News

A biomaterial as a new fronties in medicine, extremely innovative and in step with scientific progress.    Increasingly, over time, there is a need to repair, regenerate of replace tissues or organs damaged by diseases, traumas, or due to defects present at birth or aging.  The list of diseases that can benefit from regenerative medicine is growing. This field of research allows to stimulate the body's repair mechanisms to guide and support the healing of tissues and remodeling processes. In fast, it does not treat trauma or pathology synthoms but aims to accelerate and promote the natural regeneration of tissue by stimulating autologous cells to guide processes of self-repair.    Today, tissue engineering is a type of renerative medicine making significant progress, thanks, for example, to the use of highly biocompatible biomaterial suitable for supporting and guiding the functional regeneration of tissues. This goes beyond simple wound healing, achieving true functional repair. The term ''biomaterial'' refers to any substances of synthetic or natural origin that can be used to speed up the healing process.    One of the main treatments for wound healing involves the use of hydrogel-based products derived from decellularized matrices. The term ''hydrogel'' refers to a group of three-dimensional polymeric cross-linked materials with good absorption capacity, allowing gas exchange and enhancing the granulation process of damaged tissue.  The choice of polymer is aimed at reproducing a favorable environment, thanks to its high compatibility, for applications such as cell growth and differentiation, drug administration or the release of growth factors useful in reparative processes.   

On May 9, the presentation event of the cascading calls for Spoke 3, Tourism and Culture Industry and Spoke 5, Health Industry and Silver Economy was held in Lecce at the University of Salento. By adhering to the cascading tenders, the companies of the South will have the opportunity to take advantage of 2.5 million euros which can be used in the development and innovation of small and medium-sized enterprises, in the creation of new products and technologies and in research and stimulation of new production processes useful for the country's economic and industrial growth. The event took place in the conference room of the Rectorate which finds its place in a wonderful setting which is the historic center of Lecce in the presence of the Magnificent Rector of the University of Salento, Prof. Fabio Pollice who conveyed his greetings to all present. Representing the Universities and the Ecosystem were the Magnificent Rector of the University of Eastern Piedmont, prof. Gian Carlo Avanzi, the General Manager of the NODES Hub - Eng. Chiara Ferroni, the Project Managers of Spoke 3 and 5, prof.ssa Barbara Pozzo and prof. Marco Invernizzi and the project coordinator for the development of the territory of Unioncamere Piemonte, Dr. Micol Crostelli. At the end of the meeting, an important debate was held with the companies present from which the interest in the subjects dealt with and the need to forge virtuous synergies between companies and universities emerged.   The cascade calls for tenders for Line A - Mezzogiorno - Spoke 3 companies can be consulted below link        

Hacking the city is a hackathon that aims to promote a paradigm shift starting with the concept of Circular Economy. Organized by Tondo in collaboration with Spoke 2 - Green Technologies and Sustainable Industry of the NODES Ecosystem (PNRR) and with the sponsorship of Fondazione Cariplo, the event calls students, recent graduates and PhD students to create innovative and entrepreneurial activities in different thematic macro-areas through challenges. The hackathon challenges were defined in April 2023 by industry partners to promote innovation on waste, food, water, consumer goods and the digital world. From May 2 to 31, students, recent graduates and doctoral students can nominate their teams and project ideas to respond to the challenges. Selected projects will be refined and winners announced June 9-10 at a dedicated event, during which sponsoring companies will award prizes to the best proposals. The hackathon will lead to the emergence of innovative and entrepreneurial businesses capable of implementing the circular economy in management - Of waste (with A2A) - Of water resources (with Viacqua) - Of the food supply chain (with Lavazza) - Of consumer goods (with Humana) - and technologies (with NTT Data). Winners will be rewarded with training and employment opportunities to develop ideas to the point of contaminating change. In fact, the hackathon aims to network young talent, responsible companies and enlightened institutions to make the sustainable future we need concretely possible.  The future is in our hands: participate with your team of students, recent graduates or doctoral students by May 31! Let's make it happen, together.   

On May 9, the presentation event for the cascade calls of Spoke 5 (Industry of Health and Silver Economy) and Spoke 3 (Industry of Tourism and Culture) of NODES project took place in Lecce, that make available 2.5 million euros available to Southern enterprises.    The purpose of the cascade calls is to stimulate research, development and innovation investments by enterprises (especially SMEs) to promote the creation of new technologies, products and production processes, in strategic sectors for the economica and industrial growth of the country.    Professor Fabio Pollice, the Magnificient Rector of the University of Salento, warmly welcomed the researchers from the Spokes and the entrepreneurs interested in the calls in the Conference Hall within the evocative Rectorate located in the historic center of Lecce.  Representing the Universities and the Ecosystem were the Magnificient Rector of University of Piemonte Orientale, Professor Gian Carlo Avanzi and the General Director of the NODES Hub, Engineer Chiara Ferroni; but also, the Projects Manager of Spoke 3 and 5, Professor Barbara Pozzo and Professor Marco Invernizzi and finally the Project Area Manager of Unioncamere Piemonte, Dr. Micol Crostelli.   At the end of the presentations, an interesting exchange took place with the participating companies, highlighting the significant interest generated and the importance of strengthening the relations between the business world and the University.        The Cascade Call for Line A - Mezzogiorno - Spoke 5 is open starting from today, May 15, and can be accessed at the following link.    Proposals must be submitted through the WebTelemaco portal.  Click on the Compilation Guide to view the information material to support the upload.        Relive the presentation      

Spoke 7 ha partecipato al ciclo di seminari organizzato da Confinudstria Il 9 maggio si è tenuto il terzo incontro del ciclo di webinar organizzati da Confindustria Piemonte, Confindustria Lombardia - partners Enterprise Europe Network Italia - insieme a Confindustria Valle d'Aosta e in collaborazione con NODES - Nord Ovest Digitale E Sostenibile per approfondire i bandi a cascata rivolti alle imprese localizzate in Piemonte, Valle d’Aosta e nelle province di Como, Pavia, Varese. L'iniziativa ha visto la partecipazione di rappresentanti dello Spoke 6 (Agroindustria Primaria) e dello Spoke 7 (Agroindustria secondaria). Luisa Torri, docente dell'Università di Scienze Gastronomiche e responsabile scientifico dello Spoke 7, ha illustrato i temi su cui è attivo lo Spoke 7, mentre Dario Vallauri, di MIAC - Polo Agrifood, si è concentrato sulle opportunità offerte dai bandi e sulle diverse iniziative dedicate all'agroindustria primaria e secondaria. VIDEO E SLIDE  

On May 5, 2023, the second session of a webinar series organized by Confindustria Piemonte, Confindustria Lombardia - partners Enterprise Europe Network italia - in collaboration with Confindustria Valle D'Aosta and NODES - North West Digital and Sustainable took place. The webinar aimed to deepen the theme of cascade calls for enterprises located in Piemonte, Valle D'Aosta and provinces of Como, Pavia and Varese.    The NODES ecosystem was presented by Raffaella Di Nardo (Research and Innovation Manager),Cristina Prandi (University of Turin) illustrated the characteristics of Spoke 2, and Marco Invernizzi (University of Piemonte Orientale) those of Spoke 5. Finally, Edoardo Braccio has clarified exhaustively the initiative of cascade calls.    The aim was to encourage enterprises in the Piedmont region to partecipate in the funding opportunities by presenting the research and innovation themes of the 7 Spokes. In particular, the cascade calls relevant to Spoke 5 were discussed and the respective modalities of partecipation in the calls for proposals of Line A and Line B were explained by Unioncamere Piemonte.              Click here to rewatch the webinar recording ? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MIJEuGdbQTA  

Spoke 2 - Green Technologies and Sustainable Industry will participate on May 5, 2023 from 09:00 am to 11:00 am in the presentation of cascading calls for businesses in the NODES Ecosystem territory: Piedmont, Aosta Valley, provinces of Como, Pavia, Varese. The event is part of the larger calendar of events organized by Confindustria Piemonte, Confindustria Lombardia-as Enterprise Europe Network partners-and Confindustria Valle d'Aosta, in collaboration with Ecosystem NODES, which was created to foster collaboration between companies, universities, research centers and finance for the development of innovation projects.  Prof. Cristina Prandi, Full Professor of Organic Chemistry at the University of Turin and scientific head of Spoke 2 will present the activities of Spoke 2 - Green technologies and sustainable industry. Following this, Dr. Edoardo Braccio will explain to potential beneficiaries the new cascade calls financed with funds from the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRP) to support research and development projects (Line A) aimed at boosting collaborations between the business and research worlds, and the acquisition of innovation services (Line B) to foster innovation by SMEs.   

Fondazione Piemonte Innova organised a "Buongiorno Polo" dedicated to news from the Innovation Ecosystem NODES, with highlights on the funding opportunities available for research, start-ups, spin-offs and businesses. The event was held on Wednesday 3 May and was moderated by Miriam Pirra, Senior Business Analyst Fondazione Piemonte Innova, who presented the NODES ecosystem and the main research and innovation topics of the various Spokes. Andreea Timaru, Senior Business Analyst Fondazione Piemonte Innova, followed, illustrating to the member companies of the ICT Innovation Cluster and other potential beneficiaries the new cascade calls financed with the funds of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP) to support research and development projects (Line A) aimed at fostering collaborations between the business and research worlds, and the acquisition of innovation services (Line B) to foster SMEs' innovation. Rewatch the event (in Italian): https://questionari-tw.typeform.com/to/bN9YMjdR    

The first meeting of a webinar cycle, organized by the Confindustria system in Piedmont, Lombardy and Valle d'Aosta, together with Ecosystem NODES, held with the aim of presenting to potential beneficiaries the new cascading calls from PNRR funds dedicated to financing research and development projects (Line A) and supporting the acquisition of innovation services (Line B). The meeting was Wednesday, May 3 from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. It focused on the thematic areas Aerospace and Sustainable Mobility, of the "Spoke 1" of the Digital and Sustainable Northwest Ecosystem. Program: NODES Ecosystem Presentation Chiara Ferroni, Director General HUB NODES Spoke 1 Presentation Prof Giuseppe Scellato - Politecnico di Torino Presentation of the Cascade calls (Line A and B) Prof. Giuseppe Scellato - Politecnico di Torino How to apply for funding Piedmont Unioncamere Q&A

Le associazioni Confindustria del territorio NODES si attivano per promuovere i bandi a cascata NODES.  Confindustria Piemonte, Confindustria Lombardia, in qualità di partners Enterprise Europe Network, e Confindustria Valle d’Aosta, in collaborazione con l'Ecosistema NODES, organizzano nel mese di maggio un ciclo di webinar dedicati alla presentazione dei bandi a cascata per le imprese nel territorio dell'Ecosistema NODES: Piemonte, Valle d'Aosta, province di Como, Pavia, Varese.   L'iniziativa intende promuovere presso i potenziali beneficiari i nuovi bandi a cascata provenienti dai fondi del PNRR per finanziare progetti di ricerca e sviluppo (Linea A) e sostenere l’acquisizione di servizi di innovazione (Linea B).   Quattro appuntamenti in programma, tutti al mattino - dalle 09.30 alle 11.00 - in cui saranno approfonditi i Bandi a cascata gestiti dai 7 Spoke di NODES e destinati ad altrettanti ambiti tematici:    Mercoledì 3 maggio Aerospazio e mobilità sostenibile - Spoke 1 Venerdì 5 maggio Green Technologies e industria sostenibile – Spoke 2  Industria della salute e Silver economy – Spoke 5 Martedì 9 maggio Agroindustria primaria – Spoke 6 Agroindustria secondaria – Spoke 7 Lunedì 15 maggio Industria del turismo e cultura – Spoke 3 Montagna digitale e sostenibile – Spoke 4   Per informazioni: een@confindustria.piemonte.it La partecipazione è gratuita previa registrazione sul portale Confindustria Piemonte.   Registrati ai webinar

Spoke 6 Research Module 1 "Innovation in farms for the agro-livestock sector in relation to new technologies, optimization of production, consumption, territorial and landscape development" On June 6th at 2:00 PM, the research team of the Architecture and Urban Design Research Lab (AUDE) in the Department of Civil Engineering and Architecture presented the work in progress of the  Spoke 6 Research Module 1 "Innovation in farms for the agro-livestock sector in relation to new technologies, optimization of production, consumption, territorial and landscape development" of the Flagship Project Formidabilae. The focus of RM1 involves mapping the agricultural landscape around selected case studies within the territories of Spoke 6 and conducting typological, morphological, and architectural analysis of spaces dedicated to productive activities. The ultimate goal is to outline a design model of an "ideal farm" capable of addressing the challenges of the climate emergency through an interdisciplinary approach and to pave the way for a sustainable and inclusive ecological transition. During the seminar, Prof. Carlo Berizzi introduced the main research themes of RM1, with specific reference to the contribution of architectural research methods used in the analysis of the case study "Cerzoo: Centro Di Ricerche Per La Zootecnia E Lambiente S.c.r.l.". Subsequently, Dr. Nadia Bertolino discussed the methodological approach for data collection and analysis, as well as the plan for future activities in defining the model of the 'ideal farm' towards a sustainable and inclusive ecological transition. The two research interns, Miriam Rebecchi and Ilaria Benzoni, discussed the cartographic material produced and the analysis of the case study, highlighting possible areas for improving the structure and associated services, both at the architectural and landscape levels. PhD candidate Marta Mazurkiewicz discussed the article "Technological innovation in urban agriculture towards the ecological transition: a critical assessment of European best practices," which will be presented at the upcoming international conference ISUF 2023 in Belgrade in September 2023.

Presented the flagship projects and the "cascade tenders" for companies This afternoon, at the Città Studi Biella Congress Center, the Nodes Project "Digital And Sustainable North West" was presented, selected by the Ministry of University as part of the investments envisaged by the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) and the Spoke 3 – Tourism and Culture Industry. The press conference was attended by the President of Città Studi Biella Pier Ettore Pellerey, the Scientific Director of Spoke 3 Barbara Pozzo, the research and innovation manager of the NODES Hub Raffaella di Nardo, the pro-rector of the University of Turin Giulia Carluccio , Piercarlo Rossi from the University of Turin, Stefania Benetti from the University of Eastern Piedmont and Sara Lucca from ComoNext Innovation Hub. Spoke 3 - Tourism and Culture Industry, led by the University of Insubria, plays a very important role within the PNRR Nodes project "Digital And Sustainable North West". The partners involved in the project are: the University of Turin, the University of Eastern Piedmont, the University of Insubria, the University of Valle D'Aosta, Città Studi Biella and ComoNext Innovation Hub. Through its activities, Spoke3 intends to contribute to improving people's well-being through the use of all the material and immaterial forms in which culture and knowledge are expressed. The intent is to forge synergies between all the actors who work together to respond to these needs such as schools, universities, bookshops, cinemas, creative and cultural industries, museums, libraries, archives, the archaeological areas, the theatres. Spoke3's mission is to develop the territory and local culture by linking them to historical, artistic and architectural factors, to its natural beauties, as well as to other aspects which, in one way or another, are linked to the concept of creativity at the in order to encourage an entrepreneurial culture dedicated to sustainability. The reference research areas of Spoke3 concern the legal and economic aspects of the creative industries, the digitization of tourism companies, the introduction of the culture of sustainability in companies, the success factors of museums and more generally of the creative industries for development of tourism, information technology connected to the development of tourism and the enhancement of Made in Italy.    

NODES Spoke 6: Presentation of Cascade Funding Calls for Local Businesses On April 19, 2023, the University of Pavia hosted the presentation of cascade funding calls for local businesses as part of the activities of Spoke 6 "Primary Agro-industry" within the three-year project "NODES". The event took place at the Aula Disegno, with an impressive turnout of over 100 attendees, including 57 representatives from businesses, 46 researchers, 10 territorial entities, and 4 industry associations.    The proceedings started with an opening address by Francesco Svelto, the Rector of the University of Pavia, who highlighted the pivotal role of NODES in creating value within the region by fostering the development of research and industrial supply chains in the Primary Agro-industry sector.    This was followed by insightful presentations from key speakers, including Chiara Ferroni, General Director of Nodes, Hermes Giberti (University of Pavia), Coordinator of Spoke 6 and Delegate of the Rector for Technology Transfer, Paolo Gay (University of Turin), Scientific Referent for the project, and Lucia Marazzi, Deputy Manager of Spoke 6 and responsible for Third Mission Services at the University of Pavia. The event concluded with Roberto Strocco (Unioncamere Piemonte) providing detailed information on the application process for funding through the Telemaco platform.      The presentation aimed to not only inform but also inspire local businesses to participate in the cascade funding calls, fostering collaboration between academia and industry and driving innovation in the Primary Agro-industry sector.    For information about the funding calls and participation guidelines, please refer to the section on the website https://www.ecs-nodes.eu/6-agroindustria-primaria/bandi     

Spoke 1 of NODES Ecosystem engages companies for innovation On Tuesday, April 18, 2023, funding calls and opportunities aimed at NODES area businesses were presented for the aerospace and sustainable mobility sectors.   Applications will be collected for collaborative industrial research actions, services for innovation and entrepreneurship development, and highly qualified training tracks. The funds fielded exceed 7 million.   Professor Giuliana Mattiazzo, Vice Rector for Technology Transfer at Politecnico, kicked off the event, Raffaella di Nardo, Research and Innovation Manager of HUB NODES, gave a general overview of the ecosystem. Next came Giuseppe Scellato, President of the Politecnico's I3P Incubator and scientific coordinator of Spoke 1, who outlined the project's research lines and funding calls, and Paolo Neirotti, Director of the Politecnico's School of Masters and Continuing Education, who shared the training opportunities offered by the Partners. Finally, Roberto Strocco, Area Projects and Territory Development Manager of Unioncamere Piemonte, explained how to respond to calls for proposals and access funds. The main project lines of development are: the small satellite segment (SPACE4YOU), processes for generating storage and utilization of green hydrogen for mobility (H2Mobility), and innovative systems for managing and charging vehicles for electric mobility (ELECTRO).   At the end of the event, discussion between project initiators and the audience was encouraged, resulting in a networking moment that saw direct contact and bonding between NODES researchers and partners and industry representatives, more than 70 out of an audience of 110. 40 people followed the event remotely. The event was held at the University Energy Center Auditorium. The registration is available (the event took place in Italian, automated subtitiles available)  

On April 18, 2023, Ph.D candidate Irene Preet Bhela, affiliated with Professor Tracey Pirali's laboratory, presented a seminar at the Department of Drug Sciences on Store-Operated Calcium Entry (SOCE).    SOCE is a complex mechanism based on two key proteins, STIM and Orai, which contribute to the regulation of calcium homeostasis.  Being crucial for numerous cellular functions such as inflammation, platelet activation, and muscle contraction, an alteration in this mechanism is linked to various pathologies.  Among these, the UPO laboratory is particularly active in researching both ultra-rare diseases, such as tubular aggregate myopathy (TAM) and Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), and autoimmune conditions like rheumatoid arthritis (RA).    During this seminar, Dr. Bhela presented the chemical-pharmaceutical contirbution in the design and synthesis of negative modulators of SOCE which led to the identification of a preclinical candidate, in collaboration with the start-up Chemlcare, and prodrugs based on its structure of the latter.    She then discussed the fortuitous discovery of a promising hit compound with dual inhibitory activity on dihydrooratate dehydrogenase- involved in pyrimidine byosinthesis - and SOCE, as a potential therapeutic approach for treating autoimmune pathologies.