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On 27 and 28 September, the Researchers Night brings knowledge. The event brings together researchers from local universities and allows people to discover new technologies and developments that will change our daily lives in the coming years. The European Researchers Night in Turin is again this year brought by UNIGHT - United citizens for research - and is organised by Università di Torino and Politecnico di Torino. Similar events were held in many European cities on the same dates. During the event, organised in the outdoor spaces of the Royal Museums of Torino, Spoke 1's research was also showcased, and the project staff exhibited its extensive research projects, the Flagship Projects, and the themes contained within them, to the general public. Attendees at the Night were able to discover the contribution of research on highly topical issues such as Sustainable Mobility, both in terms of electrification and the lesser-known green hydrogen, and on the New Space Economy, that sees great involvement form the private sector and isn't only the realm of government funded ventures. Researchers from Spoke 1 illustrated the technologies being studied and developed and how these will have an impact on everyday life, faster than we tend to think. The full program: Unight (unightproject.eu) Spoke 1 Flagship Projects : Spoke 1 - Flagship Projects | Nord Ovest Digitale e Sostenibile  

On September 26, 2024, at the National Institute of Ancient Drama in Syracuse, the University of Pavia organized the event “Responsible production and consumption from fields to tables”, as part of the initiatives of the G7 Agriculture. Coordinated by Carola Ricci, Aldo Piccone and Anna Facchinetti, the meeting attracted the interest of the public and industry professionals, generating numerous questions and constructive debates.   The event focused on crucial issues such as agricultural and food sustainability, presenting the intermediate results of the ONFOODS and NODES research projects, funded by the PNRR. Valentina Vaglia discussed solutions for climate mitigation in viticulture, while Nadia Bertolino presented her studies on water landscapes, arousing particular interest on the link between territory and water management.   Furthermore, Dr. Marco Acciai presented the SPIDAP project, developed by Agrigeos as part of the cascade calls for proposals of Spoke 6 "Linea Mezzogiorno". SPIDAP proposes an innovative system for monitoring and managing water resources for the agro-industry, with the aim of improving agricultural productivity by reducing water waste.   The meeting offered a platform for discussion between research, innovation and sustainability, receiving enthusiastic feedback from participants, with particular attention to practical applications for the future of sustainable agriculture.

The Metaverse enables new possibilities for remote monitoring and treatment of patients through the use of innovative devices such as Head-Mounted Display.    The 3D LAB of the Department of Management and Production Engineering at the Polytechnic of Torino and the Department of Human Anatomy of the University of Torino have developed a virtual reality (VR) Platform integrated into the Metaverse for remote monitoring of users' cognitive status. This technology aims to enable the evaluation of cognitive fucntions through immersive activities in real time.   The system collects test results, providing doctors with detailed information on users' cognitive abilities and highlighting any critical findings. This approach allows for remote cognitive assessments, reducing the need for face-to-face visits and offering a cost-effective option for continuous monitoring in order to achieve personalized and participatory medicine.  An experiment was conducted to validate the use of VR in non-pathological subjects. The 42 participants provided extremely positive feedback on the involvement and usability, and highlighted areas of improvement in kinetics that will be the focus of future research for use by patients. 

On the occasion of the G7 Agriculture meeting, which will take place in Syracuse from 21 to 29 September 2024, the University of Pavia is organising a side event accredited by the Ministry of Agriculture. The first event, titled “Responsible Production and Consumption from Farm to Table: Technology, Policies, Behaviour, and Education,” is part of the Divinazione EXPO24 initiatives.   The event, coordinated by Carola Ricci, Aldo Piccone, and Anna Facchinetti from the Department of Political and Social Sciences, will be held on 26 September, starting at 3:00 p.m., at the Istituto Nazionale Dramma Antico, Ortigia Island, Syracuse. During the meeting, scientific insights and best practices will be presented in relation to three areas on which the G7 Agriculture Ministers reached a common agreement at the Miyazaki summit in April 2023.   Additionally, the intermediate results of research projects conducted by the University of Pavia and its affiliated partners within the framework of two PNRR projects funded by the European Union will be presented: ONFOODS (Research and Innovation Network on Food and Nutrition Sustainability, Safety, and Security), Spoke 7, and NODES (North-West Digital and Sustainable), Spoke 6.   The event will be structured into three thematic modules: Environmental sustainability and innovation: tools for mitigating water stress in agriculture. Prevention and reduction of food waste: from field to table, in search of a common definition. Responsible production and consumption of food without discrimination: traditions, culture, and art in the service of vulnerable groups.   Among the speakers for Spoke 6 will be Valentina Vaglia, who will present results on climate mitigation and soil erosion in viticulture, and Nadia Bertolino, who will discuss her research on water landscapes.   The following day, 27 September, a second event will take place at 4:00 p.m. at the Teatro Comunale in Syracuse, also in connection with the G7. Several researchers from Spoke 6, including Carola Ricci, Claudia Meisina from the University of Pavia, and Paolo Sabbatini from the University of Turin, will present ongoing solutions to reduce the impact of climate change on the wine sector.   Proposals for revising the current regulatory framework, which were previously introduced at a conference in May in Pavia, will also be discussed, with a focus on potential guidelines for policymakers and the wine industry, in collaboration with FIVI (Italian Federation of Independent Winegrowers).

The Flaghsip Projects dedicated to Sustainable Mobility present their progress during Next Generation Mobility 2024 Next Generation Mobility is dedicated to the mobility supply chain and the meeting between innovation players, such as companies, start-ups, universities and institutions, which will be able to discuss innovation, business opportunities, compliance and reforms in the sector. Spoke 1 brought two Flagship Projects dedicated to mobility, which participated in the National Conference on Hydrogen and e-fuels and the conference on e-Mobility and bio-fuels.   During the second National Conference on Hydrogen and e-fuels, Professor Marzia Quaglio presented the H2Mobility project, on Green Hydrogen, one of the key energy carriers in the energy transition path, necessary for the progressive reduction of emissions in the coming decades, especially for heavier vehicles.

The Small and Medium Enterprise Management Advanced Course will begin in October. The schedule will be published shortly.   The Master will cover seven areas of specialization: 1. Organization and digitalization: management of online meetings, smart working and staff motivation, use of big data for SMEs, cyber security and cloud working. 2. Strategy and marketing: business strategies for SMEs, customer segmentation and targeting, operational marketing, social media marketing and dynamic pricing. 3. Performance management: financial statements, cost analysis, ratio analysis for economic evaluations and management of company performance. 4. Management and finance: exchange rates and financial investments in goods, lobbying and advocacy, green public procurement and new procurement code, blockchain and cryptocurrencies. 5. Law, tax and business: new institutions of labor law in a European perspective, discipline of the logistics contract, legal profiles of financing SMEs, tax relief and incentives for SMEs. 6. Sustainability and competitiveness: sustainability for business competitiveness, measurement of the ecological footprint, reporting, indicators and certification of sustainability. 7. Scenario analysis: green and digital economy, geography of energy resources, new global political balances, extra-European markets for SMEs, nationalisms, ideologies and globalization.   Discover the program on University of Valle d'Aosta website.    

On September 17th,2024, the event ''Showcase of NODES' project: Pitch & Poster Session'' took place at the Bioindustry Park Silvano Fumero SpA, a day that represented a real springboard for innovation and strategic synergies.   Organized in collaboration with BioPmed, partner of Spoke 5, the event highlighted the Proof of Concept (PoC) developed through the NODES project's cascade calls.    The event was a unique showcase for grant recipients, providing a platform for sharing both industrial and academic Proof of Concept (PoC).   During the Pitch Session dedicated to industrial PoC, partecipants presented progress made in their projects, highlighting the technological innovation achieved with the support of the NODES project. Each presentation demonstrated how collaboration between the industrial and academic sectors can lead to concrete market solutions, as well as the potential transformative impact on crucial sectors, from biomedicine to advanced biotechnology.    In parallel, the Poster Session gave space to accademic PoC. researchers from universities and research centers presented their results through posters, attracting great interest and attention from visitors. This section showed the value of academic research in developing new technologies and practical applications to build future centered around sustainable innovation.    The event achieved its main objectives: promoting innovation, facilitating the creation of new collaborations, and expanding the network among companies, universities, and healthcare institutions. The participant of key stakeholders contributed to fostering strategic synergies, providing opportunities for growth and innovation in the biotechnology field.  With strong attendance and dynamic interactions, the meeting reaffirmed the crucial role of NODES in supporting the development of cutting-edge technologies and facilitating connections between the industrial and academic worlds. 

  On Monday 16 September, at the University of Insubria, leader of Spoke 3, a workshop entitled: "The European Regulation no. 2023/2411 relating to the protection of geographical indications for artisanal and industrial products" was held. On 27 October 2023, "Regulation (EU) 2023/2411 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 October 2023 on the protection of geographical indications for artisanal and industrial products and amending the regulations" was published in the Official Journal of the European Union. (EU) 2017/1001 and (EU) 2019/1753” (“Regulation”) which introduces for the first time, for artisanal and industrial products with certain characteristics, a uniform protection system in all Member States. The introduction of ad hoc forms of protection for artisanal/industrial excellence has been under consideration by the Commission for many years, so much so that the first public consultations took place as early as 2013. The purpose of the GIs is to guarantee greater legal certainty in protection of excellent artisanal and industrial products, with benefits for consumers and micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (“MSMEs”).  During the afternoon, the workshop participants learned about the new discipline which aims to encourage quality production, strengthening competitiveness between companies, offering consumers more effective means to verify the authenticity of products, with a virtuous impact on 'employment. Among the purposes of the legislation there is also that of enhancing the cultural heritage, productive and commercial traditions, increasing tourism and generating new jobs. The public, made up of representatives of industrial associations, local authorities and businesses, was informed about the potential of the Regulation and during a round table was able to ask questions and observations to a group of professionals specialized in the topic.  

On 10 July 2024, Carola Ricci and Aldo Piccone from the University of Pavia (Department of Social and Political Sciences) participated in the Annual Conference of the International Society of Public Law (ICON•S), held at IE University in Madrid (8-10 July). The researchers proposed a dedicated panel on "Sustainable and Responsible Production and Consumption of Food: Redefining Its Multiple Dimensions," which was selected by the scientific committee. The panel, chaired by Prof. Ricci, aimed to present the interim results of the research conducted with Anna Facchinetti and Andrea Iurato, both senior researchers at the University of Pavia working within another Next Generation EU-funded project, OnFoods ("Research and Innovation Network on Food and Nutrition Sustainability, Safety and Security – ON Foods"). Following Prof. Ricci's introduction on the definition of the right to "adequate" food in international law and its multiple dimensions, focusing on the interrelation of its quantitative and qualitative components, including both material and immaterial elements (such as religious, ethical, and cultural constituents), Anna Facchinetti discussed the case study of indigenous peoples' rights. The value of food once discarded from (or falling out of) the food chain was subsequently analysed by Andrea Iurato, addressing the issues posed by the lack of a uniform definition of food waste in (re)defining EU food waste prevention policies. To complete this framework, the value of food as a universal immaterial heritage protected under the UNESCO Conventions regime was addressed by Aldo Piccone. The three-day conference provided the team with the opportunity not only to share the interim research results but also to expand their network of interested stakeholders, including researchers and institutions (both private and public), presenting the NODES project to a global audience.

The NODES project was presented to President Mattarella during a visit to the University of Valle d'Aosta On the morning of Saturday, September 7th, the President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella, visited the new campus of the University of Valle d’Aosta.   During the visit, the NODES project (which has received funding from the MUR – M4C2 1.5 of PNRR funded by the European Union - NextGenerationEU) was presented to him, with a detailed description of the objectives, the seven universities of the Northwest leading it, and the network of collaborations involving both the local ecosystem and the South of Italy. The main themes and activities related to the project were also illustrated.   Professor Marco Alderighi, scientific director and project manager for the University of Valle d’Aosta, highlighted the resources allocated to businesses within the ecosystem and the research activities carried out in the flagship projects in which the University is directly involved: as leader in Spoke 4 – Digital and Sustainable Mountain, and as associate in Spoke 3 – Tourism and Cultural Industry.   Subsequently, during a meeting with the university community, President Mattarella reiterated the importance of mountain territories and the European democracy, stating: “Mountains do not divide, but unite. These meetings, lived together and not in opposition, benefit everyone and lead to growth. This is, after all, the essence of life in Valle d’Aosta. This is the essence of European democracy.”   Professor Alderighi then commented: “The interest that President Mattarella has shown in the NODES ecosystem rewards the professors and technical-administrative staff of this University for their dedication and for the results already achieved, with about two-thirds of the project completed. Together with the other NODES partners, we are making the best use of the resources provided by the European Union for the dual ecological and digital transition.”

Water is an increasingly precious resource and the issue of the water crisis is complex because it requires expertise from different disciplines. Climate change, population growth, groundwater pollution and water resource management require a multidisciplinary and global approach in order to fully address and understand the problem.   The course, co-ordinated by the University of Turin in collaboration with Butterfly Area, offers an articulated training course with international experts and professors from renowned European universities.   The frontal lectures are complemented by round table discussions and a poster session where participants can contribute on the topic of water management, water scarcity and water reuse.   The main objective is to provide participants with an overview of new perspectives and solutions to future challenges in this field.   The collaboration with Butterfly Area Butterfly Area is a strategic project of the University of Turin within the innovative ‘City of Science and Environment’ Campus in the city of Grugliasco, in the Turin metropolitan area. It is an emerging ecosystem where companies, research organisations and institutions can collaborate closely with researchers and students, create shared laboratories, use experimental facilities and access the University's research equipment.   For more information about the school: Click here

The company IngeniArs S.r.l. has been delivered the devices to the TINCARE researchers for use in the INTERCOACH study, which will assess the feasibility of a nurse-managed telemonitoring intervention for patients discharged from the hospital after heart failure.  The TINCARE researchers have completed their training to use the remote telemonitoring platform and they are ready to begin recruiting the first patients. The INTERCOACH study will officially start in the coming weeks.     The telemonitoring platform allows the nurse to remotely monitor the patient's vital signs, as well as to send them questionnaires or initiate a telehealth conditions require it.  The patient will receive a smartphone connected to devices that allow the detection of weight, blood pressure, heart rate and oxygen saturation.  On the scheduled day and time, the patient will receive an audible signal that will remind him to proceed with the detection of the required parameters. The nurse and clinicians from the Maggiore della Carità University Hospital in Novara who have discharged the patient, will be able to access the platform and monitor the individual's health status, allowing for prompt intervention if necessary.   The patient may interact with the nurse asking for device or clarification about positive lifestyles and behaviors to prevent relapse of disease. 

Enrolment is now open for the course "Digital and Sustainable Strategies in the Primary Agro-Industry," offered by the University of Turin.   The course explores competitive strategies that enable companies to stand out in the market and their practical implementation, including the efficient allocation of resources and the alignment of business activities with defined strategic objectives. By integrating business testimonies and practical case studies, the course offers participants the opportunity to apply theoretical knowledge to real and current situations in the sector.   The course is free of charge and will run from 18 October to 30 November, with a total duration of 50 hours.   Enrolment is open until 20 September 2024.   For more information, you can consult the course details or write to: corsodigital@unito.it