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An international research team led by Milan’s Institute of Photonics and Nanotechnologies – part of the National Research Council (Cnr-lfn) – has used an innovative approach to investigate the chirality of molecules, an essential property to develop technologically innovative solutions in the fields of materials science, pharmaceutics, and catalysis processes. The study was conducted at the laboratories of the Elettra Synchrotron Research Centre in Trieste, home to the FERMI free-electron laser. This is a last generation instrument that has enabled chirality at the level of individual atoms to be “photographed” during an ultrafast process. The results of the study have been published in the scientific journal Physical Review X. “A chiral molecule is not superimposable on its mirror image: in other words, it is a molecule that does not have mirror symmetry, and that exists in two different forms, called enantiomers, which cannot be superimposed by rotation or translation”, explained Caterina Vozzi, director of Cnr-lfn. “Understanding this property is important to many aspects of chemistry, biology and physics: the chemical reactivity and biological and pharmacological activity of chiral molecules can vary significantly depending on the configuration of the enantiomers. In applications with these complex molecules, it is therefore important to understand how each atom contributes to total chirality, especially during chemical reactions”. In the study, the variation of the chiral properties of a molecule were analysed over time using the radiation produced by a free electron laser (FEL), a cutting-edge technology that produces extremely intense and short pulses of light, lasting a few femtoseconds (1 femtosecond corresponds to a millionth of a billionth of a second). “The FERMI free electron laser is the only one in the world capable of producing pulses of circularly polarized light capable of exploring these phenomena. This type of light is able to provide detailed information on the structure and dynamics of molecules, opening up new perspectives in basic and applied research ”, added Oksana Plekan, researcher at Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste, co-author of the study. “In this study, we have shown how the chirality of a molecule changes during an ultrafast process when we observe it from the perspective of the atoms forming it. This ability to observe chirality from multiple points of view is similar to stereoscopic vision in humans, thanks to which we can perceive the depth and three-dimensionality of the world around us”, stated Davide Faccialà, researcher at Cnr-Ifn and first author of the study. “The technique we have demonstrated enables us to observe in real time how the chirality of a molecule changes at an unprecedented level of detail, opening up new avenues for understanding the chemical and physical properties of chiral molecules in chemical reactions”. The study demonstrated the importance of combining expertise in different scientific fields to achieve innovative results in research. ———– The Italian Institute for the Structure of Matter (Istituto di struttura della materia — Ism) of the National Research Council (Consiglio nazionale delle ricerche — Cnr), the French National Centre of Scientific Research (Centre national de la recherche scientifique) and the University of Bordeaux (France), the University of Nottingham (UK), the German Electron Synchrotron (Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron) and the University of Hamburg (Germany), the Polytechnic University of Milan (Politecnico di Milano) (Italy), the University of Nova Gorica (Slovenia), the Sincrotrone Soleil (France) and the University of Tokyo (Japan) contributed to the research.

“When we discuss the current Science and Innovation System of Trieste and, more generally, of Friuli Venezia Giulia, we cannot overlook the impact of history on the local area, determining an international vocation and the need to network, aspects that have now become key strengths”, explained Caterina Petrillo, President of Area Science Park, speaking at the Conference of Science and Space Experts held on 6 and 7 March 2023 at the University of Padua. The speech by President Petrillo, dedicated to the scientific hub in Trieste, was given in the session entitled “Research as a Driver of Competition in the National System” that took place on 7 March, with participants including Maria Chiara Carrozza, President of CNR; Francesco Ubertini, President of Cineca; and Marcella Panucci, Head of the MUR Council, replacing the head of the Italian delegation to the Board of Government Representatives of Einstein Telescope. “The Friuli Venezia Giulia Science and Innovation System is now an international venture, thanks to numerous scientific institutions that attract students, researchers and professors from all around the world every year,” the President continued, before adding, “Friuli Venezia Giulia is a highly innovative area that boasts 251 innovative start-ups (figure at 31 December 2022) and companies that are particularly active in R&D, and which, between 2011 and 2020, submitted 1,004 Italian patents and 875 European patents”. The 2023 Conference of Science and Space Experts, entitled “Scientific diplomacy supporting growth in Italy”, was organised in collaboration with APRE (Agency for the Promotion of European Research) and welcomed the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Antonio Tajani, and the Minister of Universities and Research, Anna Maria Bernini.

A close collaboration between scientific institutes and companies in the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region has produced promising results in the treatment of difficult wounds. A new advanced therapy for the effective resolution of difficult wounds has been published in the Nature group journal npj Regenerative Medicine. The study has shown how certain fat cells, named Stromal Vascular Fraction or SVF, are able to promote the formation of new blood vessels at the wound level, with important acceleration of healing time. Difficult wounds are extremely painful skin lesions that do not heal, and in fact worsen over time. This is caused by the coexistence of underlying chronic diseases, primarily diabetes and peripheral arterial disease, which do not allow adequate vascularization of the wound, which is necessary to ensure sufficient oxygen and nutrient supply, and thus healing. This is a common condition in people over 60, at least as common as heart failure, with major limitations in daily activities. The economic implications are important. About 3 percent of the global health budget is spent on the care of difficult wounds, which require specialized and expensive therapies: in Italy, more than 3 billion euros per year. Added to this is the reduction in the patient’s ability to work and the sometimes constant need for health care. This research, led by Serena Zacchigna, head of the Cardiovascular Biology Laboratory at the ICGEB and professor of Molecular Biology at the University of Trieste, was made possible by the PREFER project-Development of a Biocompatible PRoduct for the tErapy of Difficult FERites, funded by the 2014-2020 European Regional Development Fund Operational Program of Friuli-Venezia Giulia. In addition to ICGEB and UniTS, two regional companies, Zeta Research and Vivabiocell, led the project. “Currently available therapies are based on the application of skin substitutes to promote wound healing,” Zacchigna explains, “However, their effectiveness is limited by the inadequate vascularization that usually underlies this disease. How does this new therapy work? We took cells derived from the patients’ adipose tissue and applied them to the wound bed. After a few days, we observed the formation of a new vascular network, functional and connected with the pre-existing vessels.” “Restoring adequate blood supply to the wound is critical to support healing of the skin lesion,” continues Giovanni Papa, UniTS professor and Director of the Plastic Surgery Unit of the Azienda Sanitaria Universitaria Giuliano Isontina (ASUGI), which provided the cells and enabled validation of the efficacy. Collaboration between academia and business enabled this first milestone toward better care and quality of life for people with difficult wounds. Crucial to this journey was the participation of VivaBioCell, a leading manufacturer of bioreactors for cell therapies, which brought its industrial expertise and ability to transform research results into implementable solutions in a clinical reality. “The joint work between us academic researchers, hospital clinicians and the industrial research and development department was essential to define concrete goals that were compatible with the needs of the industrial scaling-up process,” says Roman Vuerich, first author of the paper and a doctoral student at UniTS and ICGEB. “This project was an example of how the synergy between academia and business can lead to concrete solutions to public health challenges.” “We are confident that this collaboration can continue in the future to bring an advanced therapy product to patients and serve as a beacon to promote other collaborative projects between research centers, hospitals and industry. Only through funding that supports the synergy between these entities will we be able to ensure that research results reach patients and that this can also happen in Italy,” Zacchigna and Papa concluded in unison. Link to the paper.

The European Commission has awarded its Seal of Excellence to the IP4FVG-EDIH project presented by the Friuli Venezia Giulia Regional Authority in the context of the “European Digital Innovation Hubs” (EDIHs) 2021–27 initiative. This recognition gives access to national funding from the Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy. IP4FVG is the regional Digital Innovation Hub supported by Argo, the industrial system based on innovation of processes and products to increase local competition, and depends on a partnership (coordinated by the national research body Area Science Park) involving representatives of various areas of interest active in Friuli Venezia Giulia: universities, research, industry and public institutions. There are 21 organisations involved in total, including the Regional Authority as an active partner, specifically managing planning work to identify training needs focused on the digital transformation of businesses and public administrations, and swift updating regarding regional funding opportunities. “Being a part of the European network,” stated regional councillor for work Alessia Rosolen, “is essential for our area, in order to be competitive internationally and strengthen support for transforming manufacturing processes of regional businesses in a wider context”. The project proposal that received the seal of excellence has a duration of 36 months and a total cost of € 5.5 million. It was formulated by assessing and improving the previous project, already submitted in the context of the 2021 edition of the initiative but not accepted for funding. Integrating the technological infrastructure and technical expertise of all partners, IP4FVG-EDIH can offer a series of advanced services to promote and support the digital and green transformation of businesses and public administrations in industrial, manufacturing, energy and environment, and agri-biotechnology sectors. To support the digital transformation of businesses, four living labs for technology have been created across the region, coordinated by Area Science Park, where companies can test technological solutions prior to implementing them in their production processes. These living labs, like the other technological infrastructures available from project partners, will offer businesses a point of access to the IP4FVG-EDIH ecosystem, as well as the entire European EDIH network and the network of national research centres.

The Clean Hydrogen Partnership Joint Undertaking, the unique public private partnership supporting research and innovation (R&I) activities in hydrogen technologies in Europe, has confirmed the preliminary results of the Horizon Europe call for Large Scale Hydrogen Valleys. The North Adriatic Hydrogen Valley project, the transnational project created by the alliance between Croatia, Slovenia and the Autonomous Region of Friuli Venezia Giulia in Italy, has received a positive technical evaluation and is now eligible to move on to the grant negotiation phase. If all goes well the project will be eligible for a grant of up to €25 Million in direct funding. The results of the negotiation phase are expected by early February. The “North Adriatic Hydrogen Valley” with the participation of the Slovenian and Croatian governments, and the Autonomous Region of Friuli Venezia Giulia is the first transnational project aimed at developing a dedicated hydrogen valley. The project came about following an agreement between Croatia, Slovenia and the Autonomous Region of Friuli Venezia Giulia, with the aim of establishing a framework for cooperation in developing environmentally friendly hydrogen-production technologies. This collaboration will not only contribute to transitioning to an integrated ecosystem involving the energy, industry and transport sectors, but will also allow cooperation in research and innovation, to develop a hydrogen supply chain. The partnership, led by Slovenian Utility company HSE, includes 34 organisations representing key actors from Government, Research and Business communities and covers the entire value chain from production through storage and distribution to final end use of Hydrogen as a key energy vector in multiple sectors. Key industry players from all three countries will develop pilot projects for the production of over 5000 tonnes per year of green hydrogen from renewable energy sources and its storage, distribution and usage for the decarbonisation of important industrial sectors such as steel and cement production as well as sustainable transport solutions. Massimiliano Fedriga, President of the Friuli Venezia Giulia Autonomous Region “I welcome with great satisfaction the achievement of a result of the highest value which concerns the entire regional territorial system which has committed itself, with great conviction, to building the foundations for the construction of a hydrogen valley on a transnational scale with the aim to accelerate the energy transition process. The “North Adriatic Hydrogen Valley” project was born thanks to the long standing collaboration between the research and innovation hubs of Friuli Venezia Giulia, Slovenia and Croatia which, providing a unique example on a macro-regional scale, have been able to pool knowledge and skills, and thanks also to the investments that industry in the three territories has already planned which require large-scale coordination capacity to produce significant effects in terms of employment and the well-being of our communities. I trust that the positive evaluation of the project at European level will lead in due course to a grant award and also bodes well for other opportunities that the Region intends to exploit in a synergistic way, starting with the investments envisaged by the Italian Recovery and Resilience Plan for the production and use of hydrogen”. Davor Filipović, Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development of the Republic of Croatia “The “North Adriatic Hydrogen Valley” project is a logical first step in the implementation of Croatian Hydrogen Strategy until 2050. The importance of hydrogen in Croatia is increasing and numerous Croatian companies have started to develop hydrogen projects. The “North Adriatic Hydrogen Valley” will upraise hydrogen economy and mark all three territories as hydrogen friendly. The added value of the valley is the successful cooperation among the three territories that will ensure faster implementation of numerous projects and open new horizons for our companies and universities. We need to be aware that hydrogen, produced mostly in Europe, could become a significant source of energy and a strong tool for the decrease of energy import dependency as one of the most important issues for boosting EU economy. Our goal is clear: we aim to be an important global player based on clean and sustainable economy. Bojan Kumer, Ministry of Infrastructure of the Republic of Slovenia After a long period of joint efforts of all partners from Slovenia, Croatia and Friuli Venezia Giulia, we are very pleased that the North Adriatic Hydrogen Valley was positively evaluated by the Clean Hydrogen Partnership Joint Undertaking. This is another step towards ensuring more sustainable and green-house gas emission-free economies in the North Adriatic basin. By developing hydrogen-based ecosystem, we will complement other solutions towards emission-free economy. All the analyses and research so far show that for the successful implementation of such a large and complex project, joining forces cross-border is very important. Not only that it makes the realisation of such a complex project possible, it also paves the way to new opportunities for future cooperation with our partners for Croatia and Italy and hopefully also the broader region. It is also worth mentioning that this project is a result of joint efforts by the state and regional administrations, industry, research institutions and the public, the so-called quadruple helix model. This broad collaboration is indeed a guarantee for the success of this project and for the further development of hydrogen-based solutions for broader use. Tomaž Štokelj, CEO of Holding Slovenske elektrarne d.o.o – HSE, Lead Partner Holding Slovenske elektrarne (HSE), the largest Slovenian power producer and the main producer of renewable electrical energy, is proud to be one of the leading partners in The North Adriatic Hydrogen Valley project, an industry driven initiative which has resulted as common effort of institutional, industry and research partners from the territory of Friuli Venezia Giulia Region in Italy, Croatia, and Slovenia. Company ECUBES has had a vison of hydrogen ecosystem in year 2015, which has been developed to Zero Emission Mobility Corridor Slovenia project in 2018 and which was also a basis for RESHUB project concept in sector of defence. Ministry of Infrastructure and Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning of Republic of Slovenia have declared their support to Zero Emission Mobility Corridor Slovenia in 2020 with an aim to develop a national hydrogen ecosystem. Development of the North Adriatic Hydrogen Valley project initiative has been accelerated through the first Hydrogen Ecosystem North Adriatic conferences held in Nova Gorica in November 2021. Letter of intent signed by State secretaries of Slovenia and Croatia and the President of Friuli Venezia Giulia Autonomous Region in early 2022 has formed joint working group at the institutional level. This has enabled main framework for successful fusion of partial and local activities in hydrogen technologies of the territory into one common project of 34 partners. HSE has taken a role of the leading partner in the project with honour. Development of hydrogen-based solutions is important for energy sector and its green transformation, as energy storage is a prerequisite for decarbonization and large-scale employment of renewables. The North Adriatic Hydrogen Valley project also represents a tight cooperation between institutional, industry and research partners, which will result in accelerated development of the territory and faster transition into energy resilient and carbon dioxide emission neutral society, in line with HSE’s mission and vision. Caterina Petrillo, Area Science Park President “The project is the result of formidable teamwork where the contributions provided by each of the partners, based on their respective skills and experience, have been integrated and harmonized to imagine the future of the so-called “Hydrogen Economy”. The development of the North Adriatic Hydrogen Valley concept saw a marked acceleration in 2021 when the University of Trieste drove the addition of research institutions to the growing partnership which already included companies and government institutions from Slovenia and Croatia as well as Friuli Venezia Giulia. Area Science Park made available to the project its many years of consolidated experience in scientific cooperation, in particular in South-eastern Europe, as well as its ability to build public-private partnerships between research centres and innovative companies with production in strategic sectors for growth. Furthermore, this project represents a great opportunity for the institution to further develop applied skills in the sector of innovative materials.”

Trieste, 20 December 2022 – The research programme REFIBER, developed by Area Science Park and Innovando srl landed in Paris, as part of efforts to establish a national recycling chain for fibreglass boat hulls. The meeting took place at the recent Paris Boat Show, one of the most important events in the sector, seeing some 150,000 visitors and 650 exhibitors in attendance. “We met with representatives of the ‘Association pour la Plaisance Eco-Responsable (APER)’, the French consortium for collecting and dismantling pleasure boats and watercrafts, which today represents European best practice in the sector,” said Marcello Guaiana,president of the Temporary Association of Scope implementing the REFIBER programme. Our goal is to find the convergence between our research initiative and APER’s operations, to jointly evaluate innovative technologies for recycling materials from dismantling, and solutions for replacing critical materials to improve the sustainability of these vessels.” How to decommission and manage the disposal of end-of-life pleasure crafts is a major environmental, and socio-economic, issue. To date, there is still no structured collection model in Italy to correctly manage 10-24 m boats at the end of their life. So much so that, over the last ten years, only a very small percentage of the approximately 10,000 vessels removed from the official registers have been properly managed. The aim of REFIBER is to create a hub to concentrate and exploit the flows of materials left after a boat has been decommissioned. One of these materials is fibreglass, a multi-layered material made up of plastic and glass, which accounts for the largest proportion at 60% by weight and is the most difficult to process. One management model being analysed as part of the programme is the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) model, already well established in other fields. This model involves both the manufacturers and distributors from within the sector. “We want to contribute, in a coordinated way, to a harmonised development of European sector standards,” said Ivana Lazarevic, deputy director general of APER. “By working together, it will be easier to establish and share communication and awareness-raising activities with national and international stakeholders.” At this stage, the focus of the REFIBER programme is pleasure boats, but the system may be opened up to include vessels under 10 metres in the future. Francesco Di Pierro and Cveta Majtanovic of Innovando both hope that, “better mutual communication can speed up implementation of the REFIBER programme, building on APER’s many years of experience with private operators and public institutions, and sharing more good operating practices”. “In the medium term,” concluded Matilde Cecchi of Area Science Park, “we will be able to assess the optimum conditions for promoting and implementing collaborative initiatives and research projects aimed at experimenting with new technologies, to make the nautical sector more sustainable”.

The Mediterranean region warms 20% faster than other regions in the world and local authorities are at the forefront of the actions for adapting to and mitigating the multiple impacts of climate change. To this end the Urban Transports Community*, an Interreg MED Programme initiative, promotes sustainable urban mobility planning in the Euro-Mediterranean region as an effective tool to reduce carbon emissions and improve the quality of life of the population and the environment. The Community has gathered together almost 200 organisations (public authorities, associations, mobility planners, universities and international organisations, amongst others) from 12 Euro-Mediterranean countries. In support of local authorities it has elaborated and published a selection of tools and solutions with the highest replicability potential. As part of the project, the Area Science Park experts have developed several reports which constitute reference guides and a scientific basis for policy makers and urban planners to develop the planning of mobility and related infrastructures. Urban mobility Adaptation to Climate Change is the topic of the latest policy brief presented on December 14th 2022 during the online event “Mediterranean cities and climate change: making the urban transport sector more resilient and less impactful”. The policy brief describes the main impacts of climate change on urban mobility, with the aim of raising awareness among policy makers, suggesting possible solutions to minimize its effects and make the mobility system more resilient to climate change. Transport infrastructures will be exposed, in the next decades, to an increasing number of new challenges from climate impacts. Panning today for the construction of new and the management of existing infrastructures will require the consideration of new environmental, climatic and socio-economic parameters and conditions with respect to those used in the past. During the project Area Science Park drafted two other technical reports. The first one focused on the analysis of technological trends relating to electric vehicle charging infrastructure, and the second one on the spread of automated vehicles in the cities. The reports are available here: https://urban-transports.interreg-med.eu/policy-briefs/ *The Urban Transports Community is featured by a project led by MedCities (Barcelona, Spain), in partnership with UNIMED Mediterranean Universities Union (Rome, Italy), Area Science Park (Trieste, Italy), CODATU (Lyon, France), CIVINET CY-EL (Cyprus-Greece), POLIS, Cities and Regions for transport innovation (Brussels, Belgium), and Durres Municipality (Durres, Albania).

Alzheimer’s disease is not the same for men and women: certain molecular mechanisms in fact differ between the two sexes, particularly in terms of metabolism of an amino acid that has recently been proposed as an early marker of this disease and which would therefore not be equally reliable for men and women. These are the findings of an Italian study published in “Cell Reports” in September and led by the University of Milan, with collaboration of the Insubria University, University of Milano-Bicocca, Rome’s Tor Vergata University and the Area Science Park Genomics and Epigenomics Laboratory (LAGE). The research paves the way for distinct and personalised treatment based on gender. Researchers analysed post-mortem samples from the brains of men and women with normal ageing and from patients of Alzheimer’s disease. Area Science Park’s contribution, explains Danilo Licastro, Head of LAGE, was focused on genomic and epigenomic analysis. The greatest challenge was to define and implement an analysis protocol that was compatible with the RNA tissue samples sent by the University of Tor Vergata and previously provided by biobanks, because this post-mortem tissue did not present the same quality as fresh tissue. Analysis highlighted marked differences in terms of the metabolic pathways altered. Two examples are insulin response and metabolism of the amino acid serine (which generates an important regulator of cerebral function, D-Serine). This is of particular interest because D-Serine modulates neurotransmission and also because its levels in the blood have been proposed as an early marker of this disease. “These results demonstrate how Alzheimer’s changes and, in certain aspects, inverts some features in the two sexes”, commented Elisa Maffioli, from the University of Milan, “highlighting how different mechanisms are active or not based on gender and opening the possibility of treatment with innovative approaches that differ for men and women”.   Read the whole article: Insulin and serine metabolism as sex-specific hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease in the human hippocampus

The next edition of the international Big Science Business Forum (BSBF) will be held in Trieste in the autumn of 2024. The focus of the event is technological innovation, a crossroads between research and industry, bringing together Europe’s major research infrastructures. Following in the footsteps of Copenhagen in 2018 and Granada in 2022, Trieste will be the city of the Big Science Common Market in 2024. Important international players involved in designing and building equipment using latest-generation technologies will be able to meet with technologists, researchers and managers of large research organisations. The Forum will be held at Trieste’s Porto Vecchio conference centre. Attendees will meet to discuss cutting-edge tech issues and needs in Big Science, including in light of the major investments in research infrastructure through the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP). Trieste’s winning bid had the full backing of local authorities in the form of the Autonomous Region of Friuli Venezia Giulia and is the result of the combined efforts of Area Science Park, ILO Network Italia – the Industrial Liaison Officers for Italy at the major international Big Science organisations (CNR, ENEA, INAF and INFN) – and PromoTurismoFVG. The announcement and subsequent handover took place today in Granada at the closing ceremony for the 2022 edition, which was attended by over 1,100 participants and 190 exhibitors. Picking up the baton for Trieste was Friuli Venezia Giulia’s Councillor for Labour, Training, Education, Research, University and Family, Alessia Rosolen, who commented: “This is an important achievement for Friuli Venezia Giulia, and the city of Trieste, which will take centre stage for another prominent international event. Finding and facilitating the crossover between development goals in industry and the objectives of large research organisations is a way of turbocharging innovation and economic development.” Friuli Venezia Giulia’s candidate project chosen from a shortlist of proposals from different European countries. “The project’s success represents the success of Trieste as ‘the city of Science,’ with its interconnected network of scientific institutions, universities, and international research bodies and organisations. The real driving force behind research and innovation in a pivotal, central and eastern European region like Friuli Venezia Giulia is the collaborative network created among these institutions,” said Caterina Petrillo, President of Area Science Park, following the announcement. She added: “The Region has always been attentive to promoting everything the local area has to offer and was fully behind the candidacy, submitted thanks to the collaboration and expertise of institutions including Sincrotrone Elettra Trieste, home to the international headquarters of the CERIC-ERIC European infrastructure, and the Free Electron Laser FERMI, at the cutting edge of European research. And this is just the beginning. We will be working together with other scientific institutions in the area to organise the event and we hope that it will provide an opportunity for research and industry to meet and discuss key issues on an international scale.” Research infrastructure is a particularly strategic sector for Italy, which is involved in numerous large international research infrastructures and often contributes in-kind by building and installing technologically advanced equipment and services. This type of exchange has an important positive impact on national industry and the companies in the supply chain invited to submit a tender, who not only benefit from a direct return, but also have the chance to qualify as listed suppliers for the international research infrastructure market. “We also mustn’t forget that, during the building phase, research infrastructure is first and foremost a form of ‘construction site’ for implementing innovative technological ideas as regards engineering, design, the choice of materials and energy sustainability,” said President Petrillo. “The recent major investments in infrastructure as part of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan – which implies a commitment to keeping the facilities operational for at least ten years – make having a network in place that effectively links the needs of infrastructure to the relevant suppliers even more pressing. BSBF will tackle these issues, providing an effective platform for research infrastructures and businesses to meet and exchange ideas in Trieste.”

The Sentinel Immune Self is an immersive artwork, set inside an aquatic science-fiction world, that invites viewers to explore its different levels: it is a real-time simulation inspired by the human immune system and recent scientific investigation into the possible reactions of our organism with microplastics present in our blood. “The Sentinel Immune Self” is a project by Danish artist Sissel Marie Tonn, inaugurated on 4 October in Milan at MEET Digital Culture Center, an international center for art and digital culture funded by Fondazione Cariplo. Created in the context of the “:REWORLD”  collective, the work is the result of the artistic residency hosted this year by MEET Digital Culture Center and Area Science Park. The artist had the opportunity to collaborate with researchers at the Laboratory for Genomics and Epigenomics and the Orfeo Data Center of the National Research Body (lear more here), with support from the European programme S+T+ARTS, an initiative exploring potential collaboration between science, technology and art. The work, which will remain on display in Milan until 30 October 2022, unfolds with an interactive narrator that accompanies the public on a simulated journey within their own body. In the end, it is revealed that humans are not only transforming the world but have also been transformed. Click here to read more: > https://www.meetcenter.it/en/event/reworld-repairing-the-present/ > https://www.meetcenter.it/en/reworld-the-artists-on-show/

Five start-ups from Friuli Venezia Giulia are getting ready to travel to Dubai for the North Star trade fair starting on 10 October. The event represents a unique opportunity for innovative start-ups and SMEs to showcase their work and boost visibility, as well as to engage in international networking. Tech companies taking to this prestigious stage will be able to present their products and services, and connect with investors and buyers. Some 100,000+ visitors are expected to attend. The five companies representing Friuli Venezia Giulia made successful bids in the “Call for High Innovative Sustainable Solutions in FVG Region” organised by UNIDO ITPO Italy and Friuli Venezia Giulia’s Regional Authorities, for which Area Science Park provided technical support. In order to ensure they present themselves in the best light, they will need to capitalise on the exclusive coaching opportunity organised by Area Science Park’s Business Generation group on 12 and 13 September, at its Padriciano campus. There will be a wide range of both theoretical and practical training sessions on offer with experts from Area Science Park: from defining a value proposition to managing legal relations, from putting together a pitch and video pitch training to how to interact with journalists, as well as sessions on managing public relations. Attendees will come away having learnt tips and tricks to attract the attention of media and investors and generate growth and business opportunities. Read on to find out more about the five start-ups representing Friuli Venezia Giulia in the United Arab Emirates. AINDO is a SISSA start-up founded in 2018 in Trieste, as part of the Innovation Factory incubator, currently based at Area Science Park. Its mission is to help the world embrace the power of artificial intelligence. In 2019, it began developing a Synthetic Data Platform which uses artificial intelligence and machine learning tools and techniques to optimise business operations. Find out more: Aindo AI – Your AI partner NORTHERN LIGHT is an innovative start-up researching and developing recyclable composites, to address end-of-life issues associated with glass-fibre composites. The company was founded in December 2019 and launched a project that led to the creation of “ecoracer”, the world’s first recyclable, flax-fibre boat. Find out more: Northern Light Composites – Sustainable Composites NUWA TECHNOLOGIES is an innovative start-up created as part of the Innovation Factory incubator and is based at Pordenone’s tech hub. It develops innovative solutions and cloud services for the music industry. Its mission is to bring together artists and professionals from the music industry, providing them with essential tools for managing the online aspect of their work, creating a single virtual environment to meet all their needs. Find out more: Nuwa Technologies | Digital solutions for the Music Industry PICOSATS is an innovative company founded in 2014 as a spin-off of the University of Trieste. Again, it was formed within the Innovation Factory incubator and is based at Area Science Park. PICOSATS aims to make access to space faster and cheaper. It aspires to creating an interconnected world in which people can use space resources to improve society in a sustainable way. Find out more: CubeSats and small satellites: Space Technologies Solutions Picosats VISIONQUB.IT is a company made up of a multidisciplinary team of researchers and entrepreneurs, whose mission is to develop state-of-the-art systems and services for the dental and medical sector. It uses robotics and artificial intelligence to create customised solutions to suit customer needs. Find out more: VisionQub.it

Apostolia Karamali, Head of the R&I Actors and Research Careers Unit within ERA & Innovation at the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Research and Innovation visited Area Science Park today to find out more about the institution’s main areas of work and to see some of the on-campus research infrastructures. She was welcomed by Area Science Park President Caterina Petrillo and by Head of the Research and Innovation Division Stephen Taylor. Ms Karamali also met with Lawrence Banks, Director-General of the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB); Alfonso Franciosi, President and CEO of Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste; Giorgio Paolucci, Italian Ministerial Representative at the CERIC-ERIC General Assembly; Giorgio Rossi, Coordinator of the nanoscience research infrastructure NFFA-Trieste and NFFA-Europe; and Salvatore La Rosa, Head of the Technical Secretariat at the Italian Ministry of University and Research (MUR). The meeting was an opportunity to explore the ecosystem of infrastructures, labs and businesses at Area Science Park, as well as to discuss opportunities and strategies to be developed at the European level. Ms Karamali presented the priorities and next steps that the European Commission intends to take to strengthen the role of research and innovation infrastructures and their integration with technology platforms. At the end of the visit, the delegation looked round the Genomics and Epigenomics Laboratory at Area Science Park’s Basovizza Campus, as well as Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste and the Fermi Free-Electron Laser facility.