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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.

Area Science Park is backing the Ernesto Illy joint Master’s degree programme in Coffee Economics and Science as a partner, encouraged by the course’s unique programme. It takes both a scientific and managerial approach, with a strong emphasis being made on collaboration between the public and private sectors. The course offers specific academic training on the biological, agronomic, technological and economic aspects of going from coffee plant to end product. One of our tasks as an institution is to promote industry training activities, involving the world of business. Area Science Park is a firm believer in universities and research institutes being one of the driving forces behind national scientific research. Their role is to process and convey scientific knowledge, including by encouraging cooperation between the public and private sectors. The other partners in the programme are: the University of Trieste, the University of Udine, the International School for Advanced Studies Trieste (SISSA), illycaffè S.p.A and the Ernesto Illy Foundation. The Master’s course is inspired by Ernesto Illy’s approach, ethics and values, and incorporates his cultural heritage. The aim is to study and pass on his work and ideas, and the moral legacy of his extraordinary innovative spirit. The course is open to graduates from all over the world with a degree in a scientific or technological field, or in the social sciences and humanities. For more general information: master@fondazioneilly.org For more information about the Master’s course: Master’s degree in Coffee Economics and Science – Ernesto Illy Foundation (fondazionernestoilly.org) For more information about the specific programme: MCES-Ernesto Illy – 2021 programme (ENG-ITA) (fondazionernestoilly.org)    

International cooperation and the “North Adriatic Hydrogen Valley” project has been focus in the context of the GeoAdriatico symposium at Area Science Park, organised by the non-profit organisation Vitale. In attendance at the symposium was Ambassador Fabio Cassese, Director General for Development Cooperation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, among others. There were two events on the agenda, the first of which was attended by representatives from the ICGEB, OGS, Elettra Sincrotrone and Area Science Park. President Caterina Petrillo opened the meeting in the morning. Marianna Maculan, Head of External Relations at the ICGEB, explained how the ICGEB is an international organisation centred around research, training and technology transfer in the life sciences. It was set up to promote global sustainable development and its work is in line with several of the UN’s 2030 Agenda goals. Sustainable development – through studying the seas and oceans and understanding geological processes – is, in turn, one of OGS’s key missions, as explained by president Nicola Casagli. The OGS is also very active in scientific and environmental diplomacy in many parts of the world. Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste is an international multidisciplinary research centre of excellence, specialising in the generation of synchrotron light and free-electron lasers for studying materials, with applications spanning physics, chemistry, life sciences, environmental sciences, cultural heritage conservation and more. As Chief Scientific Officer Giorgio Paolucci pointed out, internationality is an intrinsic part of the lab’s work, as evidenced by its involvement in the CERIC-ERIC consortium and by the training of researchers from developing countries.  Deputy General Manager Stephen Taylor outlined Area Science Park’s main focuses, including on generating business, implementing innovation processes, and providing cutting-edge technology platforms to science and industry in the fields of genomics, advanced computing services, materials and advanced microscopy, as well as on participating in projects, international networks and innovation diplomacy work. “Area Science Park is based in Friuli Venezia Giulia which is a border region and, as such, has always paid particular attention to international cooperation,” explained Area Science Park President Caterina Petrillo. “This allows for a privileged dialogue with countries in central, southern and eastern Europe which then become natural partners for research and innovation collaborations and projects. One recent example is the work going on to create the ‘North Adriatic Hydrogen Valley’: the first transnational project aimed at developing a dedicated hydrogen valley, involving Croatia, Slovenia and the Autonomous Region of Friuli Venezia Giulia”. Ambassador Fabio Cassese stated that, “Trieste’s science hub is an outstanding example of both internal and external cooperation and integration, with an international outlook that demonstrates how science can be a driver of sustainable development for countries around the world, and one which has a positive impact on business and society. Trieste’s multi-level integrated set-up is capable of generating collaborations with the Ministry in various different fields.” The “North Adriatic Hydrogen Valley” project was the subject of an in-depth discussion held in the afternoon, with the participation of representatives from the Slovenian and Croatian governments, the Autonomous Region of Friuli Venezia Giulia, Area Science Park, the University of Trieste, and the Port Authorities of the Eastern Adriatic. The “North Adriatic Hydrogen Valley” 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.

Digital Innovation Hub IP4FVG’s Internet of Things (IoT) lab is based in Amaro (Udine), on the Carnia Industrial Park. The lab is home to hardware and software tools and tech including automated systems for visual product control, and sensors and data-transmission technologies for production monitoring and predictive maintenance. These are examples of “Industry 4.0” technologies, which can be used for digital transformation in business, made available to entrepreneurs, technicians and professionals, as well as university students and high-school pupils. The IoT living lab – one of four set up in the region by IP4FVG, each with a different specialisation – is the centre of activity for IP4FVG’s base in Amaro. The hub was set up in September 2018 with the founding of the “Associazione Temporanea di Scopo” [Temporary Purpose Association], which included the Carnia Industrial Park (coordinator and lead partner), Eurotech S.p.A., InAsset Srl now Retelit Group, the Regional Cluster for ICT – DITEDI, Friuli Innovazione and Area Science Park. In February 2021, they were joined by Confindustria Udine (already lead partner at Udine’s Data Analytics & Artificial Intelligence IP4FVG hub). The lab in Amaro, presented today, expands the overall offer of 4.0 technologies available to entrepreneurs in the region. It has recently been added to with innovative solutions, thanks to collaborations with local universities and businesses in both the ICT and manufacturing sectors, including Gortani, Akuis, FAM, Fill in the Blanks, Video Systems, Fec Italia, and Progetto Nachste. A new site was needed to accommodate the equipment for the expanded living lab facilities and be more accessible to visitors. This is how the decision was made to set up the lab at the entrance to Amaro’s Technology Park. Having the living lab on the Carnia Industrial Park is also a way of facilitating new digitisation projects for local businesses. The aim over the coming months is to increase take-up among companies of the IP4FVG living lab facilities and to increase the number of ‘use cases’, thanks to the support already shown by numerous manufacturing companies, and collaboration with university labs. Caterina Petrillo, President of Area Science Park, commented “IP4FVG is a model that successfully implements forms of collaboration between companies, public institutions and the world of research.  Through the network of four regional hubs, IP4FVG is able to create an effective dialogue between the private and public sectors, driving the study of solutions that facilitate innovation processes in different business areas. Thanks to this opportunity to experiment with the latest technologies at the labs and work with experienced technologists, we can optimise resources and speed up the digital transformation of processes. At the IP4FVG hubs based across the region in Amaro, Trieste, Udine and San Vito al Tagliamento, the living labs showcasing innovative solutions offer companies the chance to test technology before investing in it. The site in Amaro is the ideal place to develop ‘smart mountain’ technologies that have a social and economic impact on the local area, as well as a direct return for businesses.” IP4FVG is Friuli Venezia Giulia’s Digital Innovation Hub, coordinated by the national research institution Area Science Park. The hub was set up to support the digital transformation of local enterprises. It is a strategic project within the Argo System, an initiative supported by the Italian Ministries of University and Research (MUR) and Economic Development (MISE), as well as the Autonomous Region of Friuli Venezia Giulia. Thanks to IP4FVG, four 4.0 living technology labs have been set up in the region (in Amaro, San Vito al Tagliamento, Udine and Trieste), open to companies that want to learn about and test some of the most innovative technological solutions before applying them in house.

The International Summer School on Artificial Intelligence is returning to Udine this year from 4 to 8 July, following two years online. AI-DLDA 2022 – From Deep Learning to Data Analytics is a regular event in the calendars of researchers, PhD students and ICT professionals interested in learning about developments in academic studies, applications in industry and new trends in artificial intelligence (AI). Now in its fifth year, the event will take place in Udine’s prestigious Palazzo Antonini university building and will also be live-streamed and accessible remotely. The hybrid format for this year’s summer school includes morning plenary sessions with a panel of international speakers and afternoon workshops during which participants will be split into two tracks: academia and business (for business people, ICT professionals, etc.). From big data to computer vision, and biomedical informatics to human-computer interaction: lecturers from internationally renowned schools and universities will be exploring a wide range of topics. Speakers at the event will include: Alexandre Alahi of the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (Switzerland), Alfredo Canziani of New York University (USA), Jan Peters of the Technische Universität Darmstadt (Germany), Giorgio Giacinto of the University of Cagliari (Italy), Marcello Pelillo of the University of Venice (Italy), and Primo Zingaretti of the Polytechnic University of the Marche (Italy). In the four previous editions to date, the summer school has welcomed some 176 researchers and ICT professionals from all over the world. The event provides not only an opportunity to learn about the latest developments in AI-related topics, but also a chance to hear from experts in the field. AI-DLDA 2022 – From Deep Learning to Data Analytics is organised by the University of Udine, the Digital Innovation Hub IP4FVG, DITEDI and Area Science Park, in collaboration with DIH Digital Innovation Hub Udine; CVPL – Italian Association for Research in Computer Vision, Pattern Recognition and Machine Learning; AI REGIO; and COMET Cluster Metalmeccanica FVG. Registration is now open. Early bird discount available until 12 June for in-person tickets – valid for researchers, as well as ICT professionals and business people. For more information and to register: www.aidlda.it    

Area Science Park is providing concrete support to the Ukrainian population by funding two training/research grants for those fleeing the country, which has been in a state of emergency for months. The institution has recently published a call for expressions of interest in two training/research grants in the areas of genomics and data management, digitisation and artificial intelligence, and sustainability and business innovation. The grants will be awarded to people who were residing or domiciled in Ukraine before 24 February 2022, are at least 18 years old, have a good level of Italian or English, and have completed at least one cycle of technical level III higher education (according to the Ukrainian education system). Training and research will be carried out on-site at Area Science Park in Trieste over the course of 12 months. The grants include on-site accommodation at Area Science Park’s Padriciano campus and personalised support from the Welcome Office for managing the administrative procedures for staying in Trieste. The grants are to be paid monthly and will be awarded once the call for expressions of interest has closed. “With these two study and training grants, we want to offer concrete support to young people and welcome them to our campus,” says President of Area Science Park Caterina Petrillo. “It’s important for them to be able to continue their education and we want to help them settle in to a new study and work environment.” She went on to say that, “These grants are a first step. Should we receive a high number of applications, we will work with local research centres and businesses in the region to increase the allocated funds.” To submit an expression of interest, fill in the form available on Area Science Park’s website and send it, along with a signed CV, by 19 June 2022.