarily as a non-profit, with missions centered on improving human capital and maximizing the societal impacts of research through engagement with a variety of stakeholders, from policy-makers to citizens.
By 2018, ICONS was managing 23 EU-funded projects and had won the .eu Web Awards for its communication platforms developed for FETFX and STARDUST. The organization’s portfolio now encompasses several dozen large-scale initiatives, notably including the Horizon Results Booster, a support framework contract awarded by the European Commission for disseminating research results from major EU programs such as FP7, Horizon2020, and Horizon Europe.
Current examples of ICONS’ activities include supporting dissemination strategies, creating educational content, and developing impact measurement models for European-funded research projects. The office is located at Via Volturno 15, Lodi, with its legal address at Piazza della Vittoria 1. ICONS maintains a reputation for effective communication, measurable outcomes, and collaboration across science, business, and culture.