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Learning about the organization’s research activities and the management of its science and technology park, sharing best practices and creating opportunities for future collaboration were the primary objectives of the visit by a delegation from the Kosovo-based Innovation & Training Park Prizren (ITP Prizren), which took place on October 23. The delegation from ITP Prizren, an organization established in 2019 through a joint initiative between the German federal government and the government of Kosovo, with the direct involvement of the German Federal Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), was composed of the Kosovo park’s top management, GIZ officials for the Balkans, ITP board members representing the Ministry of Economy, the Ministry of Industry and the Office of the Prime Minister of the Kosovo government, and the Head of Development Cooperation at the German Embassy in Pristina. Welcoming the guests was Salvatore La Rosa, Director of the Research and Innovation Division at Area Science Park, along with a large representation of the organization’s members active in various fields, from the science and technology park to start-up development. Topics covered included management practices for campus facilities and operational sustainability, strategies for attracting new tenants and the design of value-added services for tenant companies. Two tenant companies, Idrostudi and Promoscience, also participated in the meeting, sharing their experience at Area Science Park and the opportunities arising from their collaboration with the organization. The meeting was a lively exchange of ideas and experiences, a discussion of the strategies and challenges facing science and technology parks.  

Area Science Park has significantly upgraded the hardware infrastructure and computing power of ORFEO, the Data Center that serves as a cornerstone of the organisation’s research and innovation ecosystem. Supported by the PNRR – Mission 4 “Education and Research”, the Data Center expansion marks a major step forward in computing performance and in the delivery of advanced storage and data management services for scientific applications in numerical simulation and artificial intelligence.   A more powerful and sustainable Data Center The €3 million investment through PNRR funds has enabled the creation of a new 125 kW server room equipped with high-efficiency cooling systems, reducing both the carbon footprint and operational costs. Computing capacity has been enhanced with new servers for simulations and predictive modelling, supported by three AI nodes, each with eight state-of-the-art GPU accelerators. These resources make it possible to train large language models, run computer vision applications, and analyse complex datasets in a fraction of the time. Internal interconnections have been upgraded with ultra-low-latency, high-speed links to ensure smooth data flow even under heavy workloads. Storage capacity has been increased by several petabytes, with the addition of an ultra-fast solid-state memory layer for “hot” datasets, further improving performance and efficiency. “ORFEO represents a strategic investment for Area Science Park, enabling the full operation of the organisation’s research and technological infrastructures,” explained President Caterina Petrillo. “It manages the entire data lifecycle from our genomics and virology research laboratories, materials microscopy, and soon, from the green energy production demonstrator. ORFEO also provides AI and HPC access and services to companies, driving digital transformation and business competitiveness in coordination with the regional data center network. To sustain excellence and the quality of our data science investments, Area Science Park has developed an advanced training programme for young researchers and technologists”.   A key infrastructure for scientific research As the digital core of Area Science Park’s research activities, ORFEO supports advanced projects in artificial intelligence, materials science, computational biology, and genomics. Thanks to its high-performance architecture, the Data Center enables researchers to run complex simulations, train large-scale machine learning models, and analyse massive amounts of scientific data in a reproducible and traceable way. The infrastructure also powers a broad research ecosystem focused on AI model interpretability and the energy sustainability of computational processes. ORFEO hosts automated pipelines integrating high-performance and cloud computing, ensuring data interoperability and faster analysis. Its evolution strengthens collaborations with universities, research institutions, and national and European infrastructures, consolidating Area Science Park’s role as a hub for computational research and digital innovation.   An ally for digital business transformation Beyond supporting scientific research, ORFEO is a strategic asset for enterprises seeking to innovate through high-performance computing and artificial intelligence. Area Science Park provides consulting services, feasibility studies, and Proof of Concept projects to facilitate the adoption of advanced digital solutions—from numerical simulation to data science—within a secure, high-performance environment.   ORFEO is Area Science Park’s high-performance computing and artificial intelligence Data Center, designed to support scientific research and industrial innovation. Established in 2020 to serve the life sciences, it now functions as a cross-sector platform integrating HPC, AI, and big data management. It enables the training of advanced models, digital twin simulations, and FAIR-compliant data repositories linked to the organisation’s experimental laboratories. The infrastructure provides services in Infrastructure, Platform, and Software as a Service (IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS) modes, with ready-to-use environments and tools for data science and HPC. The cluster delivers millions of computing hours annually, is connected to national research backbones (LightNet, GARR), and follows open standards to ensure interoperability and security. Technical management is entrusted to the Data Engineering Laboratory (LADE), which brings together expertise in AI, data engineering, and high-performance computing.

A joint research project carried out by the Institute of Materials Workshop of the National Research Council in Trieste (Cnr-Iom), the Universities of Trieste and Innsbruck, and Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste has synthesised a new crystalline form of diboron trioxide, entirely composed of structural units previously observed only in its vitreous form. Boron oxide is commonly used as a key component in the manufacture of highly resistant glasses such as Pyrex and in enamels: in such industrial processes, it has been demonstrated that the addition of boron oxide significantly improves the glass’s ability to withstand thermal shock and chemical reactions, making it ideal for the most demanding applications. However, the vitrification process of boron oxide is still little understood, and presents anomalies not found in other oxides, such as silica, which exist in both crystalline and amorphous form. “The key distinction between a crystal and a glass lies in the ordered arrangement of atoms in the former, which is absent in the latter,” explains Alessandro Sala, a Cnr-Iom researcher who conceived the project. “Both systems are normally made up of the same structural unit composed of a few atoms, repeated in space. In crystals this ‘building block’ repeats periodically in a geometrically ordered manner, whereas in glass it repeats in a disordered way. Boron is an exception to this rule, since its vitreous phase contains elementary units composed of a ring of three boron atoms and three oxygen atoms, which are not present in the crystal. Today, for the first time, we have succeeded in obtaining a two-dimensional crystalline phase composed exclusively of the ‘building blocks’ present in the vitreous phase”. The research was based on the use of platinum as the base material to obtain this compound and to characterise its main physical properties in detail. The scientific team was able not only to develop the “recipe” for obtaining this material, but also to study its principal physical properties in depth. Maria Peressi, Full Professor at the University of Trieste, comments: “Our numerical simulations indicate that this material, porous by construction, consists of a mesh of boron and oxygen atoms that is extremely flexible, to the point of being the most elastic monoatomic-thickness material ever reported – ten times more so than graphene! This peculiar characteristic is due to the fact that the rigid ‘building blocks’ of which it is made are linked by an oxygen atom that acts as a hinge, around which they can rotate within the plane. Experimental evidence and results from numerical simulations also indicate that this material interacts only very weakly with the platinum substrate on which it is produced, suggesting the possibility of using conventional methods to separate it in order to employ it in innovative devices”. The crystalline structure of the two-dimensional material obtained was then analysed through scanning tunnelling microscopy: “The complementary measurements carried out in Trieste and Innsbruck enabled us to observe the material down to its most fundamental components,” continues Laerte Patera, Professor at the University of Innsbruck. “With the spatial resolution achieved, we are now able to determine the position of each atom within the two-dimensional mesh: in the future we will be able to observe how the atoms rearrange as the material passes from the crystalline form to the disordered form characteristic of glass”. Andrea Locatelli, head of the Nanospectroscopy beamline at Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste, concludes: “The use of synchrotron light was crucial to precisely determine the relative abundance of the constituent elements, the absence of contaminants, and the crystallinity of the new material produced. We are already capable of producing homogeneous crystals of this material measuring tens of square microns. The complementarity of the experimental techniques and theoretical simulations employed in this study proved decisive for the success of the entire scientific project. The distinctive characteristics of this new material – a wide band-gap semiconductor, extremely flexible and porous – encourage exploration of its potential use in applications across very different sectors, from electronics to catalysis to quantum technologies”. The first authors of this important work, Teresa Zio and Marco Dirindin, are two PhD students at the University of Trieste, who are brilliantly crowning a path of excellence in advanced training and introduction to research.

Area Science Park with the Council of Presidents shares the feelings of horror, grief, indignation, and anguish over the dramatic humanitarian crisis suffered by the Palestinian population as a result of the military actions undertaken by the Israeli Government in the territory of the Gaza Strip. The brutal terrorist attack carried out by Hamas on October 7, 2023, can in no way justify what is being inflicted upon Palestinian civilians, who are victims of continuous attacks, bombings, and famine. It condemns the actions that have caused and continue to cause thousands of civilian deaths, including a very large number of children. It also condemns the obstruction of humanitarian aid access, in blatant violation of international humanitarian law, and the destruction of essential civilian infrastructure. This tragedy has led the International Court of Justice to declare the risk of a violation of the Genocide Convention, a conclusion confirmed by a special United Nations commission, which stated that Israel’s conduct of war in Gaza “bears the characteristics of genocide.” It recalls that the fundamental principles enshrined in the Italian Constitution and in international law require respect for human rights, the rejection of war, and the promotion of peace and cooperation among peoples. It reaffirms the steadfast commitment of the scientific research community to peace, as expressed in recent weeks by the staff of Public Research Institutions and Universities, as well as by various scientific and academic institutions. We endorse the words of the appeal issued by the National Academy of the Lincei, calling to “recognize the non-negotiable sacredness of the lives of children, women, and men, even in the Gaza Strip.” It expresses appreciation for the positions taken by the Israeli Academy of Sciences and Humanities and by the rectors of the main Israeli universities, who have called on the Israeli Government to undertake clear and decisive initiatives to preserve human lives in the Gaza Strip. It affirms that dialogue and diplomacy are the means for resolving conflicts and emphasizes the importance of the role of scientific and cultural diplomacy as tools for building international cooperation in favor of peace. Area Science Park therefore commits itself to promoting and strengthening specific support measures for students and researchers from Palestine, as well as from other areas affected by conflicts; to encouraging initiatives of scientific and educational cooperation with institutions from all countries in order to contribute to the affirmation and strengthening of a culture of peace, dialogue, and inclusion; to reaffirming the role of the scientific community as dedicated not only to the advancement of knowledge but also to the protection of fundamental rights and the building of conditions for peaceful coexistence among individuals and peoples; and to upholding the very nature and foundation of science as a space of cooperation, dialogue, and peaceful and collaborative exchange among individuals and peoples, beyond any border, diversity, or conflict.

The second edition of the Master in Data Management and Curation (MDMC), organised by Area Science Park and SISSA – International School for Advanced Studies, started on 22 September. This post-graduate advanced training course provides young researchers as well as professionals with advanced skills in managing research data according to the FAIR principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable). This approach has become essential to ensure the quality, integrity and reusability of scientific data and to promote a culture of open science at the international level. The programme was recently presented at CERN by Mariarita de Luca and Federica Bazzocchi from Area Science Park during the Open Science Fair 2025, held in Geneva from 15 to 17 September. On that occasion, the theme of FAIR data and the advanced skills required for their management was discussed as a key element in supporting the next generation of researchers. “Today data drive discovery, innovation and decision-making,” explain the researchers from Area Science Park. “For this reason, the ability to manage and curate them responsibly is crucial. Ours is a pioneering training programme that embraces the ‘FAIR-by-design’ paradigm, going beyond theory: instead of retrofitting datasets to FAIR criteria, MDMC students learn to integrate the FAIR principles from the earliest stages of data planning within the broader context of Open Science. This innovative approach is made possible thanks to the strong collaboration between Area Science Park and SISSA, which provides a dynamic ecosystem of research and innovation”. The second edition of the Master brings together 15 students from 7 different countries, with academic backgrounds ranging from Genetics to Electronics, Physics to Data Science, as well as Linguistics, Psychology, Economics and Mathematics. The 2025–2026 class also stands out for its diverse backgrounds: 3 students already hold a PhD, 7 have a Master’s degree and 5 a Bachelor’s degree. The programme lasts ten months and combines lectures, laboratory activities and internship periods at research centres and high-tech companies. Its aim is to train professionals capable of working as Data Stewards, Data Curators, Data Engineers and Data Managers in both scientific and industrial contexts. More specifically, the structure of the course includes eight intensive weeks of in-person lectures and hands-on exercises, followed by six months of internship in cutting-edge research laboratories or data-intensive institutions. During this period, students implement FAIR-by-design workflows and pipelines in real scientific contexts. This model provides a unique opportunity to work closely with researchers, develop tailored data management strategies and face the practical challenges of semantic interoperability, metadata standards and sustainable infrastructures. By training versatile, practice-oriented data professionals, the MDMC contributes to shaping a new generation of researchers capable of transforming data from a mere research product into a strategic asset, crucial for both academic excellence and data-driven innovation. For further details, see the course’s scientific programme. Watch the video featuring testimonials from students of the first 2024–25 edition.

From September 7 to 12, 2025, Portorož hosted the 17th Multinational Congress on Microscopy (17MCM), a key meeting point for scientists and industry experts. Held biennially, the event serves as a showcase of excellence for the latest breakthroughs achieved through advanced microscopy techniques, while also highlighting the newest theoretical and instrumental innovations.  Within the special session “IMPRESS: Shaping the Future of Interoperable TEM”, which gathered 80 experts, Regina Ciancio, IMPRESS Project Coordinator at Area Science Park, outlined the main objective of the initiative: to develop an interoperable and standardized platform for transmission electron microscopy (TEM), with the potential to transform the field.  IMPRESS aims to create modular components designed with open and standardized interfaces, a promising pathway to revolutionize the way electron microscopy is conceived and used. These prototypes, developed in close collaboration with SMEs in the sector and the scientific community, are designed to be adaptable to different instruments, ensuring maximum flexibility for diverse research needs.  “This is how we can innovate in the field of TEM: by promoting interoperability by design, flexibility in practice, and co-development that turns ideas into concrete solutions, addressing the needs of different communities,” emphasized Regina Ciancio during her talk. “Everything we develop is born open and is enriched through user contributions.”  The discussion clearly underscored the need to strengthen the link between electron microscopy and the broader scientific ecosystem. The creation of shared standards, the dissemination of open knowledge, and the joint involvement of SMEs and researchers are key levers to ensure that projects like IMPRESS can change not only how instruments are designed and used, but also how collaboration between scientific and industrial communities takes shape.  In the exhibition area, Area Science Park also presented a poster on the RIANA project, which aims to provide academic and industrial researchers with transnational, integrated access to a strategic set of European research infrastructures, fostering the development of multidisciplinary projects in the field of nanoscience and nanotechnology.