Institutional

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.