Press releases

Transforming innovative ideas in the field of hydrogen into concrete, financeable and scalable projects: this was the key challenge at the heart of the HE Access to Finance event, hosted at the Zagreb Innovation Centre (ZICER). The meeting brought together companies, innovators, policymakers and financial sector experts, providing an important platform for dialogue on the prospects of the European energy transition. Taking center stage was the North Adriatic Hydrogen Ecosystem, an integrated system involving Croatia, Slovenia and Friuli Venezia Giulia, with Area Science Park as a partner. It is a model of transnational cooperation designed to strengthen the hydrogen value chain and accelerate its industrial-scale deployment, structured around three complementary initiatives: NAHV, NACHIP and NASCHA. NAHV, the EU’s first transnational hydrogen valley, aims to develop a complete value chain; NACHIP serves as a platform for technological maturation and for connecting companies with industrial partners; NASCHA, finally, acts as an accelerator, supporting SMEs in building the capacity to attract investors through pilot projects. Renewable hydrogen is confirmed as a key energy carrier for the decarbonisation of hard-to-abate sectors, long-term energy storage, sustainable mobility and the integration of different energy systems. A representative of the European Commission (DG REGIO) also illustrated the role of the Interregional Innovation Investments (I3) Instrument, highlighting its potential in supporting SME growth and market access. Particular attention was given to the upcoming NACHIP Open Call, scheduled for September 2026, which will offer companies the opportunity to test, validate and integrate their solutions in real pilot environments. Identified opportunities include the development of renewable energy, industrial decarbonisation, innovation in mobility and the construction of integrated hydrogen value chains. However, several critical issues remain: high costs, regulatory complexity, infrastructural limitations, challenges related to storage, and still insufficient investor involvement. Hence the shared call to strengthen coordination among stakeholders, simplify the regulatory framework and decisively support the technology scaling phase. “By the end of the year,” says Fabrizia Salvi, technologist at Area Science Park, “NASCHA will launch its own cascade funding calls to help fill the remaining gaps along the hydrogen value chain within pilot projects, supporting innovative solutions and strengthening cross-border cooperation in the North Adriatic region. In this context, Area Science Park is actively contributing to the development of a dynamic hydrogen ecosystem through various initiatives, encouraging the adoption of innovative, market-ready technologies and collaboration among the various local stakeholders.” The day concluded with a visit to Patria Composite in Samobor, where participants were able to observe concrete hydrogen storage applications and their role in future energy systems. The HE Access to Finance event cycle will continue in the coming months with stops in Cres (26 May), Sežana and Trieste (in autumn), and Nova Gorica and Gorizia (10–12 November 2026), as part of the broader HE Conference North Adriatic. The sixth edition of the conference, dedicated to the theme “Hydrogen for EU Sovereignty”, will take place on 11 and 12 November 2026 between Nova Gorica and Gorizia.  

The ambitious project Pathogen Readiness Platform for CERIC-ERIC Upgrade – PRP@CERIC has been successfully completed, achieving all its objectives within the strict European timelines and leaving a lasting legacy for the CERIC-ERIC research infrastructure. The project significantly broadens its mission as a centre of excellence for the study of emerging pathogens. The project, worth €41 million, was coordinated by Area Science Park and developed in collaboration with CNR, the University of Naples Federico II, the University of Salerno and the University of Salento. It has created a geographically distributed and integrated ecosystem providing academic and industrial researchers with cutting-edge tools to address challenges posed by human, animal and plant pathogens. Seven key areas of scientific excellence define the new research infrastructure: Pathogen Research, Structural Biology, Advanced Microspectroscopy, Mechanobiology, Multi-omics, Artificial Intelligence and Simulations, and Bioelectronics. This interdisciplinary approach enables the study of pathogens under the most physiologically relevant conditions, from basic research to the development of new drugs and diagnostic systems. Among the most significant outcomes are the upgrading of BSL3 laboratories within the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB) for the safe analysis and study of infectious agents, the implementation of innovative automated screening systems, the acquisition of a state-of-the-art cryo-electron microscope, and the strengthening of high-performance computing infrastructures for artificial intelligence applied to computational biology. The project also led to the recruitment of 32 new researchers and technologists, further consolidating Trieste’s position as an international hub for life sciences. “PRP@CERIC has represented a key milestone for Area Science Park in strengthening the organisation’s development strategy in the field of research infrastructures, based on the integration of skills and the systematisation of existing scientific and technological capabilities. The award of the project within the framework of the MUR PNRR funding marked a decisive step in this direction,” said President Caterina Petrillo. “Three years after the launch of the project, this experience has helped redefine the organisation’s mission, now focused on the development of research and technological infrastructures as enabling tools for advanced research and for supporting deep-tech innovation stemming from high-risk research. The medium-term sustainability of PRP@CERIC will be ensured through funding obtained via competitive calls, such as the INGenIO project on rare diseases, and through services offered to industry.” “The research infrastructure also makes a significant contribution to pandemic preparedness and to advancing research in combating antimicrobial resistance, acting as a bridge between biomedical sciences and physical and biophysical disciplines, thus fostering an interdisciplinary approach capable of generating new investigative methods and innovative scientific results,” explained Federica Mantovani, PRP Infrastructure Manager at Area Science Park. “Furthermore, the integration of advanced instrumentation, emerging technologies and artificial intelligence-based approaches enhances our ability to observe, model and interpret complex biological phenomena.” The project has strengthened the strategic role of CERIC-ERIC within the European research infrastructure landscape. The geographically distributed platform represents an innovative model of scientific collaboration, where the complementary expertise of different partners is integrated to deliver a unique service. The multidisciplinary approach adopted enables the challenges of pathogen research to be addressed from a holistic perspective, from molecular characterisation to clinical applications. Designed in accordance with FAIR data principles, the infrastructure will ensure access for the scientific community through CERIC-ERIC and will also provide services to the industrial sector.

Applications are now open for the new edition of the Master in Data Management and Curation (MDMC), a one-year advanced programme promoted by Area Science Park and SISSA. The course is designed to train highly qualified professionals in the management, enhancement and curation of scientific data, based on a FAIR-by-design approach. Developed in collaboration between two leading institutions in the national and international scientific landscape, MDMC is open to ITS diploma holders as well as holders of Bachelor’s, Master’s or equivalent degrees. The programme provides both theoretical knowledge and practical skills in data management and curation, with a strong focus on data quality, integrity and documentation throughout the entire data lifecycle. These competencies are essential to ensure a more reliable, transparent and responsible use of Artificial Intelligence, within the broader framework of Open Science and Data Governance practices. The programme runs for approximately 10 months and is entirely delivered in English. It combines intensive in-person teaching in Trieste with a six-month internship at research laboratories and partner organisations, during which participants develop an applied project. The programme is built around the integration of data design, quality, interoperability and the responsible use of Artificial Intelligence, preparing professionals such as Data Stewards, Data Curators, Data Engineers and Research Data Managers – roles that are increasingly in demand across both academic and industrial sectors. Students will have dedicated access to the ORFEO HPC infrastructure at Area Science Park, including a dedicated virtual machine, storage space and computing resources specifically designed to support hands-on training in data management and data-intensive research. Five scholarships funded by Area Science Park, SISSA and OGS are currently available. These cover the tuition fee and provide an additional €3,000 contribution towards living expenses in Trieste during the in-person teaching period (September–December 2026). Subject to the availability of funding through agreements with external organisations – such as the Autonomous Region of Friuli Venezia Giulia, research institutions or private companies – additional financial support, scholarships and awards may be made available and will be announced on the MDMC website. Applications must be submitted via the PICA platform by 1:00 pm (CET) on 30 June 2026. Selection will be based on the evaluation of the applicant’s CV and motivation letter; a short online interview may also be required. Full details on the call, admission requirements and course structure are available in the official call.

Ultrasound technologies for non-invasive surgery and the “superfoods” of the future, innovative electromagnets, supercapacitors for electric mobility, and satellite optical communication technologies: the national research body Area Science Park announces the five startups selected as winners of the Deep Tech Revolution call, which allocates a total of €1 million in funding to innovative high-tech business projects. Each selected startup will receive €200,000 in funding, half in cash and half in high-tech services supporting research and development activities — including privileged access to Area Science Park’s advanced infrastructures and laboratories — as well as business growth support services. Deep Tech Revolution is a programme launched by Area Science Park to promote and support frontier research and deep tech innovation, with a focus on four key areas: materials science, advanced digital technologies, green energy value chains, and life sciences. The programme will provide non-repayable funding to five entrepreneurial projects selected from dozens of applications submitted from across Italy. Soundsafe Care (Pisa) develops robotic solutions that use ultrasound technologies for extracorporeal surgical procedures without incisions; Yeastime (Rome) applies ultrasound stimulation to optimise microalgae cultivation, increasing productivity and bioactive compounds for food/feed, nutraceutical and industrial biotech applications; Novac (Modena) develops a supercapacitor for automotive applications that acts as a power reserve for battery packs, integrated into vehicles within a carbon-fibre casing to optimise weight and volume; Magnetic Future (Bologna) develops a new class of high-temperature superconducting (HTS) switches designed to facilitate the adoption of superconducting electromagnets in high-impact sectors such as nuclear fusion, wind energy, space propulsion and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI); SatEnlight (Milan) proposes the use of advanced optical technologies to increase the speed, reliability and security of satellite data transmission. « The Deep Tech Revolution programme represents an ambitious challenge within Area’s strategic framework, arising from the convergence of the organisation’s long-standing experience in innovation and venture creation with recently developed scientific research capabilities,” explained Caterina Petrillo, President of Area Science Park, who added: « The initiative supports high-risk ideas and projects which, precisely because of their innovative nature, often encounter difficulties in attracting investors. In this context, the role of Area Science Park as a public research organisation can be crucial in creating the conditions for these initiatives to emerge and grow, absorbing part of the risk that the market is sometimes not yet willing to take on». The programme. The support programme will last twelve months, and its main added value is that the startups leading the funded projects will gain privileged access to Area Science Park’s technological and research infrastructures and laboratories for the first time. The offering includes laboratories for instrumental analysis, structural, cellular and molecular biology — in particular the Genomics and Epigenomics Laboratory and Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste — as well as equipment for analysing nanomaterials and innovative energy materials through the Electron Microscopy Laboratory. It also includes the High Performance Computing (HPC) infrastructure with the Data Engineering Laboratory, and the network of demonstrators of the Digital Innovation Hub. The programme will also feature international study visits, allowing participants to connect directly with leading global innovation and research ecosystems through visits to centres of excellence and meetings with experts, entrepreneurs and researchers. In addition, training and capacity-building bootcamps and networking activities will be organised through dedicated events and meetings aimed at fostering collaboration, investment opportunities and strategic growth through connections with key stakeholders. Applications. During the open call period, 187 expressions of interest were submitted by startups, university spin-offs and research groups that registered in order to apply for the call. A total of 80 projects eventually completed the application process, coming from across the country and representing almost three quarters of Italian regions (14 out of 20). Two main hubs stand out: Lazio and Friuli Venezia Giulia, both with 15 projects each. In Lazio, most projects originate from Rome (13), while in Friuli Venezia Giulia they are mainly concentrated in Trieste (8) and Udine (6). In Northern Italy, strong participation came from Emilia-Romagna (10) and Veneto (8) — driven respectively by the university hubs of Bologna (6) and Padua (5) — as well as Lombardy (6, with Milan accounting for 5) and Piedmont (4). Central Italy, beyond the Roman hub, also shows solid participation with Tuscany (8, including 6 from Pisa) and Marche (1). From Southern Italy, 11 projects were submitted, led by Apulia (5, including 4 from Bari) and Abruzzo (3), alongside Campania (2) and Sicily (1). Overall, this geographical distribution reflects a widely distributed ecosystem, combining major metropolitan hubs and regional innovation centres with medium-sized provinces, demonstrating truly widespread participation across the national territory. « We were truly impressed by the quality of the proposals submitted,” commented Pablo Garcia Tello, Head of the EU Projects and Initiatives Development Section at CERN in Geneva, who chaired the evaluation committee responsible for assessing the projects and selecting the five startups awarded the funding. « They demonstrate not only an exceptional level of scientific and technological excellence, but also a strong commitment to translating these results into tangible benefits for society. The initiative appears very solid and promises significant developments in the future». The Startups Soundsafe Care (Pisa) Project: ØSCAR 2.0 – A robotic device for non-invasive tissue mechanical ablation Soundsafe Care is an accredited spin-off of the Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies in Pisa that integrates robotics and ultrasound technologies to redefine surgical standards. The “Zero Scar” (ØSCAR 2.0) project operates in the field of life sciences and advanced medical technologies, focusing on innovation in non-invasive surgery. The company is developing cutting-edge devices capable of performing precise extracorporeal procedures, eliminating the need for surgical incisions while protecting surrounding healthy tissue through localised robot-assisted tumour ablation. For the development of the project, the startup will use chemical and phenotypic characterisation services, the High Performance Computing (HPC) infrastructure, and digital business environment analysis services. Yeastime (Roma) Project: US4BIOMA – Ultrasounds for Bioeconomy of Microalgae Based in Rome, Yeastime develops deep-tech solutions aimed at optimising biotechnological production processes through ultrasound stimulation. The US4BIOMA project operates in the life sciences sector by implementing innovative systems for microalgae cultivation. By integrating ultrasound modules into different reactor configurations (phototrophic and heterotrophic), the startup aims to increase biomass productivity and enhance the accumulation of high-value bioactive compounds. These compounds have applications in sectors such as novel food products, animal feed, nutraceuticals and industrial biotechnology. Yeastime will access services including genomics and epigenomics analysis, structural biology, atomic force microscopy (AFM), and digital market analysis. Novac (Modena) Project: SCARF – Structural supercapacitor pack for automotive applications embedded in a reinforced carbon fibre shell Novac is an innovative startup based in Modena active in the research and development of new materials for energy storage. The “SCARF” project aims to optimise a structural supercapacitor designed to be coupled with battery packs in the automotive sector, providing an additional power reserve for vehicles. Novac’s proprietary technology enables the supercapacitor to be integrated directly into a carbon-fibre shell, exploiting vehicle volumes that are typically unused and allowing a reduction in the size of the main battery. The project aims to demonstrate the feasibility of scalable production for high-value markets. Services requested include atomic force microscopy (AFM), support in materials science and nanotechnology, and advanced technological analyses related to energy and critical raw materials. Magnetic Future (Bologna) Project: SuperSwitch – Scalable HTS Switching Devices for Efficient Superconducting Power Systems Magnetic Future is a deep-tech spin-off from Mercatorum University and the University of Bologna, established to accelerate the adoption of superconducting electromagnets in high-impact sectors such as nuclear fusion, wind energy, space propulsion and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The project aims to validate a new class of high-temperature superconducting (HTS) switches, essential components for flux pumps, innovative power supply systems that significantly improve the energy efficiency of superconducting magnets. The initiative lies at the frontier of applied superconductivity and power conversion technologies for the energy transition. The startup will benefit from HPC infrastructure and advanced analytical services in the fields of energy, hydrogen and critical raw materials. SatEnlight (Milano) Project: SatEnlight – Unlocking the full potential of Optical Communications SatEnlight, a Milan-based startup at the forefront of terrestrial and satellite communications, proposes the use of advanced optical technologies to increase the speed, reliability and security of data transmission. Thanks to two exclusive patents for an optical reception system based on orbital angular momentum (OAM), the company aims to transform the sector. The technology uses so-called optical vortices to multiplex multiple data channels onto a single laser beam, dramatically increasing bandwidth efficiency. SatEnlight’s mission is to establish a new standard for high-performance space communications. The development programme includes digital business analysis services and access to the High Performance Computing (HPC) infrastructure.

The INGenIO project submitted by Area Science Park under the competitive call of the National Programme for Research, Innovation and Competitiveness 2021–2027 of the Ministry of University and Research (MUR) has secured funding of over €21 million. The funding will support the development of an integrated, interoperable and distributed infrastructure for the diagnosis, molecular understanding and identification of personalised therapies for rare diseases—conditions that affect around 30 million people in Europe alone. The project ranked fifth in the merit list, with a score of 96/100. INGenIO (Next-Generation Digital Infrastructure for the Study of Rare Diseases: Target Identification Guided by Multi-Omics & A.I. for Precision Drug Discovery & Delivery) aims to analyse clinical data from patients with rare diseases using Artificial Intelligence techniques designed to enable early diagnosis and identify potential drugs. On the experimental side, the project integrates Area Science Park’s multi-omics and digital technologies with magnetic resonance methods, electron microscopy and advanced preparative techniques available at partner laboratories. By bringing together specialised expertise and equipment across the national territory, the project will cover the entire value chain—from disease study to computational modelling and the synthesis of new drug candidates. INGenIO, coordinated by Area Science Park, builds on the organisation’s experience in designing and implementing research infrastructures focused on life sciences, including the Pathogen Readiness Platform for the CERIC-ERIC Upgrade (PRP@CERIC) for the study of pathogens and the ORFEO data centre. The project relies on a strong partnership including the University of Salerno, the University of Salento, the University of Florence, the CNR – Institute of Materials (IOM), the University of Naples “Federico II”, which brings collaboration with TIGEM, the CERM Magnetic Resonance Centre in Florence, and ENEA in Casaccia. This is complemented by a network of companies—particularly SMEs in Southern Italy—that have already expressed interest in collaborating on the project. The project structure integrates the expertise needed to cover the entire translational research cycle and its links with the industrial system. A distinctive feature of INGenIO, which expands the offering of the European infrastructure CERIC, is the functional integration of specialised laboratories distributed across the country and belonging to two other European research infrastructures, INSTRUCT and METROFOOD. In this way, a portfolio of instruments and expertise unique in Europe is oriented towards achieving a shared scientific objective—ambitious and with a high impact on health and society. “INGenIO’s 100% funding and its high ranking in the national list represent an important achievement for the organisation, which in recent years has focused its activities and investments on developing research infrastructures open to both the scientific community and industry,” said Area Science Park President Prof. Caterina Petrillo. “In particular, the project is an important booster to strengthen and relaunch the development strategies of the Area Sud site in Salerno, where, together with the university, we work on multi-omics characterisation in close synergy with our laboratories in Trieste”.

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.