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The Spoke 1 Students Challenge carried out by students from Politecnico di Torino with Gruppo Iren ends with great satisfaction. The challenge was multifaceted and concerned two crucial aspects of the energy landscape: electric mobility and renewable energy communities. The future penetration of electric vehicles equipped with two-way charging (V2G) technologies can provide flexibility to the grid and become a relevant component for “energy communities.” In this context, electric vehicles can be viewed as batteries on wheels, useful for maximizing self-consumption of locally generated energy, increasing energy flexibility by storing and releasing electricity as needed. The operational objectives of the challenge were multiple and complex; the teams worked to formulate technologically feasible and profitable market solutions, identify technological limitations of the current market, simulate application scenarios, build a technology roadmap of future developments, define business models that can generate value for all key players, and finally, define effective remuneration methods for electric vehicle owners within the EC. The teams demonstrated remarkable creativity, developing innovative solutions with great commitment. Indeed, critical factors were addressed, from the stochasticity of available electric vehicles to the specific mobility needs of users requiring innovative charging stations. The Students Challenges are an opportunity for companies to develop innovative solutions together with students to meet challenges. The goal of the Challenges is twofold, both to give students the opportunity to interact with the business community, public institutions, associations, and third sector entities in NODES project areas through the “learning by doing” method, and to give companies and other stakeholders the opportunity to meet young talents and discover innovative solutions applicable in their realities. Spoke 1 awaits new challenges, any company in the sectors (aerospace or sustainable mobility) can submit its problem and apply by visiting the     Dedicated page      

TINCARE researchers presented the results of their research at the congress of European Society of Biomechanics.  From June 30th to July 3th, the European Society of Biomechanics gathered in Edinburgh for its annual congress, the main European event bringing together experts in the field of biomechanics.  Young researchers from the group led by Professor Alberto Audenino participated in the event, who took the opportunity to disseminate some of the results of the research results from NEWBREATH, the Research Module of TINCARE aimed at developing a ventilation device to support patients in a home environment.  The researchers presented their work on numerical modeling and experimentation related to the performance and safety assessments of ventilator devices. Specifically, they introduced a new model capable of distinguishing the effects of CPAP therapy on different alveolar health conditions. This model can provide valuable insights not only on the most effective therapy but also on the risks that patients may face during treatment.   In addition, an experimental study was presented on the accumulation of carbon dioxide in the interfaces used for the administration of CPAP therapy to patients was presented. This study highlighted safety implications of the therapy, even when routine methods are employed in clinical practice.  The occasion was a stimulus and allowed the sharing of progress in research on non-innovative ventilation, the focus of NEWBREATH, with European researchers working in the field of respiratory biomechanics.  

On July 16th, the beautiful setting of Villa San Remigio, the General Assembly of the Ecosystem of Innovation NODES - Nord West Digital and Sustainable. The event was a valuable opportunity to compare the results of the 15 flagship project presented by the respective researchers, who enthusiastically participated in the Pitch&Poster competition. The competition featured three awards: best industrial impact, best social impact, and best quality of dissemination of results.    An extraordinary result was obtained by Spoke 5, led by University of Piemonte Orientale as the lead institution, which includes two main projects: INNDIANA and TINCARE.    The success of these projects was made possible thanks to the synergistic collaboration of the Politecnico di Torino, the University of Torino, the AOU Maggiore della Carità of Novara, and the IRCCS Auxologico, who contributed their valuable commitment and expertise.  A heartfelt thanks goes to the entire Spoke 5 - NODES team for achieving this extraordinary milestone, highlighting the value and the importance of collaboration in innovation and sustainable development in our region.   

On Monday, July 15th, at the Circolo del Design in Turin, SAD - Smoke Automatic Detection was presented. This project is funded through the Cascade Calls by the NODES innovation ecosystem under the European Union's NextGenerationEU (PNRR) program. It is the first in Europe to enable the timely detection of fire outbreaks in mountainous areas.   The monitoring is made possible through the installation of cameras equipped with Artificial Intelligence (AI) software on existing telecommunications infrastructure. The software works in real time to detect smoke plumes and fire outbreaks, and alerts promptly, thereby reducing the risk of fire spread.   The project's pilot phase began in Piedmont in July, in the Alta Valle di Susa, covering the municipalities of Bardonecchia, Oulx, and Sauze d’Oulx, with a total area of about 80 square kilometers. In this initial phase, 12 cameras have been installed on 5 telecommunications towers in a high fire-risk area: over the last 7 years alone, 4000 hectares of forest have been lost to fire.

On the afternoon of Thursday 11 July 2024 in Varese, in the splendid location of Villa Toeplitz, a meeting entitled: Nodes Challenges: students and companies for technological innovation was held. The event was organized by the University of Insubria, leader of Spoke 3 with the aim of presenting the results of 3 challenges in which some Uninsubria students were involved to citizens, businesses and researchers.  In the last two months, twenty-four students from the Department of Economics of the course on Economics and Management of Innovation and Sustainability (CLEMIS) and the course on Economics, Law and Corporate Finance (CLEDIFI) and fifteen students from the department of Law, Economics and Cultures of the Hospitality for Sustainable Toruism Development course had the opportunity to work side by side with important corporate entities such as ComoNext Innovation Hub, and Logos Centro Studi srl. The three challenges: "Sustainability reporting", "Skills" and "Museum innovation based on extended reality and generative artificial intelligence", had the aim of putting young people face to face with the completeness of the problems that companies and institutions encounter on a daily basis in their business and development journey and to therefore develop targeted projects that take into account technological innovation to be used as a tool for the valorisation and promotion of the territory and sustainability. During the event, professors, students and representatives of the companies involved discussed the challenges and objectives and results achieved; Furthermore, the Nodes flagship projects were presented as well as various opportunities for businesses deriving from the project.

18th June 2024 saw the launch of the call for start-ups of ReAction, the green-tech themed acceleration programme created as part of the NODES project for Spoke 2 - Green technologies and sustainable industry. Realised in collaboration with OGR Torino and Feat. Ventures, ReAction aims to accelerate Italian start-ups active, in particular, in the fields of environmental sustainability and circular economy onto the market. The 7-month acceleration programme is tailor-made for the most promising start-ups in the green sectors. From 24th October 2024 to May 2025, participants will have the opportunity to enhance their skills with targeted workshops and customised mentorship; develop their business model and market strategy; present themselves to investors during the exclusive Demo Day and network with experts, professionals and potential partners.   ‘OGR Torino's support for innovation is further strengthened with the launch of ReAction - Acceleration Program by NODES, the new project to support Green Tech companies realised in collaboration with the NODES ecosystem’ - says Matteo Pessione, OGR Tech Coordinator. - ’The acceleration path will provide startups with tools and skills to grow in the market and tackle urgent environmental challenges with the aim of fostering the evolution of a new sustainable balance in respect of the planet. Our hope is that many of the realities that will participate in this first edition of ReAction will find a home at OGR Torino, enriching our ecosystem and more generally our region’.

On 9th July, researchers from the University of Pavia affiliated with the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences and the Department of Civil Engineering and Architecture presented their research as part of the Nodes project in the session “NODES. Nature-based solutions for increasing resilience to water-related hazards” at the international conference TerraEnVision 2024. The session, coordinated by Dr Valerio Vivaldi and Dr Nadia Bertolino, featured the participation of international researchers who presented and discussed their work on natural hazards such as slope instability, floods, and droughts. These hazards pose global risks, especially in agro-ecosystems in semi-arid regions such as the Mediterranean. With the ongoing climate change, these events are becoming increasingly frequent and intense, thus requiring innovative and sustainable approaches to mitigate their environmental impact. The session, proposed within the context of the NODES - Spoke 6 project, addressed the role of nature-based solutions (NbS) in mitigating the impacts of water-related hazards in agro-ecosystems. In addition to the two co-chairs, Vivaldi and Bertolino, the Pavia researchers included Prof Claudia Meisina, Dr Valentina Vaglia, Dr Antonio Gambarani, Dr Margherita Pavanello, and Dr Matteo Giganti. Their research, developed within the flagship projects of Spoke 6, covers biological, agronomic, geological, geomorphological, and hydrogeological aspects, as well as the multidisciplinary applications of NbS for reducing water-related risks. This includes techniques for detection and models aimed at measuring, monitoring, and predicting the effects of NbS and climate change on agro-ecosystems.

From June 24 to 28, the 7th World Congress of the Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine International Society was held in Seattle. The event brought together experts from around the world, with an attendance of over 1,000 registrants. Representing the University of Piemonte Orientale, Dr Dalila Di Francesco and Dr Simona Casarella, PhD students led by Professor Francesca Boccafoschi, Full Professor of Human Anatomy and scientific manager of the INNDIANA flagship project of the Spoke 5 of the NODES project.  Both presentations of the PhD students have attracted a lot of interest and have been useful to strengthen international collaborations with world reference groups in the field of regenerative medicine. Within the context of the presentations at the congress, the fundamental role of the NODES flagship in supporting and promoting research in the field of regenerative medicine clearly emerged.   NODES, through the INNDIANA project, is positioned at the forefront of research in regenerative medicine, facilitating collaboration between researchers and promoting discoveries that can revolutionize future medical care. The presentations not only highlight their commitment and talent, but also the support and guidance provided by NODES, consolidating the role of the University of Eastern Piedmont as a leader in scientific and technological research.

The software DINO by Paperbox Health is geared towards the identification of early signs of learning disorders in children, e.g. dyslexia. It is based on a statistical model which is being studied by a team of researchers of the start-up Paperbox Health and statisticians in the Department of Mathematical Sciences of Politecnico di Torino, a participant to the flagship project TINCARE of Spoke 5 of NODES. It will also be one of the core activities of a new doctoral student who will be recruited by the team in the secondo hald of 2024.    The main ideas laying the foundations of the statistical model are rooted on Psychometry and its digital applications, and in particular on interacting videogames evaluated using Item Response Theory (IRT), They have been presented by professor Mauro Gasparini at the 52nd Meeting of the Italian Statistical Society in Bari on June 20, 2024 on behalf of coauthors Cecilia Campanile (Politecnico di Torino), Stefano Piacentini (Sapienza Università di Roma) and Giacomo Pratesi (Paperbox Health s.r.l.). 

Starting with a case study developed within Spoke 4 NODES - the virtual reality modeling of a mountain cabin in Valle Cervo based on its photograph - an experiment was initiated at the Politecnico di Torino to explore the course topics with a new approach, capable of simulating the expected outcomes in an alternative, virtual, and immersive reality. Participants in the new course "Virtual Reality and Vulnerabilities," led by Anna Osello, a professor in the Department of Structural, Building, and Geotechnical Engineering (DISEG), and Umberto Manera, a researcher at the University of Turin, as part of the curricular course "Great Challenges – Health," used specific headsets to tackle digital modeling concerning the chosen type of vulnerability. The vulnerabilities of individuals - from physical illnesses to mental disorders - are at the heart of the proposed teaching. Thanks to the synergy between different disciplines - engineering and humanities - it explores the potential of digital tools in designing shared and interconnected spaces where users can interact through their avatars. Enhancing reality with virtuality is the goal of this educational experience, aiming to offer entertainment activities for those suffering from debilitating conditions through a therapeutically designed path. From lessons to exams, the entire course took place in the Metaverse, with the teachers and collaborators also present in the virtual reality modeled by the participants. A total of 23 multidisciplinary groups were formed, including "Digital and Sustainable Mountain," each composed of six students. Each group identified a vulnerability to address and modeled the virtual space according to the specific needs of the people involved. The ultimate goal is to train well-rounded engineers capable of designing public spaces precisely while safeguarding the various vulnerabilities present in our society.

  Enrollment is now open for the course "Frontier Olive Growing and Other Alternative Herbaceous Crops in Non-Mediterranean Climate Areas", offered by the University of Pavia. The course, led by Professor Graziano Rossi, is designed to provide agricultural operators with a wide range of practical and theoretical skills related to the development of olive cultivation and herbaceous crops such as cereals and artichokes, which are particularly suited to the sub-mountainous areas of northern Italy. Through a combination of theoretical lessons, practical activities, and company visits, participants will acquire the skills and knowledge necessary to successfully cultivate olives and other herbaceous crops in the sub-mountainous areas of northern Italy, thereby contributing to the growth and sustainability of the agricultural sector.   The course is free and will take place from October 6, 2023, to June 30, 2024. Enrollment is open until September 10, 2024.   For further information, please consult the course information sheet.    

On Wednesday 26 June 2024, at the Como - S. Abbondio headquarters of the University of Insubria, the results of the initiative were presented: Innovation Camp for PhD students; a course dedicated to PhD students who, during the sessions, were able to discuss important topics such as entrepreneurship and innovation, the development of hard and soft skills as well as technological transfer and the economic exploitation of research results.   The initiative, which falls within the scope of the NODES project and the initiatives of the Teaching and Learning Center, is organized by Prof. Mauro Fasano (Rector's Delegate for Innovation and Technology Transfer), Prof. Alessia Pisoni and the Prof. Andrea Vezzulli, in collaboration with the Strategic Planning Office. During the course, interventions were also made by Prof. Ilaria Capelli, Dr. Andrea Bellucci and Dr. Chiara Ronchetti.   In recent months, the course participants have worked in teams in order to create, thanks to the knowledge acquired in the theoretical introductory lessons regarding the Lean Startup approach, a proposal for an innovative business idea which was presented in front of a jury of external experts which decreed the Best Innovative Project of 2024.   The members of the jury include: Dr. Elena Zaffaroni, head of the Incubation Area of ​​ComoNext Innovation Hub, Dr. Immacolata Tina, head of the Innovation and Digitalization operational unit of the Como - Lecco Chamber of Commerce, Dr. Luisa Minoli, head of the Research Area and Innovation of Confindustria Varese, Eng. Gabriele Del Pero, Innovation and Research Area of ​​Confindustria Como and Dr. Edoardo Braccio, Project Manager of Spoke 2 - Department of Management of the University of Turin.   The 2 teams of PhD students presented 2 projects: Cornexus and OphthaLink; two innovative Apps to be used in the health field.   After careful analysis, OphthaLink was found to be the Best Innovative Project of 2024.

Enrollment is now open for the course "Wine Tourism: Omnichannel Customer Experience," offered by the University of Turin. The course, led by Professor Anna Claudia Pellicelli from the Department of Management, aims to provide an in-depth understanding of positioning and communication dynamics in the wine sector, highlighting the crucial importance of these aspects in the context of the growing competition in the current market. By providing an overview of the most innovative trends, such as content marketing and social media marketing, the course aims to equip participants with the necessary tools to effectively engage consumers and build emotional connections with the brand. The course is intended for professionals aiming to develop marketing strategies that consider environmental changes, efficient resource management, and the integration of digital technologies to optimize the entire production process. It includes theoretical lessons and company testimonials, offering participants practical inspiration derived from the direct experience of industry enterprises.   The course is free and will take place from September 27 to October 9, 2024. Enrollment is open until September 2, 2024.   For further information, please consult the course information sheet.