For this reason, Netval has taken upon itself the task of gathering reliable empirical evidence, to provide a true picture of the national ecosystem, thus avoiding misrepresentation and miscommunication of the activities conducted by the universities in this field. Since 2002, thanks to Prof. Andrea Piccaluga, Netval in order to gather the necessary data, has sent a questionnaire, the Netval Survey, to be filled by the appointed offices in each institute.

At the start of 2004, only 30 questionnaires were filled-out, whereas in 2021 this number increased to 81, thanks to the active participation of the Italian universities, research bodies and IRCCS (Institute of Hospitalization and Scientific Care).

The Netval Survey has indeed become a good and reliable source depicting the growth and exploitation of public research results in recent years.