Institutional

Area Science Park President Professor Caterina Petrillo received Professor Andrea Lenzi, President of the Italian National Research Council (CNR), at the institution’s headquarters on the Padriciano Campus. Professor Lenzi is visiting Trieste as part of a two-day programme dedicated to gaining first-hand insight into the city’s scientific system and meeting with the leading research and higher education institutions based in the territory. Accompanied by CNR Director General Jacopo Greco, Professor Lenzi took part in a meeting attended by Area Science Park President Caterina Petrillo, Salvatore La Rosa, Director of the Research and Innovation Division, Andrea Zelco, Director of the Science and Technology Park Management and Development Division, Regina Ciancio, Head of the Electron Microscopy Laboratory, Federica Mantovani, Infrastructure Manager, and Matteo Biagetti, researcher at the Data Engineering Laboratory. President Petrillo presented the organisation’s main activities and its new strategic vision, centred on the development of research and technological infrastructures as key drivers of scientific research, innovation, technology transfer and the country’s competitiveness. She also highlighted the ongoing projects and collaborations between Area Science Park and the CNR, particularly with the Institute of Materials. The meeting was part of a broader programme that has seen President Lenzi and Director General Greco meet with several leading figures from Trieste’s scientific community, including Giovanni Comelli, President of Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste. The visit further confirms the strategic importance of Trieste’s scientific system, which is recognised nationally and internationally as an environment capable of integrating frontier research, major research infrastructures, innovation and technology transfer, while fostering collaboration among public research organisations, universities and industry.

On 16 July, the General Assembly of CERIC-ERIC appointed Dr Salvatore La Rosa as its Chair. Dr La Rosa is a physicist and Director of the Research and Innovation Division at Area Science Park in Trieste. He has been a first rank researcher at Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste, Italy’s representing entity in CERIC-ERIC, and has worked on Italian and European research policy at the Ministry of University and Research (MUR) and as a Seconded National Expert at the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Research and Innovation. As Italy’s delegate in most of the ERICs the country takes part in, he has followed the international negotiations to set them up. He has long been one of Italy’s delegates to CERIC-ERIC itself, so he already knows the Consortium from within. For a three-year term, he will now preside over the General Assembly: the governing body of CERIC-ERIC, which decides the Consortium’s policies in scientific, technical and administrative matters and is composed of two ministerial representatives per Member country.

The Technical and Scientific Council serves as an advisory body on Area Science Park’s strategies. It formulates proposals and provides opinions on planning and strategic vision documents, as well as on activities related to the European and international valorisation of research and business through technology transfer. The selection to appoint the Council’s external members for the next four-year term is open until September 15. The selection notice is available in the Transparent Administration portal of Area Science Park : go to the comparative selection. Profiles sought Italian and foreign* entrepreneurs, managers, professionals, scientists, and scholars of recognised standing: the 5 new external members will be selected from among these. Candidates should have significant professional expertise and experience in senior positions in at least two of the following professional fields: scientific or industrial research management of technological, organisational, or process innovation intellectual property protection analysis and methodologies for the valorisation of knowledge outcomes management of technology transfer activities development of international networks of cooperation and collaboration for research and innovation The appointment, lasting four years, involves occasional presence at the Area Science Park headquarters (Trieste, Italy), an attendance fee for each meeting, and reimbursement of previously authorised travel expenses. Consult the call for applications   *To participate in the selection, applicants must hold Italian citizenship, citizenship of another European Union member state, or citizenship of another country.

Area Science Park is a partner in two new research infrastructures included in the 2026 Roadmap of the European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures (ESFRI), the strategic planning document that identifies Europe’s priority research infrastructures, considered essential for scientific and technological competitiveness over the next 10–20 years. The selection of research infrastructures follows a two-stage process: a rigorous scientific evaluation by international experts, followed by an approval process involving government delegates from EU Member States and Associated Countries. The two new initiatives in which Area Science Park is a partner are Microscopy Europe, the first distributed European research infrastructure dedicated to advanced electron microscopy for the atomic-scale characterization of materials, and NFFA2050, a digital nanoscience infrastructure designed to integrate experiments, simulations, and FAIR data management. Microscopy Europe originated from the joint commitment of three countries—the Czech Republic, Italy, and Germany—which first recognized the need to equip Europe with an integrated infrastructure for advanced electron microscopy in support of materials research. Under the leadership of the Czech Republic, Microscopy Europe now brings together 26 centres of excellence across 15 European countries and serves as a strategic platform for the development, understanding, and engineering of advanced materials. The initiative overcomes the current fragmentation of services through an integrated model that provides, via a single access point, access to a distributed network of state-of-the-art instrumentation supported by digital services and artificial intelligence tools. Area Science Park plays a central role in developing the infrastructure’s scientific programme through the expertise of its Electron Microscopy Laboratory (LAME) led by researcher Regina Ciancio, and acts as Italy’s national representative within the European consortium. NFFA2050 is coordinated by the Institute of Materials (IOM) of the National Research Council of Italy (CNR). The proposal was submitted by five European countries and involves twenty-seven European scientific institutions. It builds on eleven years of successful operation of the NFFA-Europe research infrastructure, also supported by the NFFA-DI project funded under Italy’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR), in which Area Science Park participates. Through its Data Engineering Laboratory (LADE), Area Science Park will contribute to NFFA2050 as the Italian national node specializing in Materials Science data management. It will provide access to the ORFEO High-Performance Computing (HPC) infrastructure and contribute its expertise in metadata models, interoperability, FAIR data pipelines, and artificial intelligence applied to experimental workflows. “The inclusion of Microscopy Europe and NFFA2050 in the ESFRI Roadmap 2026 represents an important recognition of the strategy pursued by Area Science Park and of the significant investments made in recent years in materials science and advanced electron microscopy,” commented Professor Caterina Petrillo, President of Area Science Park. “This achievement strengthens the institution’s role within the European strategy for research infrastructures and helps ensure the long-term continuity and sustainability of a strategic sector for both research and industry.”

A delegation from the Republic of Kosovo, led by the Minister of Industry, Entrepreneurship, Trade and Innovation, Mimoza Kusari Lila, visited Area Science Park today with the aim of learning more about the activities of the national research institution and gaining insights into the development and management model of its science and technology park. Accompanying the Minister was the Ambassador of the Republic of Kosovo to Italy, Nita Shala. Both were in Trieste to take part in the economic forum “Doing Business in Kosovo,” an event dedicated to strengthening economic, trade, and investment relations between Kosovo and the Friuli Venezia Giulia region. The President of Area Science Park, Professor Caterina Petrillo. welcomed Minister Kusari Lila and Ambassador Shala, and presented the model developed by Area Science Park: a well-established research and innovation ecosystem that has recently integrated research and technological infrastructures within its framework. The delegation’s interest stems from a project launched by the Kosovar government to transform a large disused area in Prizren into an innovation ecosystem capable of integrating research, technology transfer, innovative entrepreneurship, and investment attraction. The delegation also explored various aspects of the project, ranging from logistics and services available to its tenants to sustainability and site management. “We were delighted to welcome the Kosovo delegation today and share the experience and best practices that we have developed and tested over nearly fifty years since the institution was founded,” said the President of Area Science Park, Caterina Petrillo. “Area can rely on extensive experience in capacity building and in sharing models, expertise, and tools to support the development of research and innovation ecosystems. Making this wealth of knowledge available to organizations engaged in transformation processes represents an important opportunity for collaboration and exchange for us.”  

Area Science Park hosted a delegation from the City of Burgas, Bulgaria, involved in the development of the Burgas Innovative Student and Scientific Campus, an ambitious project aimed at creating an integrated hub for education, research, innovation and technology transfer in South-Eastern Bulgaria. The visit took place as part of a capacity-building programme designed to explore experiences and best practices in the planning and management of innovation ecosystems. The delegation, led by the Mayor of Burgas, Dimitar Nikolov, and representatives of the Burgas 2032 Foundation, met with Area Science Park experts to gain insight into the key elements that define a science and technology park, including governance models, infrastructure development, sustainability, innovation support services, the management of advanced technological infrastructures, and research valorisation. During the visit, participants were introduced to the evolution of Area Science Park, its organisational model, and its role within the regional research and innovation system. Particular attention was devoted to scientific and digital infrastructures, services for companies and startups, and data engineering and artificial intelligence activities supported by the ORFEO Data Centre. The Burgas project, supported by the European Investment Bank (EIB), envisages the creation of a shared, multidisciplinary campus serving universities, research organisations, students, researchers and innovative companies. The project is currently at an advanced stage of development: construction works are underway and the campus is expected to open in 2028. The visit concluded with a tour of the Padriciano Campus and its main facilities, offering participants a valuable opportunity to engage directly with a well-established model of integration between research, innovation and business. The meeting further confirmed Area Science Park’s role as a leading European partner for knowledge- and innovation-driven territorial development initiatives.

Professor Giovanni Comelli has been appointed President of the Board of Directors of Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste S.C.p.A., the non-profit company of national interest that manages one of the world’s most advanced research infrastructures based on the use of synchrotron light and free-electron lasers. A Full Professor of Experimental Physics of Matter and Applications at the University of Trieste, author of more than 250 scientific publications, and active in numerous national and European research programs and scientific infrastructures, Comelli was designated as a member of the new Board of Directors by the Italian Minister of Universities and Research (MUR), Anna Maria Bernini, and appointed President by the Shareholders’ Assembly. He succeeds Professor Alfonso Franciosi, who has retired from the University of Trieste after leading Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste for more than twenty years. Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste is owned by Area Science Park, the majority shareholder with 55.87% of the share capital, the Autonomous Region of Friuli Venezia Giulia (35.87%), the National Research Council of Italy (4.62%), and Invitalia Partecipazioni S.p.A. (3.64%). “The appointment of Giovanni Comelli, the member designated by MUR, as President of Elettra Sincrotrone is a choice of continuity, while also signaling enhanced development and renewed momentum for the company,” stated Caterina Petrillo, President of Area Science Park, who added: “With Giovanni Comelli, Elettra will maintain a strong role within the national research system and gain a renewed international perspective. His expertise, together with a solid strategic vision and a strong openness to collaboration, are key elements in strengthening relations with Area Science Park. We look forward to working together on new projects and initiatives capable of enhancing the country’s scientific and technological competitiveness. I am certain that Professor Comelli will make a significant contribution to consolidating Trieste’s role as an international hub for science and innovation. We are grateful to the outgoing President, Professor Franciosi, for leading the company until today”. The new Board of Directors is now composed of Professor Giovanni Comelli (University of Trieste), President; Professor Anna Gregorio (University of Trieste); Dr. Caterina Vozzi (National Research Council of Italy); Professor Giorgio Rossi (University of Milan); and Dr. Paolo Valente (Director of the Rome Section of the National Institute for Nuclear Physics). The new Board of Statutory Auditors, also appointed by the shareholders, is composed of standing auditors Gianpaolo Graberi (Chairman), Francesco Battaglia, Sara Rossi, Gabriella Magurano, and Pietro Coluzzi, with Vittorio Pella and Paola Rodighiero serving as alternate auditors. Both governing bodies ensure significant continuity with the previous composition, while introducing new members with distinguished scientific, academic, and professional expertise

The President of Area Science Park, Professor Caterina Petrillo, took part in the Welcome Day opening the residential period of the Master’s Degree in Coffee Economics and Science – Ernesto Illy, the international program dedicated to the scientific, economic, and sustainable coffee culture, organized by the Ernesto Illy Foundation in collaboration with illycaffè, the University of Trieste, the University of Udine, SISSA, and Area Science Park. The meeting was both an opportunity to welcome the master’s students, who will spend a month in Trieste attending lectures, laboratory sessions, and field activities, and a chance to highlight the network of partners contributing to the quality and uniqueness of the program. Collaboration among universities, research centers, companies, and institutions is what makes the master’s degree a strongly multidisciplinary and international experience. Now in its 15th edition, the master’s degree has trained 294 alumni from more than 40 countries over its previous fourteen editions, including both coffee producers and consumers, creating a global network of professionals, researchers, and entrepreneurs united by the goal of promoting a coffee sector that is increasingly sustainable, fair, and excellence-oriented. In her speech, President Petrillo recalled that illycaffè has always combined tradition and innovation, and emphasized how the Master’s Degree in Coffee Economics and Science interprets international cooperation as the sharing of knowledge and technologies for ethical and sustainable growth.

From cosmic rays to the proteins of the future: these are the topics that won over the audience at FameLab Trieste 2026, the international science communication talent competition. The winners of the local selection, held on April 23 in a packed Teatro Miela, are Pietro Monti-Guarnieri (a PhD student in astroparticle physics at the University of Trieste and INFN Trieste) and Roberta Pratolini (a PhD student at the University of Udine), who will both advance to the national final of FameLab Italy. In just three minutes, the 18 contestants transformed complex topics into accessible and engaging stories, demonstrating how science can be clear, surprising, and even entertaining. The evening was hosted by Simone Kodermaz, a physicist, violinist, and winner of the first Trieste edition back in 2013. Third place and the audience award went to Smritirekha Talukdar from the Business Support Unit of Area Science Park, who combined neuroscience and sustainable energy in a brilliant talk on neuroplasticity and possible alternatives to fossil fuels. The event was organized by Immaginario Scientifico, together with the University of Trieste, the University of Udine, SISSA, and the Municipality of Trieste, as part of the “Trieste City of Knowledge” initiative. The competitors were evaluated by a jury composed of Nicola Bressi (Civic Museum of Natural History of Trieste), Vieri Candelise (University of Trieste), Giulia Casasole (SISSA), and Valeria Filì (University of Udine).

Area Science Park welcomed 95 students and two professors from the Department of Mathematics and Physics of the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) of Trondheim. The delegation visited the campus of Padriciano as part of a programme aimed at gaining deeper insight into the Scientific and Innovation System of Friuli Venezia Giulia. The visit follows a first experience held in March 2024, which was highly appreciated by students and professors of the Norwegian university, encouraging them to return in 2026 with an even larger delegation. During the visit, the students had the opportunity to learn more about some of the scientific and technological excellences of Area: LAME – the Laboratory of Electron Microscopy and LADE – the Laboratory of Data Engineering. Two other realities, located in the science and technology park were presented: Picosats srl, specialised in the development and design of nanosatellites for scientific and technological applications, and ICGEB – the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, whose laboratories they visited. The visit ended with the presentation of the Master in Data Management and Curation (MDMC) and of the Data Center ORFEO. The visit in Area Science Park was part of a three-day stay in Trieste, during which the Norwegian delegation also had the opportunity to learn more about other institutions of excellence of the region, including SISSA, the University of Trieste (UNITS) and ICTP, demonstrating the international appeal of the region’s scientific institutions. 

The Board of Directors of Area Science Park appointed Giorgio Graditi as the new Director General of the national research organization at its board meeting on 17 December 2025. Following a public selection procedure and a thorough evaluation process, the Board, following a proposal by Area Science Park’s president Professor Caterina Petrillo, approved Graditi’s appointment as Director General. Currently Director General of ENEA and a leading figure in the field of research and technological development in the energy sector, Graditi will take office on 1 March 2026 with a five-year mandate. Graditi previously served as Director of ENEA’s Department of Energy Technologies and Renewable Sources and contributed to the development of national and European strategies, projects, and initiatives in the fields of energy, digital and ecological transition, and sustainable development. His current positions include the Presidency of Medener, the association of national agencies for energy efficiency and renewable energy sources in the Mediterranean recognized by the European Commission; the Presidency of SIET (Società Informazioni Esperienze Termoidrauliche S.p.A.), which operates in the nuclear sector; membership of the Board of Directors of the University of Cassino and Southern Lazio; membership of the Board of Directors of the NEST Foundation (Network for Energy Sustainable Transition); membership of the Scientific Board of the Rome Technopole Foundation; and membership – serving as coordinator – of the Scientific Board of the National Energy Technology Cluster.    

On the occasion of the year-end holiday season, we inform you that the organisation will be closed on the following days: 29, 30 and 31 December 2025 2 and 5 January 2026   Due to reduced attendance across the Area Science Park campuses, catering and bar services will operate with the following changes: Canteen and bar closures: 25–28 December 2025 2 and 5 January 2026 Pizzeria closure: 22 December 2025 to 6 January 2026 Reduced catering and bar services: On 24, 29, 30 and 31 December 2025, only one self-service line will be available. From 22 to 31 December 2025, the bar will operate reduced hours: 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Our best wishes for a happy holiday season and for a 2026 full of satisfaction and success!