News

Theme of the exchange: the links between food production and environmental and social sustainability The Appl[e]ause project lands overseas. Researchers Raffaele Passaro and Cristian Campagnaro of Spoke 7, referents of the Polito Food Design Lab of the Polytechnic of Turin were guests of the Camara de Comercio de Bogotà and CAINCO of Santa Cruz de la Sierra. The initiative was part of the triangular cooperation project Adelante 2.   The visit was an opportunity to focus on the exchange of good circular practices carried out by companies in the three countries and supported by the relevant Chambers of Commerce: it was possible to present the Appl[e]ause research at the UPSA - Universidad Privada de Santa Cruz de la Sierra - and the Camara Gastronomica of CAINCO.   Two distinct moments – within the CAINCO greenweek – designed to disseminate research, as a good practice, for the valorization of by-products of fruit processing and establish a dialogue aimed at stimulating discussion on the topic of environmental sustainability and social of food production processes.   Pics by: Doriana Dal Palù, Osvaldo Daniel Gutierrez Sumoya

The activities, in the framework of Unight and Sharper Night, involved a varied audience between Pavia and Cuneo Bringing research outside the University and bringing it closer to the community is the goal of the Reseacher's Night, an event of dissemination that has been a cornerstone of university activities for many years.   The researchers of Spoke 7 took part in the event in Pavia, the Sharper Night, where the research group of the Food Education and Sports Nutrition Laboratory of the University of Pavia proposed numerous initiatives for a wide audience.   The play activities for girls and boys presented on September 27 were created to explore the theme of seasonality and the food pyramid. Similarly, through a game, you could discover the good and bad habits linked to lifestyle.   For the adult audience, instead, presentations were proposed on various topics: from how to debunk fake news, to reading nutritional labels, up to discovering nutritional strategies to organize meals of everyday life but also out of the home.   At the Unight of Cuneo instead it was the turn of an interactive lesson for High Schools. Here, Professor Milena Viassone of the University of Turin, spoke about "How to build a business strategy: examples from the food and beverage sector" .   "Understanding cultural differences and health awareness in food choices: a theoretical model" was instead the theme chosen for a meeting with citizens, a presentation in which the speaker wanted to explain how culture and health awareness can influence the lifestyles of consumers, also determining responsible food purchases.

Spoke 2 - Green technologies and sustainable industries and UniTo present the second Students' Green Challenge with CRF (Centro Ricerche Fiat) - the innovation provider of the Stellantis Group. Registration closed on 04 November 2024.     Who is it addressed to? The challenge is open to all those enrolled in Bachelor's, Master's, Combined Bachelor and Master's degree courses at the University of Torino who want to get involved and propose their own innovative solution to the company.   Stellantis and the challenge theme CRF (Centro Ricerche Fiat) is the innovation provider of the Stellantis Group, one of the world's leading car manufacturers aiming to offer freedom of movement through sustainable mobility solutions. With a portfolio of 14 brands, Stellantis is committed to reducing CO2 emissions by 50 per cent by 2030 and reaching the net zero target by 2038. Such a challenging target requires the management of every phase of a vehicle's life: optimised management of raw materials, transformation and production processes and end-of-life recovery. To address these challenges, CRF Sustainable Raw Materials launches a challenge to the students of UniTo. The objective is to develop new proposals for the use of green materials (recycled, bio-based, recyclable) in BEVs (Battery Electric Vehicles). In particular, the challenge focuses on: evolution of BEVs by increasing the use of green materials (target of 35% by weight of green polymers and 50% recycled metals by 2038, from the current 12% green polymers and 35% metals); definition of supply chain archetypes that support the use of such materials; challenges to be addressed to achieve decarbonisation targets. Teams are invited to propose innovative solutions for the entire supply chain, from supplier to material recovery, including vehicle redesign scenarios to reduce CO2 eq emissions. Proposals must be concrete, feasible and focused on sustainability.   Join us in this challenge to redesign the future of sustainable mobility! At the Challenge launch event on 21 November 2024, the Challenge will be explained to participants in detail by company representatives.   Instructions for application LApplications must be submitted on the form by 4 November 2024, and subject to availability (30 places).   It is possible to apply either individually or as established teams of a minimum of 3 and a maximum of 5 participants. If you apply as a team, you must indicate the name of the team in the ‘Notes’ section of the form, which must be completed by all members, penalty of exclusion from the initiative. Multidisciplinary teams, with members from different courses of study, are strongly recommended. The organisation reserves the right to modify and/or supplement the composition of the teams, which will be officially defined during the launch event on 21 November 2024, following the matchmaking session. The challenges are conducted entirely in Italian and participation in the programme's main events, as well as the preparation of a final pitch to present to the company, is compulsory for all participants. Programme Kick-off event on 21 November 2024 Palazzo Badini - Sala Lauree, ground floor, University of Turin Morning: presentation of the initiative and the actors involved Afternoon: team matchmaking and first work session Mentoring event on 28 November 2024 Room 3D136 - 3rd floor - Campus Luigi Einaudi, University of Turin Afternoon: during the event, teams will be able to benefit from the presence of mentors to ask for support and opinions on the idea, pitch and innovative proposal. Final pitching and awards event on 12 December 2024 Palazzo Badini - Sala Lauree, ground floor, University of Turin Afternoon: all teams will present their solution with a pitch to an evaluation committee composed of representatives of the organising bodies with a final award ceremony. More details and information on the programme of events will be provided in the coming days.

On 27th and 28th September 2024, Researchers' Night, the annual event dedicated to promoting science and research, took place across Europe. Once again this year, Spoke 2 researchers from the NODES ecosystem took an active part in the editions organised in the cities of Turin, Pavia and Busto Arsizio, with numerous initiatives to bring the public closer to the themes of sustainability, recycling and technologies.   Friday 27th September Torino - UNIGHT: “Da rifiuto a risorsa: i rifiuti minerali come alternativa sostenibile all'estrazione di materie prime vergini” (‘From waste to resource: mineral waste as a sustainable alternative to virgin raw material extraction’) At the Royal Museums of Turin, the Department of Earth Sciences of the University of Turin presented a series of research focused on the recovery and reuse of mineral waste. The researchers illustrated the advantages of reusing waste such as rubble, excavated earth and ceramic materials, proposing innovative solutions for the production of technosols, circular mortars and other resources useful for industrial development. Busto Arsizio - “Alla scoperta del progetto NODES: Nord Ovest Digitale e Sostenibile” ('Discovering the NODES project:Nord Ovest Digitale e Sostenibile') In the Garden of Villa Manara in Busto Arsizio, researchers from the Department of Science and High Technology of Insubria University presented the activities of NODES Spoke 2. Through a hands-on activity, participants had the opportunity to learn the meaning of recycling codes and experience the recycling and reuse of waste materials in an interactive way. Pavia - Sharper Night: “La valorizzazione di scarti caseari attraverso la biologia sintetica” (‘The valorisation of dairy waste through synthetic biology’) In Pavia, in the University's central building, the Department of Industrial and Information Engineering presented innovative research into the fermentation of dairy waste. The aim of the experiment was to show how these waste materials can be used to produce high-energy molecules, thus contributing to the reduction of waste in the food industry. Pavia - Sharper Night: “Gli enzimi, protagonisti della quotidianità” (‘Enzymes, protagonists of everyday life’) Also in Pavia, the Departments of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Biology and Biotechnology ‘Lazzaro Spallanzani’ illustrated the crucial role of enzymes in everyday life. Using practical examples, the researchers explained how these proteins have been used for centuries in fermentation processes and how they are now used in a wide range of industrial applications, from the food industry to pharmaceuticals, biofuels and detergents. Pavia - Sharper Night: “WakeUP: dagli oli di scarto alle bioplastiche” (‘WakeUP: from waste oil to bioplastics’) Finally, also in Pavia, the Department of Chemistry presented WAKEUP, a prototype developed within the NODES project, which aims to transform waste oils into bioplastics and materials for water purification, demonstrating how academic research can have a direct impact on environmental sustainability. Saturday 28th September Torino - UNIGHT: “Mi rifiuto! ...di fare rifiuto” ('I refuse! ...to do waste!’) On Saturday in Turin, at the Royal Museums, the Politecnico di Torino presented an interactive event to explain to the public how apparently unusable materials, such as paper, plastic, glass and biomass, can be transformed into resources through the use of advanced technologies. This initiative highlighted how recycling and reuse are key tools for reducing environmental impact. Torino - UNIGHT: “Indovina quanta! L'acqua che usi ma non vedi" (‘Guess how much! The water you use but don't see') In the afternoon, another event by the Politecnico di Torino explored the concept of virtual water, i.e. the amount of water used in the production of consumer goods such as clothes. Participants were able to discover how much water is needed to produce a simple T-shirt and how hidden water consumption can be reduced through conscious choices.   The participation of Spoke 2 of the NODES project in the Researchers' Night 2024 was an important opportunity to bring the public closer to research and the challenges of sustainability, recycling and technological innovation.   A huge thank you to all the Spoke 2 researchers who helped bring research closer to young and old in the various cities and make this event, once again, a great success for universities and civil society. Until next year!!