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The Demo Day of ReAction - Acceleration Program by NODES ended with enthusiasm and great participation, confirming itself as a major event for the sustainable innovation ecosystem. The event, hosted on 21 February 2025 at the Duomo of OGR Torino, highlighted the innovative solutions of start-ups and scaleups committed to the ecological transition and circular economy.

At the A&T 2025 exhibition, held on 13 February at the Lingotto in Turin, researchers from UNITO's Spoke 2 NODES, in collaboration with CNA, the Confederazione Nazionale dell'Artigianato e della Piccola e Media Impresa, presented an innovative approach to the use of waste materials, demonstrating how research and business can converge for concrete and sustainable solutions.   The meeting of research, tradition and innovation During the talk, researchers Giovanna Antonella Dino, Francesca Gambino and Susanna Mancini from the Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, together with Elio Padoan from the Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie, Forestali e Alimentari, illustrated a project that aims to reuse waste materials from the mining and agricultural industries to create innovative and sustainable products. The meeting with Master Craftsman Nino Longhitano made it possible to combine academic expertise and craftsmanship, developing a product that is completely natural and free of chemical additives.   The importance of time and collaboration One of the most fascinating aspects of the project is the rediscovery of the value of time in research and production. As the researchers pointed out, in the modern industrial world, there is often a tendency to favour speed at the expense of quality and sustainability. However, collaboration with small and medium-sized enterprises has shown that it is possible to adopt sustainable processes, rediscovering traditional techniques in an innovative way. As Francesca Gambino stated, this project functioned as a true research and development laboratory for small businesses, demonstrating that the encounter between academia and craftsmanship can generate innovative and replicable solutions on a larger scale.   Towards a more sustainable future The speech concluded with a reflection on how the synergy between universities, businesses and institutions is fundamental for the transition towards a real and concrete circular economy model. Elio Padoan, an expert in organic waste and biomaterials, highlighted how there are tons of unused biodegradable materials in agriculture that could instead be reintroduced into production cycles with environmental and economic benefits. This project demonstrates once again that the future of sustainability lies in collaboration between research and business, bringing together different competencies to create responsible and lasting innovation.

Michelin & UniTo: The Challenge for a Sustainable Future Spoke 2 - Green Technologies and Sustainable Industries and UniTo present the third edition of the Students' Green Challenge, in collaboration with Michelin, the world leader in the tyres field.   The collection of applications is closed as the maximum number of applications has been reached.   To whom is it addressed? The challenge is open to anyone enrolled in a Bachelor's, Master's or single-cycle degree course at the University of Turin who wants to get involved and propose innovative solutions to reduce the water and energy impact of Michelin's production sites.   Michelin and the Challenge theme In the tyre manufacturing process, water vapour plays a key role in vulcanisation, an essential step in obtaining the final product. Currently, the condensation water produced by this process is not recovered, causing a significant loss of 125,000 cubic metres per year (equivalent to about 50 Olympic swimming pools!). This condense, generated at around 95°C, contains particles of oil, rubber and chemical components. Its recovery represents a great opportunity to improve efficiency and reduce environmental impact. The challenge: to find technical and economic solutions to treat and reuse the condensation water generated in the vulcanisation process. The goal is to contribute to the sustainability strategy of the process, with the aim of significantly reducing water consumption at Michelin's sites by 2030. Join us in redesigning the future of industrial sustainability! At the Challenge launch event on 27 March 2025, the Challenge will be explained to participants in detail by company representatives.   Prizes Students who participated in the challenge will receive a digital Open Badge, the official certification based on the BesTR platform. The badge certifies the soft skills and the value of the experience gained during the challenge.   Prizes for the winning team Participation with Michelin at SMAU (Milan, November 2025), the benchmark event for process engineering. The prize includes paid entry and access to industry seminars. Logistics will be organised with the support of Michelin. Duration: 1 full day.   Exclusive visit to the Michelin plant in Cuneo to discover the company's production processes up close. Duration: 8 hours.   Official Michelin gadget: each member of the winning team will receive a Michelin branded water bottle.   Plus prize for the deserving student An internship or thesis opportunity at Michelin for the student who stands out for their commitment and skills during the challenge. The most suitable academic paths are science and business degrees.   These prizes represent a concrete opportunity to delve deeper into the world of industrial sustainability and build a valuable experience for one's academic and professional career.   Instructions for application Applications must be submitted by 16 March 2025 via online form, subject to availability of places. It is possible to apply either individually or as a pre-formed team (minimum 3, maximum 5 participants). To apply as a team, each member must fill in the form and enter the name of the team in the ‘Notes’ section. Multidisciplinary teams are recommended, with expertise from different fields of study. The organisation reserves the right to change the composition of the teams, which will be officially defined during the kick-off event. The challenges take place entirely in Italian. Participation in the main events and the preparation of a final pitch are compulsory for all participants.   The collection of applications is closed as the maximum number of applications has been reached.   Programme Kick-off Day - 27 March 2025 Università degli Studi di Torino - Aula Magna Rettorato UNITO, Via Po 17, 10124 Torino TO Morning: presentation of the initiative and the actors involved Afternoon: team matchmaking and first session of group work Mentoring event - 3 April 2025 Università degli Studi di Torino - Campus Luigi Einaudi - Aula 3D136  (3° piano), Lungo Dora Siena 100, 10153 Torino TO Afternoon: mentoring sessions with industry experts to refine ideas and proposals. Final pitching and awards event - 16 April 2025 Environment park Torino - Aula Magna Rettorato UNITO, Via Po 17, 10124 Torino TO 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.   Find out more about the Students' Green Challenge Spoke 2 project and past editions: CLICK HERE

The Politecnico di Torino hosted the sixth stop of Round Grip - the Spoke 2 cycle of meetings - dedicated to innovative solutions for CO₂ reduction, recovery and valorisation. Entitled ‘Fixed for CO₂? How to get rid of it with GRIP technologies!’, the meeting brought together researchers, companies, students and institutions to explore the role of Carbon Capture, Use and Storage (CCUS) and GRIP technologies in industrial decarbonisation, the subject of GRIP's Research Module 5 (RM5).

On 13 February 2025, the Oval Lingotto Fiere in Turin will host the talk ‘SMEs and Universities: Collaboration, Research and Development’, an event that will feature researchers from NODES Spoke 2 together with experts from the Politecnico di Torino and representatives from the business world.

Students’ Green Challenge 2ª edizione: giovani talenti al servizio della mobilità sostenibile Immaginate una sala piena di studenti e studentesse di percorsi di laurea multidisciplinari, pronti a dare forma al futuro della sostenibilità. Questa è l’essenza della Students’ Green Challenge, giunta alla sua seconda edizione. Organizzata dallo Spoke 2 di NODES e dal suo Ateneo capofila Università degli studi di Torino (UniTo), in collaborazione con il CRF (Centro Ricerche Fiat) del Gruppo Stellantis, questa iniziativa ha riunito menti brillanti e idee audaci per affrontare una  sfida ambiziosa: ripensare i materiali utilizzati nella mobilità elettrica per renderli più sostenibili.  

On 21st November 2024, the beautiful Kyoto Room of the Environment Park in Turin hosted the 5th stage of the Round GRIP series of meetings, dedicated to the Circular Transformations of Mineral and Organic Waste. It was an afternoon full of speeches, comparisons and inspiring moments organised by Spoke 2 within the GRIP project, with the support of the research activities of Research Module 1 (RM1).

Spoke 2 attendance at the UniTO stand at Ecomondo 2024, from Tuesday 5th November to Friday 8th November, highlighted the strategic role of the Spoke in the green and digital transition. In the beautiful Rimini setting, the Spoke had the opportunity to present innovative projects, organise a highly relevant conference on Water Reuse in cooperation with UniTO and Butterfly Area, and create new #synergies.   Water Reuse conference: a focus on water reuse The conference ‘The reuse of treated wastewater: a tool to mitigate water scarcity and climate change’ explored concrete solutions to address one of the most critical global challenges. After the greetings of Full Professor of Organic Chemistry at the University of Turin Cristina Prandi, Prof. Alessandra Bianco Prevot illustrated UniTO's Water Reuse Platform, highlighting the importance of collaborative strategies to create virtuous supply chains. Among the topics discussed: European policies and opportunities: Roberta Maffettone (European Commission) presented a regulatory framework to incentivise sustainable practices. Solutions for sustainability: Errico Stravato (Sogesid SpA) and Daniel Novarino (SMAT) explored the potential of water reuse as a concrete response to climate change. Applied research: Innovative projects such as IRRISAFE, which optimises risk management in urban wastewater use, and WalNUT, which supports water recovery in agriculture, showed how research can turn problems into opportunities. Focus on industry and agriculture: SMARTWATER demonstrated how to integrate wastewater reuse in the textile industry, while talks such as that of Elena Anselmetti (Regione Piemonte) explored the reuse of wastewater in agriculture for innovative applications. The conference emphasised water reuse as a pillar of a circular economy, demonstrating that innovation and collaboration between universities, institutions and businesses are the key to tackling water scarcity and ensuring long-term sustainability.   The future Ecomondo was a unique opportunity to strengthen the link between Spoke and universities, businesses and other institutions, highlighting that only through collaboration can global challenges be addressed and a more sustainable future promoted. See you at Ecomondo 2025!

On 30 and 31 October, a delegation of 9 people from the following research centres Centro di Ricerca di Jülich, Aachen Technical University, Competence Center Bio4MatPro, Technical University of Hamburg, Institute for Technology and Innovation Management visiting thanks to the German Regional Agency AGIT visited Turin as part of the NODES ecosystem, at the premises of the Department of Biotechnology of the University of Turin. Thursday opened with institutional greetings and a presentation of the University of Turin's research ecosystem by the Full Professor of Organic Chemistry at the University of Turin Cristina Prandi. The floor was then passed to Tiziana Dell'Olmo, representative of the Piedmont Region, who presented a speech entitled: ‘Piedmont Region: strategies for technology transfer and innovation in the Bioeconomy field’.

On Thursday 24 October, in Potenza, at the Macchia Romana University Campus of the University of Basilicata, Spoke 2 - Green Technologies and Sustainable Industries and Spoke 4 - Digital and Sustainable Mountain organised with the partner University of Basilicata the event ‘Ideas and Projects of Innovation and Sustainability in Motion’. A day full of speeches, round tables, poster sessions and pitches by the winning companies of the NODES ‘Line A Mezzogiorno’ cascade calls, which illustrated the projects and the first results obtained so far. A meeting where new connections were made between the protagonists of change and innovation in the South!

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!!