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The Annual Briefing of NAHV, the transnational initiative funded by the Clean Hydrogen Partnership through the Horizon Europe program, was held at the Urban Center of Trieste. The FVG Region is one of the institutional partners of the initiative together with the Croatian Ministry for Economy and Sustainable Development (MINGO) and the Slovenian Ministry for Environment and Energy. The second Annual Meeting of the NAHV Consortium hosted almost 100 delegates representing 37 project partners from Croatia, Slovenia and Italy. Jerneja Sedlar, NAHV Coordinator, Head of HSE’s Development and Investment Department, described the progress made in particular at the level of industrial test benches. Overall, 17 ‘Testbed’ industrial projects are being developed in different locations in all three partner countries, supported by a number of cross-cutting actions. In the final year of the NAHV Horizon Europe project, 2029, major industry players from all three countries aim to produce up to 5,000 tonnes of renewable hydrogen per year from renewable energy sources, intended for energy storage, distribution and use. It is expected that around 20% of the renewable hydrogen produced will be traded between participating countries, thus creating a primary regional market for hydrogen. The implementation of this ambitious initiative aims to facilitate the uptake of hydrogen-related solutions and enable actors in the emerging hydrogen ecosystem of the Northern Adriatic to independently produce, transmit, store and use renewable hydrogen, as well as promote further adoption in the future. The consortium prepared a comprehensive overview of 17 industrial pilots in the second edition of the NAHV Testbed Catalogue, which is available on the NAHV website.   Training of future professionals and experts   A number of education-related activities were aimed at promoting the training of future professionals and experts in the field of hydrogen technologies with the aim of ensuring interdisciplinary education covering science, technology, engineering and mathematics, as well as the financial and social aspects of hydrogen technologies. These activities are coordinated by the University of Rijeka with the participation of the Universities of Ljubljana and Trieste and the partners GITONE, ECUBES and META Circularity. The Consortium has started the preparation of vocational training programs with the support of the FVG Regional Administration and the Slovenian and Croatian ministries and other partners, to be financed through the European Social Fund. The development of micro-credentials for professionals in the reskilling and upskilling sector will be launched in the 2025-26 school year in collaboration between the universities involved.   The activities of the Stakeholder Advisory Forum (SAF)   Alberto Soraci from Area Science Park, who is the Coordinator of the Stakeholder Advisory Forum (SAF), briefly presented the purpose and functioning of this body, which aims to involve external partners in the initiative for consultation, implementation support and to seize the potential additional opportunities that emerge through the life of the project. “The preparatory activities conducted by Area Science Park for the launch of the NAHV AISBL, a non-profit association that will be established under Belgian law, have now advanced and are coming to an end,” said Stephen Taylor, strategic coordinator of the NAHV Joint Working Group, a governance body of the NAHV initiative. The objective of the NAHV AISBL is to ensure the long-term sustainability of the initiative’s results and their impact beyond the duration of the NAHV Horizon Europe project. This structure, which is open to NAHV partners and other interested stakeholders, can complement other initiatives as well. After the Northern Adriatic Clean Hydrogen Investment Platform (NACHIP), launched in autumn 2024, two other such initiatives have received funding from the EU, H2Ready and NASCHA. All these projects received support from the NAHV Joint Working Group in the application phase and plan to integrate with the NAHV SPV at the end of their lifecycle. H2Ready is a bilateral Interreg Italy-Slovenia initiative to which 700 thousand euros of funding have been allocated to address the key challenge of the energy transition by involving municipalities in the development and implementation of hydrogen solutions. The project aims to strengthen the involvement of municipalities in the energy transition, leveraging their key potential as intermediaries between energy needs, infrastructure development and social innovation. In a consortium H2READY of 6 partners led by GOLEA, a regional development agency based in Nova Gorica, it integrates the public sector as a key player in ensuring a critical mass demand for hydrogen. The North Adriatic Smart Communities Hydrogen Accelerator (NASCHA), led by Area Science Park , aims to accelerate transnational innovation in the Northern Adriatic hydrogen ecosystem, validating and demonstrating renewable hydrogen technologies in Croatia, Slovenia and Friuli-Venezia Giulia through pilot solutions, improving investor readiness through three Smart Communities of Practice, two pilot projects across hydrogen storage and retail, scalable across communities. NASCHA is based on the North Adriatic Hydrogen Valley (NAHV) and NACHIP initiatives, aimed at the value chains of transport and mobility, urban and agricultural areas. Similar to NACHIP, NASCHA received €7.9 million in funding from the Interregional Innovation Investments (I3) facility under the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), managed by the European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA). Photo credit: Mariia Bortiakova

The European project POSIDON PCP (POlluted SIte DecontaminatiON Pre-Commercial Procurement) recently secured the prestigious second place in the “Innovation Procurement Initiative” category at the 2025 European Innovation Procurement Awards, presented by the European Commission. The POSIDON pre-commercial procurement, led by the Port System Authority of the Eastern Adriatic Sea in Trieste, represents a significant and pioneering example of public procurement with tangible impact. Area Science Park played a central role in coordinating the project and its technical-scientific activities related to the procurement procedure for developing innovative decontamination solutions for two complex industrial areas: the Noghere site in Trieste and the Zorrotzaurre peninsula in Bilbao, the latter at the heart of an ambitious urban regeneration plan designed by Zaha Hadid Architects. Acting on behalf of the Municipality of Bilbao and three other key contractors—SPAQUE (Belgium), CEA–City Council of Vitoria Gasteiz (Spain), and Baía do Tejo (Portugal)—the Port Authority of Trieste, supported by project partner and innovation procurement expert Sara Bedin, acquired innovative research and development services through a pre-commercial public procurement. The focus was on in situ soil decontamination at sites heavily contaminated by hydrocarbons and heavy metals. “POSIDON, characterised from its inception as a highly innovative project, is a concrete example of transferring research outcomes to the market with the goal of addressing real needs, such as developing and field-testing innovative technologies for the decontamination of soils in polluted industrial areas,” comments Caterina Petrillo, President of Area Science Park. “The effective collaboration among diverse stakeholders, the scouting of technological and innovative solutions in research laboratories, and the use of pre-commercial public procurement have been key ingredients in the project’s success, making it a European benchmark”. By initiating a competitive process from the earliest stages—conceptual design, initial development, through to large-scale field tests—POSIDON enabled the emergence of new in situ technologies that not only surpass the current state of the art (and have indeed been patented), but are also market-ready or prepared for wide commercial dissemination. In particular, the solutions selected for the field trial phase have demonstrated promising results. The Soil-Omic solution using BIOflushing® technology, already on the market, is an advanced protocol combining biological and physico-chemical treatments, integrating metagenomics with environmental engineering to decontaminate soils and aquifers from organic and inorganic pollutants. Developed by TESECO, BIOflushing utilises specialised hydraulic plants and systems for biostimulation, bio-amplification, and chemical washing of saturated and unsaturated soils. Results have confirmed the effectiveness of the process and dedicated plant in degrading petroleum and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, as well as removing heavy metals from both saturated and unsaturated soils. Erase, developed by the consortium led by HCP ITALIA, is a modular patented solution currently in final refinement and pre-market development, which reduces organic and inorganic pollutants via electrodes and injections. POSIDON has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under Grant Agreement No. 776838. The content of this press release reflects only the authors’ view, and the European Research Executive Agency (REA) is not responsible for any use that may be made of the information contained therein.

The sixth edition of Startup Marathon is now underway and is an initiative dedicated to startups, innovative SMEs and university spin-offs, promoted by Area Science Park, UniCredit Start Lab and Fondazione Comunica. Over the years, this project has established a network of dozens of incubators, accelerators, universities and other organisations supporting business development throughout Italy, which have made it possible for more than 200 of the best startups across Italy to meet and make themselves known to leading SMEs, corporations and Italian and international investors who are partners in the event. In fact, the format requires the supporting organisations themselves to “present” their best startups, innovative SMEs or spin-offs by nominating them to participate in Startup Marathon. This approach makes it possible to bring together the most promising innovative proposals on the national scene in two distinct programmes: a startup competition and a targeted B2B matching programme. Confirmed following the first edition last year, the Open Innovation B2B programme is designed to allow the event’s partner companies to present their innovation needs, to which the startups will respond and these startups can, in turn, be directly nominated to intercept them. Those offering the most suitable solutions will have the opportunity, during the autumn, to engage in one-to-one meetings with corporations, in order to present their innovation projects directly. Registration for the contest follows a similar but separate process, detailed on the startupmarathon.it website. Once nominations close in September, a group of startups will be selected to present their video pitch to an audience of investors and entrepreneurs during the Startup Marathon Digital Day on 23 October, as part of the DIGITALmeet event. During this digital event, 10 finalists will be chosen to compete in a pitch competition on 20 November at UniCredit’s Tower Hall in Milan. The projects will be evaluated by a panel of judges comprised of representatives from Startup Marathon’s partners and a Scientific Committee of experts from the world of entrepreneurship, innovation and specialised press, chaired by Mariarosa Trolese, board member of the Italian Business Angel Network. The winning startups will be accompanied along a path focused on seeking grants and funding, as well as developing products and services capable of generating revenue and employment. The startup in first place will be offered participation in the UniCredit Start Lab acceleration programme and, along with the startups in second and third place, will be included among those pre-selected to take part in the national mission to CES in Las Vegas, the world’s most important trade show dedicated to innovation and new technologies. A special prize will be awarded to the best startup, innovative SME or spin-off with a female-majority ownership structure, which will be able to participate in the international BoostHerUp acceleration programme, organised by Area Science Park. There will also be a ranking for the organisations that support and nominate startups and they will be assigned a score based on the positioning of their companies. The top three will receive privileged access to the Executive MBA in Business Innovation offered by the MIB Trieste School of Management. This recognition will also be extended to all 10 finalist startups. “In six years, Startup Marathon has grown, while retaining its original practical spirit: today it represents a solid meeting point between those who develop technology and those seeking it to innovate. Last year’s introduction of the Open Innovation B2B path added a direct collaboration channel alongside the contest, which is already showing concrete results and confirming how the two souls of the initiative strengthen each other. The true value of this initiative lies in the consolidated network formed over the years between support organisations, startups and industrial partners: creating the conditions for the best technologies that emerged in Italy to find markets, capital and collaboration opportunities, generating impact and new growth for the local economic fabric”, says Roberto Pillon, Head of the Business Generation office at Area Science Park. “We are proud to support this year’s Startup Marathon once again, through UniCredit Start Lab, our business platform dedicated to startups and innovative SMEs, which, for over ten years, has accompanied hundreds of high-tech ventures on their growth paths. We consider Startup Marathon a valuable opportunity for promoting Italian entrepreneurial talent towards a more sustainable future. It’s a team game we strongly believe in, based on the shared goal of creating national and international connections between the best Italian tech companies and those who can turn their ideas into concrete solutions”, adds Francesca Perrone, Head of ESG & Start Lab Italy, UniCredit. “Startup Marathon continues to stand out as a reference point in the Italian innovation landscape, involving participants from various regional contexts, from the most developed to the most disadvantaged areas. The initiative fits perfectly into the national ecosystem of incubators, accelerators, technology parks and universities, with the aim of promoting the best Italian entrepreneurial ideas”, says Gianni Potti, President of Fondazione Comunica and founder of DIGITALmeet. “In a country where the presence of investors in the startup sector remains limited, events like Startup Marathon are vital for supporting projects that might otherwise struggle to develop without concrete backing. We have always committed to promoting dynamic and innovative enterprises, creating growth opportunities for businesses and jobs for young people”. Founded in 2020, Startup Marathon has, over the years, selected and rewarded innovative companies active in fields such as artificial intelligence, diagnostics, IoT and sustainability. Winners of past editions include Soundsafe Care, a spin-off of the Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna in Pisa that combines robotics and ultrasound for the non-invasive treatment of tumours; Katakem, a spin-off of the University of Catanzaro, that accelerates the development of new molecules; CAEmate, a company that developed software for the predictive maintenance of infrastructures; Aisent, which provides services based on AI, machine learning and computer vision, and M2Test, a spin-off of the University of Trieste that created an innovative diagnostic method for osteoporosis.

The Bernardo Nobile Award celebrates its 20th anniversary. Promoted by Area Science Park, it aims to promote the use of scientific and technical information contained within patent documentation as part of research and innovation pathways. With the 2025 edition, the Award is renewed, offering six prizes and addressing highly topical themes. The 20th edition of the Award, dedicated to the memory of Bernardo Nobile — founder and first head of the Area Science Park PatLib Centre — has been updated to recognise studies and methodologies for the analysis of data and information, both related to intellectual property and concerning potentially high-impact technologies. In particular, the main innovations include: studies that enhance the use of patent documentation and information, including through Artificial Intelligence (AI) analysis of data, information, and processes related to Intellectual Property (IP); studies and/or scenario analyses and/or technological foresight focusing on “deep-tech” technologies, with particular attention to their impact and/or valorisation. The initiative, organised with the involvement of the Italian Association of Patent Documentalists (AIDB), will award six cash prizes of €2,500 each to as many graduates and/or PhD holders who have been selected as winners in the following three categories: Category 1 and 2: respectively for Master’s theses and doctoral dissertations that explicitly use patents as an information source, possibly also analysing opportunities arising from the use of AI techniques in the research, processing and analysis of data and information, or in managing processes related to IP; Category 3: for Master’s theses and/or doctoral dissertations that have explored the impact and/or valorisation of “deep-tech” technologies, possibly including foresight, forecast, or anticipatory analyses in the following sectors: a. Life Sciences b. Materials Science c. Advanced Digital Technologies d. Green Energy Supply Chains The deadline for submitting applications is 30 June 2025. All details and the full call for applications are available here.

Area Science Park has been granted €2 million to boost research in omics sciences — the study of interactions between genes, proteins and metabolites — aimed at gaining a more detailed understanding of the mechanisms underlying diseases. These resources have been allocated by the Ministry of University and Research (MUR) to the National Research Institute with headquarters in Trieste and will strengthen the laboratory hosted on the campus of the University of Salerno, an institution with which Area Science Park maintains a well-established and long-standing collaboration. Minister Anna Maria Bernini has signed the decree distributing the new annual allocation of the Fund for construction and research infrastructures. For 2025, the Fund has a total budget of €94 million. The omics sciences laboratory in Salerno will operate in an integrated manner with Area Science Park’s life sciences research infrastructure (genomics, structural biology and data science), which represents a node within the national and international network of the Central European Research Infrastructure Consortium (CERIC) and functions on an open access basis. The project has an overall value of €3.5 million, of which €2 million is the 2025 funding provided by MUR. “Our Research Institutes are jewels, a source of pride for Italy and an international scientific reference”, explains Minister Anna Maria Bernini. “It is our responsibility to ensure that these centres of excellence can grow and continue on their path. It is necessary to guarantee resources for new projects, finance increasingly complex infrastructures and support the most advanced technologies”, adds the Minister. “The new €94 million funding from the Fund for construction and the modernisation of the research infrastructure moves in this direction. It enables scientific institutions to boost their study activities and open new research frontiers capable of generating concrete and positive impacts for improving quality of life. We want to give continuity to an already excellent effort, a flagship of our country. We believe in it. And results come from believing”. “The MUR funding is highly significant in the development strategy of the Institute’s activities as it allows us to upgrade the southern laboratory, thereby laying the foundations for the construction a new Institute of Integrated Omics Sciences”, says Caterina Petrillo, President of Area Science Park. “The idea is that, through collaboration with the University of Salerno and other important scientific institutions, the Institute can become a thematic reference point for the South and a magnet for young researchers”. The €94 million from the Fund for construction and research infrastructures have been allocated taking into account requests and projects formulated by each institute for building works and modernisation of scientific infrastructures. For each institute, the resources allocated will be monitored while keeping in mind the timetable of activities to be carried out based on the funding granted.

Giorgio Marrapodi, the Italian Ambassador to Turkey, visited Area Science Park accompanied by a delegation composed of Turkish and Italian entrepreneurs, professors, and dignitaries who live and work in the Republic of Turkey. Welcoming the delegation were the Director General, Dr. Anna Sirica, and the President of Area Science Park, Professor Caterina Petrillo, who presented the national research institution, the key milestones in its history, and its strategic priorities for the coming years: from the development and implementation of the institution’s research infrastructures to the management of the Trieste science and technology park, as well as projects related to green hydrogen. A brief focus was dedicated to the research activities of the Laboratory of Genomics and Epigenomics, presented by its facility Manager, Danilo Licastro. The Turkish delegation also had the opportunity to visit the laboratories of Dr. Schär, a leading company in the production of gluten-free and specialty dietary foods, which has a research and development laboratory within Area Science Park. Finally, the Ambassador and the delegation met with Valentino Pediroda, CEO of Modefinance, and Pinar Dilek, Rating Process Manager at the company, which is Europe’s first Credit Rating Fintech Agency, born from a university spin-off incubated at Area Science Park.

The European LIFE IN-PLAN project’s efforts to develop territorial plans integrating energy, climate, and mobility aspects are beginning to bear fruit by encouraging virtuous planning practices among municipalities aimed at achieving climate neutrality. A notable example is the municipality of San Vito al Tagliamento (PN), with which IN-PLAN is actively collaborating, supporting its team of experts alongside local officials in the integrated drafting of the Municipal General Urban Plan, the General Urban Traffic Plan, the Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plan, the Green Masterplan, and the Plan for the Removal of Architectural Barriers. “We warmly welcomed the IN-PLAN project because, as a municipality belonging to the Sustainable Municipalities Network, we recognise the importance of integrated and systemic planning involving multiple stakeholders with diverse sensitivities and expertise. This approach ensures a comprehensive vision and coherence that can only be achieved through dialogue, comparison, and collaboration, as we have already experienced during an initial meeting with all the planners supporting us in drafting the various plans,” states Federica Del Frè, delegated councillor for the municipality of San Vito al Tagliamento. Very useful tools in this direction include the IN-PLAN Practice, the IN-PLAN Checklist, and the Guidelines for a Data Management Plan, which provide concrete support for public administrations and sector operators in implementing multilevel governance. “The IN-PLAN Practice offers a comprehensive guide with examples of good practices and a step-by-step approach to effectively integrate energy, climate, and territorial planning policies,” explains Fabrizia Salvi of Area Science Park. “The IN-PLAN Checklist provides a structured reference framework in the form of guiding questions to improve existing or developing plans by assessing the coherence of measures envisaged in various plans, as demonstrated by the ongoing work with the municipality of San Vito al Tagliamento. The checklist is designed to foster reflection on developing integrated measures that also consider the effects—both positive and negative—that these may have on sectors other than the primary focus. It can also be used in a preliminary phase of plan drafting to consider different aspects of an issue and choose to address them in a multidisciplinary way”. The importance of these tools, with a particular focus on the “data-driven” approach, alongside experiences of various local authorities, universities, and research centres, was central to the event held on 2 April 2025 in Padua, within the framework of the Forum Duezerocinquezero, in collaboration with the LIFE NECPlatform project and the Coordination of Italian Local Agenda 21. The event, attended by experts and stakeholders, was not only an opportunity to present the IN-PLAN methodologies and tools but also a chance to discuss the challenges of integrated planning within the National Coalition Group (NCG) of IN-PLAN. This national discussion platform offers various stakeholders the chance to exchange views and formulate proposals and recommendations on integrated planning to be subsequently shared with national policymakers. The group involves several entities, including Area Science Park, the Coordination of Italian Local Agenda 21, and the municipalities of Padua, Prato, and Narni. During the event, proposals for the NCG were presented, focusing on the importance of “data-driven” integrated territorial planning and addressing barriers to integrated design, data management, and governance forms. The LIFE IN-PLAN project, co-financed by the European Union, will continue its work until March 2026. There is still an opportunity for municipalities and provinces to join as pilots and receive support from Area Science Park experts in integrating plans by testing the methodology and tools developed by the project.

Advanced, hands-on training for the next generation of data professionals, delivered in the heart of Trieste’s renowned scientific ecosystem.   In today’s data-driven world, the ability to manage, curate, and leverage data effectively is paramount. Both scientific research and industry increasingly demand professionals skilled in making data Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable (FAIR). Furthermore, in today’s AI-driven landscape, mastering data management is absolutely critical to safeguarding the integrity and security of the algorithms we increasingly rely on. The one-year professional course “Master in Data Management and Curation (MDMC)”, a unique joint initiative by Area Science Park and SISSA, is designed to equip you with the advanced, practical skills needed to excel in this critical field. Why Choosing  MDMC? Prestigious partnership: Learn from two leading institutions: Area Science Park, a national public research organisation, which has always been a link between research, innovation and industry, and SISSA, one of the six Italian school of excellence, which is a scientific center of advanced research in mathematics, physics and neuroscience within the national and international academic scene. Both share the scientific objective of doing frontier research in the field of Artificial Intelligence. This unique collaboration offers an unparalleled learning environment. Specialized FAIR & Open Science focus: Gain in-depth expertise in FAIR principles and Open Science methodologies, skills highly sought after by research institutions and funding bodies across Europe. Unique hands-on approach: Go beyond theory with our innovative “FAIR-by-design” methodology. Apply your learning during a six months extensive practical internship within real, cutting-edge research laboratories and companies. Targeted career outcomes: Prepare for in-demand roles like Data Steward, Data Curator, Data Engineer and Research Data Manager, equipped with the practical experience needed in academia, research infrastructures and private data-intensive organizations. Duration and Modality The MDMC is a full-time 10 months program, which consists of 1500 hours of training activities, corresponding to 60 ECTS credits. Total Duration: 10 months, from September 15, 2025 to June 30, 2026 Teaching Language: English Teaching Mode: In-person, with some remote sessions during the internship period Location of in-presence lectures: Trieste – Area Science Park & SISSA Admission Requirements (Academic Year 2025-2026) Admission to the Master in Data Management and Curation – MDMC – for the Academic Year 2025-2026 requires candidates to hold a Bachelor’s degree (Laurea Triennale) or a Master’s degree (Laurea Magistrale/Specialistica), or an equivalent university degree (e.g., pre-reform Italian Diploma di Laurea). In addition to the degree qualification, candidates must meet the following minimum requirements by the start date of the lessons to effectively follow the program: English language: a good proficiency in English is required (CEFR B2 level or higher), as all lectures and teaching activities will be conducted exclusively in English. Python programming: basic Python programming skills are required, as detailed in the Annex 1. Mathematical skills: minimum mathematical knowledge equivalent to that acquired through university-level Calculus 1 and 2 courses (or equivalent). Statistical skills: basic knowledge of statistics, including elements of probability theory, hypothesis testing techniques, understanding of Bayes’ theorem, and statistical model comparison. Technical equipment: availability and ability to use a personal computer equipped with a functioning Linux operating environment. Applications for the Academic Year 2025-2026 must be completed and submitted exclusively through the dedicated online platform, accessible at the following link: https://pica.cineca.it/sissa/sissa-ilas-mdmc-2025/ The application will be open from april 29th to june 10th. The online procedure requires uploading the following mandatory documents: Letter of motivation: a document outlining the candidate’s reasons for interest in the MDMC Master and their professional goals (150 – 1500 characters). Identity Document: a copy (front and back) of a valid identity document (ID card or passport). Curriculum Vitae: an updated CV detailing the candidate’s educational background and any professional experience.   Ready to Shape the Future of Data? << Apply now!>>   For all information on the program and course content, application procedure, selection, financial aid and fees: download the Course Presentation, the Scientific Program, or download the official Call. For further information you can visit the page on the SISSA website, or contact us sending an email to MDMC   The course is part of the NFFA-DI project, which has received financial support from Italy’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR), Mission 4 “Education and Research” – Component 2 “From Research to Business” – Investment Line 3.1 “Fund for the implementation of an integrated system of research and innovation infrastructures”, funded by the European Union – NextGenerationEU.

It’s not just about the iconic Marmolada Glacier in the Dolomites. In the coming decades, the other glaciers in this mountain range could also shrink dramatically or vanish altogether. This theory is supported for the first time by a study conducted by the Institute of Polar Sciences of the Italian National Research Council (Cnr-Isp), based at Area Science Park, and the Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, recently published in the journal The Cryosphere. The Italian Glaciological Committee, the Alpine-Adriatic Meteorological Society, ARPA Veneto, the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland, the Technical University of Denmark, the Roma Tre University in Rome and the University of Quebec in Montreal all collaborated in the study. “The Dolomites have been the subject of numerous studies in the fields of geology, geomorphology and biodiversity. However, the glaciers in this region have often remained on the margins of scientific investigation, with the exception of the Marmolada Glacier, the largest in the area”, explains Renato R. Colucci, a researcher at Cnr-Isp and co-author of the paper. “Regardless of the information provided by the two editions of the Italian glacier registers (1962 and 2015), the data available on their evolution over time have so far been extremely fragmented and have often only been qualitative, especially regarding their variations in volume. Our study is the first to present a multi-decade estimate (from the 1980s to 2023) of topographic changes and mass balance of the current mountain glaciers in the Dolomites”. The result was achieved in two steps: for the period from the 1980s to 2010, researchers used the Structure from Motion (SfM) technique applied to historical aerial imagery; from 2010 to 2023, they also used drone (UAV) imagery and helicopter-based LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) acquisitions, which allowed for high-resolution and accuracy. In 2023 – the last year examined in the study – there were 9 glaciers, although the fragmentation of the Marmolada Glacier into four distinct glacial bodies brings the total number to 12. “The total area of these last 12 glaciers has decreased from just over 4 square km in the 1980s to just under 2 square km today – a 56% loss, of which 33% has occurred since 2010,” specifies Andrea Securo, PhD student at the Ca’ Foscari University of Venice and co-author of the study. “Overall, we observed an average decrease in the topographic surface of the glaciers of 28,7 metres between 1980 and 2023 – of which 33% between 2010 and 2023. The glacier that suffered the greatest reduction was the Fradusta Glacier, which underwent a decrease in average thickness of 50 metres and an areal reduction of 90%.” The temperature data processed for the study in collaboration with ARPA Veneto is also interesting, showing a rise of +2.0°C over the past 40 years – approximately +0.5°C per decade. At the same time, the data also shows a certain increase in snowfall, but only at high altitudes. The researchers warn that this phenomenon was not enough to compensate for the greater melting caused by increasingly long and always hotter summers. In conclusion, the study highlights that, in the entire area, 66% of the total volume loss is attributable to the Marmolada Glacier alone. “Today, the Dolomite Glacier accumulation areas lie below the alpine glacier equilibrium line, an indicator of the fact that, within a few decades, these glaciers will either disappear completely or become fragmented glacial bodies with no dynamic activity. Unfortunately, their fate appears inevitable, even assuming climate stabilisation based on the average values of the past 30 years (1991–2020),” the authors conclude. Source: CNR (Italian National Research Council)

The aim is to strengthen the competitiveness of Italian businesses and promote the growth of a dynamic and future-oriented entrepreneurial ecosystem through the co-creation of innovative solutions developed by startups, spin-offs and innovative SMEs in response to the needs of medium and large enterprises. With this ambitious goal and as part of the activities and services of IP4FVG – EDIH, Area Science Park, in collaboration with ELIS Innovation Hub, is launching the Open Innovation@IP4FVG, programme through two calls: Call 4 Need, for medium and large enterprises, and Call 4 Solution, dedicated to startups, spin-offs and innovative SMEs. Thanks to the programme, the selected companies will work together, for 12 weeks, on the co-development of a Proof of Concept (PoC), a pilot project or prototype that makes it possible to test the innovative solutions and assess their effectiveness, applicability and scalability. Every stage of the approach will be guided and supported by experts from Area Science Park and ELIS Innovation Hub, through to final validation of the solution. Thanks to PNRR funds from the IP4FVG-EDIH project, selected medium and large enterprises will have access to subsidised funding of up to 80% to develop their PoC with a value of €40.000 each. The co-innovation approaches must focus on advanced digital technologies for optimising processes across the entire value chain, for reducing environmental impact and for cybersecurity. The programme includes a first local service event on 15 April at 3 p.m. in the Pasolini Room of the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region in Udine, during which companies and startups can join the programme, meet, delve deeper into the topic of Open Innovation and take part in networking sessions aimed at fostering long-term collaborations. The programme is part of the IP4FVG-EDIH services, an initiative funded by the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) – Mission 4, Component 2 (M4C2) – Investment 2.3, subsidised by the European Union – Next Generation EU, which aims to encourage the adoption of digital and green technologies. More information on the areas and the approach is available at this link. To register for the presentation event on April 15 in Udine, click here.

On World Water Day, we discuss how research and technological innovation contribute to reducing waste and making water networks more efficient.

The Welcome Office FVG confirms its crucial role in supporting the international mobility of students and researchers in Friuli Venezia Giulia. The data contained in the 2024 Report highlights a significant increase in activities and continuous evolution of the services offered. Throughout 2024, the Welcome Office FVG— a help desk giving assistance and advice on the main mobility-related issues for students, researchers and their families, both before arrival and during their stay in the region— provided a total of 5.982 consultations to 655 users. Among the most frequent requests received at the Trieste help desk, managed by Area Science Park, were matters related to residence permits, entry and residence conditions and health insurance. At the Udine help desk, which operates within the university, the main focus was instead on the pre-arrival phase, with a greater demand for advice regarding departure formalities and conditions, insurance and healthcare and the search for accommodation. One of the Welcome Office FVG’s strengths is its collaboration with local and national institutions. In 2024, 11 agreements on personal data processing were signed between Area Science Park and the partners who took advantage of the appointments at the Police Headquarters. The relationship with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI) Visa Centre was also fundamental, leading to the organisation of a training and refresher event. One of the most significant results was the organisation of 10 collective appointments with the Trieste Police Headquarters, allowing around 300 students, researchers and family members to obtain their residence permits more quickly. The Welcome Office FVG web portal continues to be a reference point for international mobility. In 2024, it recorded 35.689 users and 48.954 sessions, with visitors from 158 countries. The Welcome Office FVG also took part in several promotional events, including the “Welcome Conference for International and Mobility Students” at UniUD and the Welcome Days organised by the University of Trieste, the University of Udine and the Tartini Conservatory. The level of user satisfaction remains high: 94% of respondents to the questionnaire stated that they would recommend the service.