Camplus Padova Portello' Opens with 350 Affordable Beds

• The project, representing an investment of approximately €25 million, was developed by the iGeneration fund, managed by Investire SGR. Investors include CDP Real Asset SGR, the European Investment Fund (EIF), several major Italian social security funds, and banking foundations, including Fondazione Cariparo.
• The student residence is managed by Camplus and will offer 40% of its capacity at highly subsidized rates through agreements with ESU.
• The initiative will also serve as an experimental testing ground for the "SMARTIE" project (Multisensory Solutions for Inclusive Technological Accessibility and Resilience), which aims to implement assistive smart home solutions to support students with disabilities.

Padova, October 1, 2026 – The new “Camplus Padova Portello” student residence was inaugurated today. Spanning over 8,600 square meters, the facility provides the city with 350 beds at capped rates. Notably, 40% of these will be offered under highly subsidized conditions, benefiting from resources allocated by the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP). The management of the new facility has been entrusted to Camplus.

The initiative is promoted and financed with an investment of approximately €25 million by the iGeneration fund, managed by Investire SGR (Banca Finnat Group). Its main investors are CDP Real Asset SGR (CDP Group) and the European Investment Fund (EIF) — part of the European Investment Bank Group (EIB Group). The fund also includes contributions from some of the leading Italian banking foundations and social security funds, including Fondazione Cariparo.

The inauguration event was attended by local authorities, including Antonio Bressa, Deputy Mayor of Padova; Massimo Marzano, Director of the Education and Training Department of the Veneto Region; and Carlo Pellegrino, Vice-Rector for Building and Property at the University of Padova. Representing the investors were Paola Reali, Head of Social Housing Funds at CDP Real Asset SGR, and Rosario Rizzuto, President of Fondazione Cariparo. Operators involved in the development and construction also attended: Paolo Boleso, Head of Residential & Social Infrastructure at Investire SGR (Banca Finnat Group), and Federico Rossi, Public Affairs & Media Relations Manager at Camplus.

The architectural project was designed by the Archipolis studio. Impresa CEV acted as the developer and general contractor, overseeing the entire development process from the permitting phase through to construction and interior fit-out—the latter completed by ADIEMME and F4RE—delivering a turnkey building to the client.

The project will provide 135 single rooms and 107 double rooms, alongside common areas (study rooms, a shared kitchen, a gym, and a recreational room) and service facilities for residents (reception, laundry, cloakroom, bicycle storage, and a garage). This marks a significant boost for student housing in the region, considering that the University of Padova consistently ranks among Italy's largest and most dynamic universities, with around 76,000 enrolled students, including over 23,000 from outside the region.

The new student residence, designed with a strong focus on accessibility for disabled users, will serve as the concrete, experimental testing ground for a call for tenders promoted by the Veneto Region (PR Veneto FESR) for Regional Innovative Networks. The tender was won by UNIPD, IUAV, and a cluster of companies aimed at developing smart home technologies for residences housing students with severe disabilities. The “SMARTIE” project (Multisensory Solutions for Inclusive Technological Accessibility and Resilience) aims to develop inclusive, technologically advanced housing solutions to improve the independence and quality of life for university students with motor, visual, and hearing impairments. The project is rooted in the principles of universal design integrated with advanced assistive technologies to create inclusive, flexible, and adaptable environments, aligned with the environmental and social responsibility principles promoted by the Fund, in compliance with Article 8 of EU Regulation 2088/2019 (SFDR).

Dedicated to sustainable student housing, iGeneration has already invested over €200 million, with the goal of creating approximately 3,000 beds across Italy. The Padova initiative joins existing projects in Naples, Brescia, Parma, and Forlì (University of Bologna Campus), as well as active construction sites in Florence, Piacenza, Reggio Emilia, and Venice Mestre. Furthermore, a new fundraising period is currently underway to expand student housing initiatives.