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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 Vice-Rector 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 Vice-Rector for Research 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!!

NODES Spoke 2 - Green technologies and sustainable industries will participate in the Biocat4Value - Biocatalysis Conference for Biological Transformation along Renewable Value Chains. Organised by the European Federation of Biotechnology (EFB) Biocatalysis Division, the event will be held from 18 to 20 November 2024 in Düsseldorf, Germany.

On 19 June 2024 in Turin, Spoke 2 launched a new challenge to explore the topic of Industrial Symbiosis by asking for help from experts from various disciplines and the narration of the experience of some participating companies.

We imagined for a long time what it would be like to be in a room full of young innovators, ready to revolutionise the way we tackle environmental challenges. Nothing, however, had prepared us for the spirit that animated the 1st edition of the Spoke 2 Green Challenge. Four multidisciplinary teams of students from the University of Turin tackled the challenge launched by Edison Next Environment: how to sustainably reuse a piece of land after heavy metal remediation.

It is with great satisfaction that the delegation of Spoke 2 - Green Technologies and Sustainable Industry concludes its participation in the prestigious Ecomondo fair, hosted by the stand of the University of Turin. Ecomondo 2023 was a unique opportunity to network with companies in the Green world and to present the NODES - Northwest Digital And Sustainable Innovation Ecosystem. We could have talked with the more than 1,500 exhibiting brands, or the 300 buyers, or even more importantly with the delegates from the 280 nations represented... but we confess we couldn't make it ;-) Nevertheless, we walked many steps, to visit the other booths and shake hands and tell our stories of innovation, education and technologies. Spoke 2 also had a chance to get noticed thanks to the participation of Proplast, a Spoke partner innovation hub, which presented a poster during the session "Towards a national program for industrial symbiosis: perspectives and opportunities for Italy." The poster, available in the attachments, provides a detailed overview of NODES and the specific activities of Spoke 2. During the event, we had the pleasure of congratulating in person the company IRIS s.r.l., winner of the NODES Line A grant. IRIS s.r.l.'s presence at the fair not only helped strengthen the reputation of Spoke 2, but also led to a well-deserved recognition. IRIS s.r.l. was honored by the Foundation for Sustainable Development as one of the top ten companies in the field of circular water management. These kinds of tangible successes demonstrate the effectiveness of the synergies generated within this innovation ecosystem.

DataWaste is the innovative project realised by Dr. Silvia Fraterrigo Garofalo, researcher of the Research Module 5 of Spoke 2 - Green technologies and sustainable industry, on the occasion of Giovedì Scienza, an important science dissemination event in the Turin area. This project was created to be a concrete and integral solution to tackle the problem of food waste through the process of Industrial Symbiosis, the research theme of Spoke 2, enhancing synergies between companies and promoting a circular economy.