CNR has been establishing for a long time business relations with firms and other Public Bodies through joint ventures, that is new organizations managed by more subjects of law, who are financially independent and who act in close relationship between them, in order to share the means necessary to the execution of a particular activity.

As to 31 December 2002, there are 45 agreements of every kind, which, according to their typology, are divided as follows:

Consortiums: 23
Companies: 9
Associations: 7
Foundations: 2
European Groups of Economic Interest: 2
Research Public Organization: 1
University Consortium: 1

The joint ventures purposes must be in any case in step with the body institutional tasks and CNR participation is mainly characterized by the contribution of performances of technical and scientific activities and almost exclusively limited to non-profit joint ventures. The participation essentially concerns the planning and the execution of research programs intended to the scientific and technological development.

CNR carries out a feasibility study aiming at assessing the technical and scientific advantage it can take from its participation to the joint venture. Trough this study, it may set goals for each joint venture and detect the future participants. The study which illustrates the initiative is subject to the approval of CNR government bodies.