Nokia and telecommunications provider Telecom Italia announced an agreement Tuesday that will see the companies enter into a joint hunt for innovative technology startups.

Under the two-year deal, the pair will collaborate to scout companies focused on technologies such as Network Function Virtualization (NFV), Software-defined Networking (SDN), Radio Access Network (RAN) and next-generation Self Organizing Networks (SON), Nokia said in a press release.

Once the sought-after innovations are located, Nokia and Telecom Italia will evaluate them and implement the new solutions into their portfolios, the release said.

The goal of the agreement is to “inject innovation into the telecommunications ecosystem,” according to the release.

“Startups are a rich source of innovation that can provide building blocks for various telecom and digital services,” Nokia Networks CTO Hossein Moiin said. “In particular, we see immense potential in areas such as NFV, SDN, RAN Evolution and SON. Together with Telecom Italia, we will further engage with the wider ecosystem of technology companies, identifying disruptive innovators and developing new solutions in these domains.”

Telecom Italia’s Director of Global Advisory Services Sandro Dionisi said the company’s search efforts will focus “mainly but not only” on innovators in Silicon Valley.