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Francesco Ortu was awarded the Artificial Intelligence Prize from the University of Trieste for his thesis “Interpreting How Large Language Models Handle Facts and Counterfactuals through Mechanistic Interpretability” as part of the Master’s program in “Data Science and Scientific Computing”. This work was developed at the Institute for Research and Technological Innovation (RIT) of Area Science Park. The study focuses on how generative language models, like those behind ChatGPT, react when presented with text containing false information. The work was published in the Proceedings of the 62nd Annual Meeting of the Association for Computational Linguistics and presented last August in Bangkok at one of the most important conferences on Computational Linguistics and Artificial Intelligence for Natural Language. “Research on interpretability,” explains Francesco Ortu, “aims to bridge the gap between empirical approaches and our scientific understanding of the inner workings of generative language models (LLMs). So far, most existing research in this area has focused on how models copy or recall factual knowledge. In our study, we analyzed how information propagates within the neural network, identifying the ‘neurons’ that choose whether to promote or suppress false information proposed by the user.” Congratulations to Francesco, with best wishes for pursuing exciting discoveries during his PhD, which will soon begin at the Laboratory of Data Engineering in Area Science Park.

The Central European Research Infrastructure Consortium, CERIC-ERIC is calling for proposals for coordinated access to more than 60 instruments and support laboratories for research in all fields of materials, biomaterials and nanotechnology. The call is open to researchers from all over the world. In addition to the possibility to access several instruments through a single application, CERIC-ERIC offers support for mobility. To apply, use the link “Submit a new CERIC proposal” in the Virtual Unified Office – VUO, at https://vuo.elettra.trieste.it/ As usual, there will be two deadlines: September 2nd 2024, at 17:00 CEST, to have a pre-evaluation and the possibility to improve your proposal October 1st 2024, at 17:00 CEST (final submission), recommended only for users that are experts in all the techniques requested. What is new in this call? Over the last years, CERIC has been increasing its capacities in the field of Energy Materials. To this end, three energy storage facilities with state-of-the-art techniques in the field of fuel cells and batteries research, have been recently included in CERIC open access offer: European Commissions’s Joint Research Centre for Battery Energy Storage Testing Laboratory and the Fuel Cell and Electrolyser Testing laboratory in Petten, The Netherlands Hydrogen Technology Centre (HTC) at Charles University in Prague After almost a year, the Inelastic Ultraviolet Scattering with fixed-energy sources (IUVS-Offline) lab at Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste is available again in the CERIC offer. The equipment of the laboratory has been enriched of the new Lab Model Deep UV Resonance Raman & Photoluminescence Spectrometer (excitation wavelength at 248 nm with microscopic imaging). CERIC continues to offer access to: AMS-IRMS Accelerator Mass Spectrometry for radiocarbon dating at the CEDAD laboratory of the University of Salento, Italy European Commission’s Joint Research Centre Nanobiotechnology Laboratory in Ispra, Italy Next Generation Sequencing at the Laboratory for Genomics and Epigenomics (LAGE) in Trieste, Italy For maintenance reasons, the ion beam facilty at the Ruđer Bošković Institute will not be offering access during the current Call for proposals to their laboratory, therefor the instruments IRRA, NMicro and ToF-ERDA will not be available, while RBSc and PIXE/RBS will be available at the CEDAD laboratory in Lecce. The Thermal Neutron Three-axis Spectometer (TAST) at the Budapest Neutron Centre is currently out of service and will not be available in the current Call for Proposals. For further information about the call, please visit the website https://www.ceric-eric.eu/users/call-for-proposals/

A theoretical and practical training opportunity that, through the use of complementary and integrable approaches and techniques, allows the discovery of fingerprints of cellular metabolic pathways disrupted by infections and drug response. This opportunity is offered by the training school in “Phenotypic Fingerprinting” promoted by Area Science Park in collaboration with Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste, the International Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology – ICGEB and the National Research Council – CNR, as part of the activities of the “Pathogen Readiness Platform for CERIC-ERIC Upgrade” – PRP@CERIC*. The course will be held in English and will take place in Trieste at the laboratories of Area Science Park, Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste, ICGEB and the CNR – Istituto Officina dei Materiali. It is structured in two sessions for a total of about 150 hours. Several topics are covered: from cellular models of host-pathogen interaction to RNA sequencing, from micro- and nano-processing for biology to chemical cytology, data analysis, integration and management. The “Phenotypic Fingerprinting School” training course was created to strengthen the skills of researchers and technologists employed within the PRP@CERIC project, but it also includes the participation of an external quota of STEM graduates interested in developing their skills in the study of phenotypic fingerprinting. Area Science Park is inviting expressions of interest for two positions. The call is open until July 26, 2024. The requirements for applying are: 1) master’s or specialist degree or old-school degree in STEM subjects; 2) knowledge of the English language; 3) possession of civil and political rights in the State of nationality or origin. For each participant in the training programme, a reimbursement will be provided for lunches during the lesson days (which can be used in the Area Science Park canteens on the Basovizza and Padriciano campuses), while, exclusively for students coming from outside Trieste, a reimbursement will also be provided for the overnight stay and other meals. — *The project “Pathogen Readiness Platform for CERIC-ERIC Upgrade” – PRP@CERIC is financed under the PNRR (National Recovery and Resilience Plan) under Mission 4 “Education and Research”, Component 2 “From Research to Enterprise”, Investment Line 3.1 “Fund for the creation of an integrated system of research and innovation infrastructures”,” funded by the European Union – Next Generation EU.

Monsieur François Bonet, Consul General of France in Milan, visited Area Science Park accompanied by the Honorary Consul of France in Trieste, Riccardo Illy. In Trieste to participate in G7 Education, scheduled to be held at this time in the Friuli Venezia Giulia administrative centre, the French Consul was welcomed by the President of Area Science Park, Caterina Petrillo, and by the Director of the Research and Innovation Structure, Salvatore La Rosa. President Petrillo illustrated the main activities of the national research body and the ongoing strategic projects: from the “North Adriatic Hydrogen Valley” project to IP4FVG-EDIH, the European Digital Innovation Hub to IMPRESS, in which French scientific entities are participating. A small focus was devoted to the research and technological infrastructures, which Area Science Park has been developing recently. The Consul expressed great interest during the meeting, in particular towards the scientific vocation of Trieste and the numerous institutions that operate there. François Bonet, previously ambassador to El Salvador, was appointed Consul General of France in Milan in August 2023. Then, Monsieur Francois Bonet and Riccardo Illy visited the Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste light laboratory accompanied by Andrea Locatelli, line group coordinator, and Claudio Masciovecchio, Director.

Science and training can effectively contribute to developing the strategic partnership between Italy and Africa, also in light of the new Mattei Plan for Africa promoted by the Presidency of the Council of Ministers. This is demonstrated by Friuli Venezia Giulia, which, with the significant amount of experience gained and success stories, can play a central role in deepening the already fruitful collaborations. This is what emerged from the annual conference of SiS FVG, the Scientific and Innovation System of Friuli Venezia Giulia, held on Wednesday, 26 June, at Trieste’s Area Science Park and which explored the connections between international cooperation and scientific diplomacy. “The Scientific and Innovation System of Friuli Venezia Giulia has anticipated many of the topics in the Mattei Plan. The very topic of scientific diplomacy has gone hand in hand with the history of this territory, anticipating the debate we are facing at a national and European level”, declared Alessia Rosolen, Councilor for work, training, education, research, university and family of the Autonomous Region of Friuli Venezia Giulia. “Our added value has concerned, in particular, the training courses in support of research, in the relationship between new professional figures, in the construction of the higher education system and ITS (Higher Technical Institutes). In this area, among other things, we have two national excellences: The exchange programme of the “Malignani” Institute of Udine with Egypt and that of ITS “Alto Adriatico” of Pordenone with Ghana. During the conference, there were talks by numerous speakers, making contributions to and discussing the topic. Among these, Vincenzo Lorusso, in charge of the European Union’s Cooperation in Research and Innovation with the African Union at the Directorate-General for Research and Innovation of the European Commission, spoke about the key role that Research & Innovation have in the development of the partnership between the European Union and Africa. Lorusso also confirmed the investment (equal to 150 billion euros), announced at the EU-AU summit last February, aiming to support Africa for a strong, inclusive, ecological and digital recovery and transformation. The role of science as an effective tool for consolidating transnational relations was already reiterated in the 2019 Trieste Declaration, signed by the ministers of 17 countries of the Central European Initiative (CEI), who designated as priorities themes such as scientific diplomacy, the mobility of researchers, the exchange of staff, and the promotion of transnational collaborative networks. Among the best practices presented are the MITS Academy/Egypt project and Alto Adriatico Confindustria’s training project with Ghana. The former, stemming from the collaboration between the ITS Academy of Udine and the Istituto Paritario Don Bosco of Cairo, and illustrated by Paola Perabò, Vice President of the MITS Malignani Istituto Tecnico Superiore Foundation of Udine, aims at reducing the misalignment between supply and demand of qualified personnel in the manufacturing sector and promoting cooperation between Italy and Egypt. The latter, presented by the President of the Alto Adriatico Confindustria, Michelangelo Agrusti, has the objective of training young Ghanaians, already enrolled in technical and professional schools in that country, to fill the labour shortage in the industrial system of Friuli Venezia Giulia. The President of Area Science Park, Caterina Petrillo, opened the meeting, focusing on the strategic importance of the topic of the Conference, shared by all the representatives of SiS FVG, “a fundamental theme for Trieste, a centre of excellence where numerous entities were created and operate and are active in research and higher education at an international level”. The President then remembered the G7 Research event on 2 October, organised in the context of the BSBF 2024, devoted to building skills and transferring knowledge in order to strengthen collaboration between Italy and Africa. Alessandro Garbellini – Office Manager of the Space, Multilateral Scientific Cooperation and Intellectual Property Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, then spoke, and affirmed: “The SiS FVG model certainly represents a lever for our foreign policy and is proof of how much a functioning infrastructure combined with proactivity of the institutions brings benefits to the nation’s system. Trieste has invented a new model of scientific cooperation: pooling skills, allowing access and ensuring that brains produce regardless of their origin. The Ministry is promoting the Trieste model around the world.” This was followed by a speech by Francesco Ciardiello, of the Technical Administrative Office of the General Directorate of Research at the Ministry of University and Research, who reiterated Trieste’s central position and the role that it can play in the development of international cooperation. The final part of the conference was dedicated to a round table moderated by Nico Pitrelli, director of the Master’s Programme in Science Communication of the “Franco Prattico” SISSA. The discussion focused on cases of scientific cooperation and diplomacy presented by various institutions of the SiS FVG. Speakers: Alessandro Lombardo, Senior Executive Officer CEI – Central European Initiative; Marianna Maculan, External Relations Manager for ICGEB – International Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology; Atish Dabholkar, Director of ICTP – International Centre for Theoretical Physics; Tonya Blowers, Programme Coordinator of OWSD – Organization for Women in Science for the Developing World; Claudia Baracchini, Senior Project Manager of TEC4I FVG – Technologies for innovation FVG; Peter Mc Grath, Coordinator of the Scientific Diplomacy Unit for TWAS – The World Academy of Sciences; Mounir Ghribi – Director of International Cooperation and Research Promotion for OGS – National Institute of Oceanography and Experimental Geophysics. Councilor Rosolen concluded the work. SiS FVG is an initiative of the Autonomous Region of Friuli Venezia Giulia, in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and the Ministry of University and Research, to enhance the Scientific and Innovation System of Friuli Venezia Giulia.

Regenerative Symphony, the installation created following the artist residency in Area Science Park, was presented during the fifth edition of the New Atlas of Digital Arts, an international event that took place from 20 to 21 June at the MEET Digital Culture Center in Milan, and which aims at promoting and investigating digital creativity scenarios, highlighting the potential of immersive creative experiments as possible drivers of cultural, social and economic innovation. During the event, part of the S+T+ARTS in the City project, in addition to the presentation of the work, a series of European institutions and actors participated, offering an overview of the state-of-the-art and technological developments related to immersive experiences. With Regenerative Symphony, the German artist Daria Jelonek, and the Englishman Perry-James Sugden, of Studio Above&Below created an interactive audiovisual installation generated by an artificial intelligence model that uses self-analysis, mineral monitoring, and market analysis of the northern region of Italy as input data to recognise, decide on, and predict the output of an immersive modular installation. The work was created thanks to the direct involvement of Area Science Park researchers who collaborated with the artists during the weeks of residency, providing them with inspiration, materials and resources starting from their own research. In particular, the teams from the LAME Laboratory were involved; they illustrated their research results in the field of innovative materials and nanotechnologies; Francesca Cuturello and Tommaso Rodani from the LADE Data Engineering Laboratory were also involved, and along with them, the artists actually elaborated the mathematical model underlying the immersive work. Furthermore, during the weeks of residency in Area Science Park, the artists drew inspiration from a visit to the Elettra Sincrotrone laboratories, where they heard from the researchers about the Institution’s most challenging research projects in the materials sector. “Regenerative Symphony is a work of art that explores a future (2030-2050) in which critical minerals, rare elements essential for modern technologies, are recycled instead of extracted – explain the authors – This scenario challenges current difficulties in the recycling of these minerals. The installation uses a model of artificial intelligence that works with data from synthetic and natural materials to visualize this regenerative future. The work of art manifests itself as a generative projection, which reveals the beauty of reuse through the metaphor of sound symphonies. Visitors can interact with the installation, adjusting the view through predictive data of material resources on an iPad.” The public can, in fact, interact with the work by creating new objects, starting with the recycling of others and thanks to sustainable energy sources. The AI ​​model reacts to requests, identifying various solutions, including recycling critical materials from unused e-waste or making alternative design decisions. During computation, the digital experience in the space is rearranged, leading to a new and different immersive environment. Confirming how our every gesture can have a concrete impact on the health of our Planet.

Italy is set to host the third edition of the Big Science Business Forum (BSBF2024) in the city of Trieste from October 1 to 4, 2024, at the Generali Convention Center in Porto Vecchio. Among the numerous scheduled initiatives, a packed program of meetings will culminate nearly two years of intense promotional activities between Italy and Europe. There will be over 150 stands representing institutional participants and companies from across Europe in the exhibition space. These significant numbers aim to surpass the success of previous editions in Copenhagen and Granada, which brought together about 1,000 delegates from 500 organizations and 30 countries to discuss the future of the Big Science market. BSBF2024 is organized by ten leading European Big Science Organizations (BSOs): CERN, ESA, ESO, ESS, ESRF, European XFEL, FAIR, F4E, ILL, and SKAO, with the support of PERIIA, the pan-European network of national Industry Liaison Officers (ILOs). The bid to host BSBF2024 in Trieste was supported by the Autonomous Region of Friuli Venezia Giulia, in collaboration with ILO Network Italy, composed of representatives from CNR, ENEA, INAF, and INFN, as well as Area Science Park in Trieste and PromoTurismo FVG. Therefore, the Big Science Business Forum 2024 will be a business-focused event, bringing together Europe’s leading research infrastructures and international companies in high-tech and innovation sectors. The aim is to expand future prospects for creating a European Big Science market, including technological developments, economic investments, and facilitating entrepreneurial opportunities across the continent. To achieve this, BSBF2024 has launched a series of calls for proposals over the past months, published on its official website. These calls are the main tool for enabling European companies to connect and participate in the European Big Science market. This initiative has facilitated the involvement of new SMEs (26 selected from 14 different countries, including 2 from Italy) and the selection of other scientific organizations affiliated with BSBF (9 from 5 different countries, including 3 from Italy). Some calls are still open, such as the Technology Transfer Track Call (TTT Call, deadline June 30), which will highlight technology transfer experiences and proposals within the Big Science sector. Another call aims to select companies that have already had multiple contracts with various BSOs to outline proposals for building a common European market for Big Science, the so-called Big Science Common Market call (BSCM call, deadline June 18). BSBF2024 in Trieste this October represents a unique opportunity for live interaction among European companies and organizations to participate in a market valued at nearly €10 billion annually. These funds are managed through international public tenders directly by the BSOs according to specific rules and procedures, which participants will have the opportunity to explore in-depth during the four-day event. Following the handover to the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region at the previous edition in Granada, BSBF TRIESTE 2024 was officially presented in Rome on February 1, 2023, by Governor Massimiliano Fedriga, with regional councillors Alessia Rosolen and Sergio Emidio Bini. Alongside them, as speakers, were Minister for University and Research, Anna Maria Bernini, Minister for Enterprises and Made in Italy, Adolfo Urso, Minister for Environment and Energy Security, Gilberto Pichetto Fratin, Undersecretary for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Maria Tripodi, and the presidents of the National Research Council, Maria Chiara Carrozza, the National Institute for Nuclear Physics, Antonio Zoccoli, the National Institute for Astrophysics Marco Tavani, and Area Science Park Caterina Petrillo. Director of BSBF 2024 initiatives is Paolo Acunzo (ILO Network Italy, ENEA), in collaboration with Ketty Segatti, Deputy Director of the Department of Education and Research of the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region. The Big Science Business Forum has conducted a real roadshow across Europe in recent months, in collaboration with the Central European Initiative (InCE), with institutional meetings in Belgrade (February 27, 2024), Bratislava (March 20, 2024), Prague (March 21, 2024), Warsaw (April 16, 2024), Budapest (May 7, 2024), Zagreb (June 13, 2024), and Ljubljana (June 14, 2024), in the presence of Italian ambassadors and numerous stakeholders. BSBF presentations have also been held in scientific, institutional, and entrepreneurial contexts throughout Italy and Friuli Venezia Giulia, including IOD’23 – Industrial Opportunity Days in Naples (June 2023), Trieste Next (September 2023), Barcolana Sea Summit (October 2023), Confindustria Alto Adriatico (November 2023), and Confindustria Udine (January 2024). Additional presentations took place at the University of Tuscia (January 2024), IUPAP Industry & Education Projects in Trieste (March 2024), and at the Italian-Belgian Chamber of Commerce in Brussels (April 11, 2024). The forum has also participated in international conferences such as EPS Forum in Berlin (March 26, 2024) and Deep Tech Atelier in Riga (May 17, 2024). Throughout 2023 and the first half of 2024, the BSBF2024 organizing team has provided hundreds of European entrepreneurs the opportunity to visit the major European Big Science Organizations, including Fusion for Energy (F4E) at ITER Organization (Saint-Paul-lez-Durance, France, October 2023), European XFEL (Schenefeld, Germany, January 2024), CERN (Geneva, Switzerland, February 2024), and ESA (Noordwijk, Netherlands, March 15, 2024). Online webinars are available, such as “Women in Big Science Projects”, focusing on female presence in Big Science. Registration for BSBF2024 is open on the official website, where more information is available: www.bsbf2024.org.  

Thanks to Data Science, today we can analyse and manipulate an enormous amount of data, derived from the most disparate platforms: From social networks to medical records, from geolocators to streaming services. All with the aim of extracting new knowledge and value. The data scientist uses advanced mathematical and physical techniques to find correlations, causal relationships, and interactions among data, developing hypotheses to test, and gradually improving analysis algorithms. Many of the techniques used are inspired by the results of fundamental physics, ranging from the physics of complex systems to high-energy physics. These fruitful correlations and their repercussions on society, the economy, the world of work, and industry will be explored during the international conference “Data Science in Fundamental Physics and its bridge to industry & society”, which will be held in Santiago De Compostela (Spain) from 3 to 7 June. It is organised by the Galician Institute of High Energy Physics (Instituto Galego de Fisica de Altas Enerxias, IGFAE). Matteo Biagetti, a research physicist at LADE – the Data Engineering Laboratory active in Artificial Intelligence and Data Management, will represent Area Science Park and his research activities in the field. The conference will highlight career opportunities within the field of fundamental physics and its synergies with the job market. It will also include a session where companies can present their needs related to Data Science. By bringing together both aspects, this occasion aims at creating a framework for the mutual exchange of knowledge and will allow the development of practical synergies from Data Science to fundamental physics and from Data Science to industry. More information on the event: Data Science in Fundamental Physics and the Bridge to Industry (usc.es) Find out about the LADE and its team of researchers

A team of Italian researchers published a study in the Annals of Hepatology that represents a significant advancement in transplant medicine. The study sheds light on the molecular mechanisms that influence the success of liver allografts. The Italian Liver Foundation Onlus, the Liver Transplant Centre of the “Friuli Centrale” University Health Authority and Area Science Park with the Genomics and Epigenomics Laboratory worked together to write the article. It gives a thorough look at how genomics and epigenomics affect transplanted liver. Allograft – the transplant of organs or tissues between two individuals of the same species – involves rejection risks due to the recipient’s immune system recognising the transplanted tissue as foreign. The study focuses on how variations at the genomic and epigenomic levels – the latter is a field that examines changes in gene expression that do not involve changes in the DNA sequence – can influence the recipient’s response and the outcome of the transplant. The results of the study provide new insight into how transcriptomic changes, that is, changes in the transcription of DNA into messenger RNA, can contribute to the initial damage to the transplanted liver, the recurrence of chronic disease, or organ rejection. This research opens up new perspectives for preventing these complications, thus improving the chances of the success of liver allografts and the quality of the patients’ life. “The project – states Pablo Giraudi of the Italian Liver Foundation – involved the collection, at the time of surgery, of liver biopsies and blood samples from patients who have undergone a transplant due to various chronic liver diseases (including liver cirrhosis due to viral infections such as hepatitis C and B, alcoholic cirrhosis, cirrhosis associated with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis and cryptogenic cirrhosis) and the use of DNA and RNA obtained from the respective biopsies. Analyses with specific bioinformatic platforms allow us to obtain information on the expression of genes that is useful in a personalized therapy and diagnostic/prognostic biomarkers”. “This project – explains Danilo Licastro, head of the Genomics and Epigenomics Laboratory of Area Science Park – allowed us to apply our research knowledge in an integrated and organic way. Our laboratory produced and analysed information regarding RNA sequence and the status of DNA methylation for all the samples provided by our partners. The result of this scientific project was only possible because of the high degree of collaboration between the two research structures, and it constitutes a fundamental step towards continuing on from research towards clinical-diagnostic application on a large scale. We are confident that the results of this experimentation will be the starting point for further studies also involving other international institutes”. “This is a pioneering experimental research project – affirms the scientific Director of the FIF, Claudio Tiribelli – which, by generating big data, will make it possible to create databases that will be useful for initiating collaboration in digital health based on artificial intelligence models towards a more personalized type of medicine, such as, for example, the use of immunosuppressants which are more suitable to the patient, in order to avoid rejection of the transplanted organ. It is also proof that the interaction between scientific and clinical realities makes it possible to achieve high-level results.” “Area Science Park’s choice to enhance investment in cutting-edge laboratories and technologies increases internal skills in the Life Sciences sector and strengthens collaboration with research institutions on large projects of common interest that have a significant social impact, ” declared the President of Area Science Park, Caterina Petrillo. “The achievement of the established objectives – states the President of the FIF, Decio Ripandelli – will lead to the continuation of the important relationships among the various bodies involved, for the definition of new directions in national and international research and the training of highly specialised human resources, with a consequent increase in local and foreign collaboration”.

Open Science methodologies, FAIR-by-design data management and data FAIR-ification, use of tools and software for metadata acquisition and enrichment and tools and methods for preliminary analysis of data and metadata; these are the main skills that the participants of the Master Data Management and Curation (MDMC)  will acquire at the end of the course organized by Area Science Park, the Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati – SISSA and the Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche – Istituto Officina dei Materiali (CNR-IOM), as part of the activities of supporting projects NFFA-DI and PRP@CERIC,  funded by the PNRR* to enhance digital research infrastructures  in materials science and life science. This is a first pilot edition of an advanced course dedicated to young researchers interested in developing skills on FAIR data management in research infrastructures. The course, which lasts about a year, is structured in two parts: the first dedicated to in-presence lessons (six weeks, September – October 2024) and the second with experimental training to be carried out at the Area Science Park laboratories (seven months – from November 2024 to May 2025). Area Science Park promotes participation in the Master through an expression of interest published on the institutional website to identify two students who will receive a flat-rate reimbursement of 15,000 euros to cover the participation costs. The requirements to apply are: 1) to have at least a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in scientific topics, engineering,  computer science or related or equivalent subjects; 2) to be unemployed; 3) to know the English language. Deadline: May 31, 2024.   FOR DETAILED INFORMATION ON THE TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES:  Download the pdf presentation Watch the video registration of the Presentation Meeting: — * funded by the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (“PNRR”) within “Missione 4, Istruzione e Ricerca – Componente 2, Dalla ricerca all’impresa – Linea di investimento 3.1, Fondo per la realizzazione di un sistema integrato di infrastrutture di ricerca e innovazione”, with funds from the European Union – NextGenerationEU.

As part of the initiatives on the occasion of the 7th edition of the “Italian Research Day in the World”, the Italian Embassy in Sweden organised a scientific exchange meeting between researchers of Area Science Park and the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, a prestigious Swedish university specialising in biomedical disciplines. The meeting at Karolinska, which followed an invitation from the Italian Ambassador to Sweden, Michele Pala, and his scientific attaché, Augusto Marcelli, to the President of Area Science Park, Caterina Petrillo, was the final stage of an institutional visit to Sweden that started on Monday 8 April in Lund and which included, in addition to the participation of researchers and technologists from Area Science Park, also representatives of some research centres and startups located in the science and technology park – CNR-IOM, ICGEB, Elettra Sincrotrone and Aindo – as well as other centres of prestige operating in Trieste – Sissa and IRCSS Burlo Garofolo. The aim of the visit is to strengthen scientific cooperation with the research centres of a country that offers many opportunities in the fields of life sciences and materials sciences, to build possible new cooperative ventures and to strengthen some already existing ones. “The Italian collaboration with Swedish research centres is long-standing. Italy has been, in fact, one of the partner countries of the European Spallation Source (ESS) since the design of the facility with important contributions to the construction of the accelerator and instrumentation. Even with MaxIV, there are several joint projects with our research institutions also thanks to the numerous Italian researchers who work there”, declared the President of Area Science Park Caterina Petrillo, who added: “With this visit, we hope to consolidate and enhance collaboration in the high-tech sectors of materials and life sciences.” In Lund, the delegation led by President Petrillo visited MaxIV, the Swedish national laboratory for research with synchrotron radiation hosted by the University, the European Spallation Source (ESS), a strategic European facility, of which Italy is among the founding countries, and the second largest European project in the field of accelerators, and Nano Lund, one of the most important Swedish laboratories for the development of nanotechnologies for the academy and industry. The visit to the three research centres was also an opportunity to present activities and laboratories in the scientific and technological park of Area Science Park and that are active in the study of materials. In addition to President Petrillo, the following people were present at Lund: the director of the CNR-IOM, Giancarlo Panaccione; the head of the Electron Microscopy laboratory, Regina Ciancio; the head of the Fermi machine, Luca Giannessi. Following the presentations, there were valuable moments of discussion for in-depth study and support for the cooperative project with the aim of generating new perspectives and seizing opportunities. In Stockholm, the institutional visit was concentrated at the Karolinska Institutet, where the following speakers presented their research and principal ongoing projects in the life sciences: Lawrence Banks, Director of the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology – ICGEB, spoke about cancer and infections; Mathew Diamond, professor of Cognitive Neuroscience at Sissa, illustrated the activities and research of the School and the Sensory Experience (SENSEx) Lab; Lisa Vaccari, coordinator of the beamlines group and IDEAS laboratories, presented studies and analysis possibilities that can be carried out at the Elettra and Fermi laboratories; Pio D’Adamo, geneticist at the IRCSS Burlo Garofolo and professor at the University of Trieste, presented the studies conducted on genetics and rare diseases. Alberto Cazzaniga, head of the Data Engineering Laboratory of Area Science Park, spoke on the applications of Artificial Intelligence and data science techniques in the field of life sciences, in particular for the study and diagnosis of rare diseases, followed by Sebastiano Saccani, co-founder of Aindo, a startup specialized in the use of synthetic data founded in Sissa and established in Area Science Park. Finally, a parallel session was devoted to innovation models applicable to deep tech innovation and the generation of innovative businesses and included talks by Salvatore La Rosa, director of Research and Innovation of Area Science Park, and Fabrizio Rovatti, Innovation Manager of Area Science Park. Karolinska’s researchers, professors and innovation experts were constant participants in the various meetings, illustrating the activities carried out in the sectors of interest. The day ended with a visit to the hospital, a centre of excellence and one of Europe’s most technologically advanced hospitals. “Scientific-technological cooperation is one of the Embassy’s priority areas of activity – declared Ambassador Michele Pala on the occasion of the three-day event – so we are particularly pleased with the success of the visit of the prestigious delegation from Area Science Park. Their presence has made it possible for us to promote Italian excellence here in Sweden and to commemorate the 7th day of Italian Research in the World in a meaningful way. The meetings made it possible to consolidate existing relationships and lay the foundations for new and promising cooperation in the fields of Life Sciences, materials, ICT energy and the environment, areas particularly well-represented by Italian researchers who participated in the visits that the embassy organised in Lund and Stockholm”.

Our ability to respond to future pandemics depends on a constant commitment to developing innovative and effective response strategies. This is the objective of the International Scientific Conference “Pandemic preparedness: Achievements, current challenges, and new frontiers” scheduled from 11 to 13 November 2024 at the Hotel Savoia Excelsior Palace in Trieste. The Conference is organised by the Area Science Park National Research Institute in conjunction with the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology – ICGEB, as part of the PRP@CERIC project, financed by PNRR Next Generation EU funds, dedicated to Research Infrastructures. The Conference will involve internationally renowned scientists to provide an overview of known and emerging viruses and their potential epidemic risk. It will also foster knowledge sharing and networking, encouraging the development of broad synergies and multidisciplinary cooperation. During the scientific event, diagnostics, epidemiology, monitoring, drug discovery, and preventive approaches will be discussed in the context of international cooperation to jointly address the challenges of (re)emerging infectious diseases. Speakers will include international experts in various disciplines applied to the study of pathogens, such as Artificial Intelligence, virology, structural biology, genomics, data management, clinical diagnostics, infectious diseases, and zoonoses. The Conference has a rich programme encompassing theme-related plenary sessions, oral presentations, and poster sessions. It is aimed at experienced researchers, university professors, doctors, healthcare personnel, and young researchers taking their first steps in pathogen research at various levels. To register for the Conference, early-bird registration is possible until August 31 and regular registration until October 31 via the project website. To participate as a speaker, you must send an abstract for an oral or poster presentation by June 15, 2024, using the same channel. Here the Conference brochure