Federico Rosei, Professor of Industrial Chemistry at the Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences of the University of Trieste, has been appointed Full Member of the Italian Academy of Engineering and Technology (ITATEC), an institution that brings together outstanding figures in the fields of engineering, technology and applied sciences.

Founded in 2022 with the support of the Lincean Academy and currently in the process of official recognition, the Italian Academy of Engineering and Technology aims to promote technical and scientific culture at both national and international level.

ITATEC currently has 122 members, including founding members, full members (appointed on the basis of outstanding scientific merit), junior members (researchers under 40) and councillors (from companies, organisations and institutions operating in relevant sectors). Among its key objectives are the exchange of knowledge between universities, research bodies and industry, the development of shared positions on strategic issues, the provision of advice to public and private decision-makers, and the representation of the Italian technical-scientific community at European level.

The Academy also aspires to serve as Italy’s official representative within the European Council of Applied Sciences, Technologies and Engineering (Euro-CASE), an organisation that brings together national academies from 23 European countries and provides high-level scientific and technological advice to European institutions, governments, businesses and organisations.

Professor Rosei adds his membership of ITATEC to a distinguished list of affiliations with international academies and scientific societies, including the Royal Flemish Academy of Belgium for Science and the Materials Research Society, as well as honours awarded by the Canadian Association of Physicists, the American Vacuum Society and the International Conference on Nanoenergy and Nanosystems.

This morning saw the presentation of the progress of the restoration works on Villa Sevastopulo – also known as the "Castelletto di Monte Valerio" – located within the university grounds of the University of Trieste. The event was attended by Roberto Di Lenarda, Rector of the University of Trieste, and Massimo Paniccia, President of Fondazione CRTrieste. They were joined by Paco Ferrante, Director of Works.

The restoration, which began in 2023 and is scheduled for completion by spring 2026, involves the conservative rehabilitation of the building, the upgrading of facilities to current regulations, and the restoration of its decorative and historical features. The project goes beyond conservation, representing a significant opportunity to enhance the cultural and educational value of one of Trieste’s architectural treasures. Each element recovered, each fresco brought back to light, reopens a page of history to be shared with future generations.

Closed since 2010, Villa Sevastopulo’s restoration also strengthens the long-standing collaboration between the University and the Foundation, already active in scientific, medical and technological fields. This partnership once again demonstrates how institutional cooperation can generate cultural, social and educational value for the wider community.

The presentation also served as a reflection on the deep relationship between the Foundation and the University in view of the upcoming handover of leadership on 1st August from Roberto Di Lenarda (Rector since 2019) to Donata Vianelli, elected as the University’s first female Rector in May. Between 2019 and 2025, resources totalling €11,649,746.00 have been made available.

Fondazione CRTrieste remains strongly committed to supporting projects in the arts and cultural heritage sector, in the belief that preserving historical memory enriches the territory and strengthens its collective identity. It is within this framework that the Foundation has contributed €800,000 towards the restoration of Villa Sevastopulo, in addition to the building’s total project budget of €5,000,000.

Project Details: “Castelletto” Restoration

The full restoration plan includes structural rehabilitation, asbestos removal, installation of accessibility features, fire safety upgrades, and the integration of new service and technical systems.

The specific restoration works focus on the ground and first floors, targeting original ceilings, frescoed and painted walls, wood and mosaic flooring, and original stone slabs. Historical windows and external decorative finishes will also be carefully restored.

Villa Sevastopulo: A Historic Residence

Villa Sevastopulo was built in 1862 to designs by architect Feliciano Vittori. It is a prime example of the eclectic neo-Gothic style that flourished in late 19th-century Europe, especially among the emerging bourgeoisie seeking to express their status through architecture reminiscent of medieval nobility, yet equipped with the comforts of modern life.

Originally the private residence of industrialist and patriot Angelo Valerio, the villa spans five levels with a total floor area of approximately 550 square metres. Its asymmetrical layout features battlements, octagonal towers, turrets, buttresses, rounded arch windows and sharp corners – a dynamic, jagged composition with strong Lombard-Venetian Gothic influences.

The interiors are richly decorated. The main floor includes a frescoed salon featuring painted panoramic views of Trieste and Monte Valerio, reflecting the romantic taste for landscape and historical memory.

Acquired in 1962 by the University of Trieste, the villa subsequently housed the Biological Institutes of the Faculties of Science and Pharmacy.

Statements

“The restored Castelletto will be returned to our university in all its original splendour, highlighting both its history and its potential for future use,” said Rector Roberto Di Lenarda. “Thanks to the invaluable support of Fondazione CRTrieste – a testament to UniTS’s strong ties with the local area – the Piazzale Europa campus will once again host a true gem, one in which not only our university community, but the entire city, can take pride.”

“The Foundation is proud to contribute to the revival of a place so steeped in history and beauty,” commented Massimo Paniccia, President of Fondazione CRTrieste. “This is not merely a restoration, but an investment in knowledge, culture and the education of future generations. Our collaboration with the University of Trieste demonstrates how institutional synergy can generate meaningful value for the community.”

The Société Chimique de France has announced that Sabrina Pricl, Professor of Chemical Engineering at the University of Trieste, has been awarded the 2025 French-Italian “Stanislao Cannizzaro – Jacques Arnaudon Chemistry Lectureship Award”, in recognition of her scientific achievements in molecular biochemistry, at the interface between experimental and computational chemistry, and her strong ties with the French chemical community.

The prize is jointly awarded by the Société Chimique de France - a prestigious scientific institution founded in 1857 - and the Italian Chemical Society, as part of a bilateral agreement renewed last May in Paris. Its aim is to annually honor an outstanding Italian or French scientist who has distinguished themselves in the field of chemical research. The award is traditionally followed by a lecture tour in both France and Italy, with the winner serving as keynote speaker.

Sabrina Pricl is the scientific director of the Laboratory of Molecular Biology and Nanotechnology (MolBNL@UniTS) at the University of Trieste, where she leads interdisciplinary research projects in nanomedicine funded by national and international public and private institutions. Her work focuses on integrating experimental techniques and supercomputing to study protein–protein interactions in cancer therapies, and on developing advanced nanosystems for targeted delivery of drugs, proteins, and nucleic acids.

Author of over 200 peer-reviewed scientific publications and an active promoter of technology transfer and science outreach, Professor Pricl was awarded the title of Eminent Scientist by the University of Łódź (Poland) in 2020.

The official award ceremony will take place in June 2026 during the national congress of the Société Chimique de France in Bordeaux.

The seventh edition of the SuMoth Challenge has recently come to a close on the waters of Lake Garda. Hosted by the Fraglia Vela Malcesine, the international competition brought together the world’s top university teams in the fields of naval engineering, design and sustainable development of next-generation foiling boats.

Taking centre stage this year was the Audace Sailing Team from the University of Trieste, competing with two boats: the new prototype BAI – Flax Bandit, helmed by Leonardo Centuori, and the updated BAI – Flying Lina, sailed by Zeno Tarlao. Both are the result of intensive work over the past year, with the design phase starting in October 2024 and construction beginning in February.

On the water, the UniTS team stood out for its exceptional performance, winning every race and receiving the award for the most high-performing boat in the competition. In the overall rankings, the Audace Sailing Team secured second place, finishing just behind the team from Politecnico di Milano, whose prototype featured more refined finishes but was less advanced from a fluid dynamics perspective.

This result is a major motivational boost for the entire team, who now look ahead confidently to the development of their next vessel. The BAI – Flax Bandit project will be retained as the foundation for future work, with a focus on improving construction techniques and optimising key design elements, particularly the hull structure and foil profile.

Confirming the team’s technical excellence, the project received extremely positive feedback from leading companies in the nautical sector, who praised both the engineering quality and the originality of the design solutions. This recognition further strengthens the team’s resolve to continue developing with enthusiasm in the next phase of the project.

From 7th to 11th July, the University of Trieste will become an international hub of ideas, languages and cultures. For the first time, the University will host two initiatives promoted as part of the Transform4Europe (T4EU) University Alliance: the First Festival of European Culture and Languages – Tourism and Heritage from the Border and the First T4EU Sustainable Heritage Student Competition.

Two distinct yet complementary events, both centred around sustainable tourism, cultural heritage and environmental memory. The week will bring together students from all the T4EU partner universities for a programme of workshops, urban explorations, seminars and collaborative projects.

The Festival – conceived as a Blended Intensive Programme – offers a critical and participatory exploration of cultural tourism in border regions, through dynamic lectures, performances, workshops and unconventional itineraries that rediscover the city and its many historical and linguistic layers.

The Competition, organised in collaboration with the stakeholder GLAM “Museo della Bora” and the Innovators Community Lab, focuses on the relationship between cultural heritage, the environment and generational awareness. Participants will work in teams to design new visions of environmental heritage, fostering dialogue between local experience and global challenges.

A truly European week that also includes five events open to the public, held in English and free of charge, where the city becomes a classroom, a space for exchange and a bridge between disciplines, experiences and generations. An invitation to look with new eyes at what surrounds us – both within and beyond borders.

📎 Full Festival Programme 
📎 Full Competition Programme

The eleventh edition of the Summer Learning Modules, the orientation initiative promoted by the University of Trieste for students in their third and fourth year of high school, officially opened today.

Topics explored in this first session’s 17 modules range from mental health to the design of human-centred spaces, from analysing the world through a gender lens to uncovering engineering transformations, from the mysteries of matrix calculus to biomedical analysis, and from global economic forecasts to the shaping of biographical and autobiographical narratives.

The Summer Learning Modules offer high school students an immersive experience of academic life, helping them explore their interests and make a more informed choice about their future university studies. Participation may also be recognised as PCTO (transversal skills and orientation activities) by students’ home schools.

Following last year’s success, the initiative has once again attracted a large number of students, with 700 taking part, and continues to attract students from beyond the regional borders. Participants come not only from Friuli Venezia Giulia but also from Veneto (Treviso, Venice, Belluno), Lombardy (Milan, Bergamo), Emilia-Romagna (Bologna), Tuscany (Florence, Grosseto), and from further afield, such as Puglia (Bari) and Calabria (Cosenza, Crotone, Reggio Calabria). There are also a number of international attendees.

The Summer Learning Modules will continue throughout the week. A second session is scheduled for September, before the start of the school year.

As part of UniTS’s summer orientation programme, prospective students can also take part in guided tours of Piazzale Europa Campus led by student tutors. These tours offer a valuable opportunity to gather information and explore the university's setting, spaces and facilities. To take part in a guided tour, booking in advance is required.

The University of Trieste has awarded an Honorary Master’s Degree in Naval Engineering to Pierroberto Folgiero, Chief Executive Officer and General Manager of Fincantieri.

The official citation reads:
 “For the industrial and strategic vision with which he has led the evolution of shipbuilding – both underwater and surface – towards a model of technological, digital and sustainable excellence, driving major innovations in the fields of energy transition, systems integration and artificial intelligence, and fostering forward-looking synergies between research, industry and education.”

The ceremony opened with a welcome address by the Rector of the University of Trieste, Roberto Di Lenarda, followed by the reading of the citation by Paolo Gallina, Director of the Department of Engineering and Architecture. The Laudatio was delivered by Alberto Marinò, Professor of Ship Structures and Systems.

Pierroberto Folgiero’s Lectio Magistralis was entitled “Shipyard-Ready Innovation”.

The honorary degree was conferred in recognition of Mr Folgiero’s exceptional professional achievements, values and expertise. Throughout his career, he has played a key role in some of the most strategic sectors of the Italian economy: energy, telecommunications, transport and heavy industry.

At every stage, his broad vision has not only responded to change, but often anticipated it.

PROFILE: PIERROBERTO FOLGIERO

Pierroberto Folgiero has held senior leadership roles in international industrial and service groups for over 25 years, with a focus on strategy and business development. Between 2000 and 2008, during his time at Wind, he contributed to the development of fixed and mobile telecommunications infrastructure in Italy and abroad, and helped define a Tower Company model that later became an industry benchmark.

He went on to work at Tirrenia di Navigazione, where he supported the restructuring and privatisation of the company, contributing to the liberalisation of Italy’s cabotage sector.

In 2010 he joined the Maire Tecnimont Group, becoming CEO and General Manager in 2013. Over a decade, he promoted Italian industrial excellence worldwide, revitalising a historic listed company in the chemical sector, the successor to Montecatini-Montedison, and transforming it into a global leader in energy transition, hydrogen and the circular economy.

In 2022, he was appointed CEO and General Manager of Fincantieri, a global leader in high-tech shipbuilding with 20,000 direct employees and 18 shipyards across four continents. He embarked on a transformation strategy centred on adapting the business to the macrotrends of the digital, green and demographic revolutions, while exploring promising adjacent sectors such as underwater technologies.

A firm believer in open innovation and cross-sector collaboration, he is actively involved in start-up analysis and selection programmes, with a strong focus on the development of innovative ideas, new business models and the promotion of young talent.

A full immersion in business culture and industrial innovation: the students of the Innovators Community Lab (ICLab) at the University of Trieste took centre stage in a study visit to the headquarters of the Marcegaglia Group in Gazoldo degli Ippoliti (Mantua).

The group was welcomed by Emma Marcegaglia, Chair & CEO of Marcegaglia Holding and former President of Confindustria (2008–2012), and Antonio Marcegaglia, President & CEO of Marcegaglia Steel, who shared the story of a family business that has grown into one of Europe’s leading industrial groups in the steel sector.

During the visit, the ICLab students had the opportunity to engage directly with the company’s top executives on key issues such as business model transformation, relationships with suppliers and investors, crisis management, and the environmental and economic sustainability of green projects.

One of the most memorable moments was the visit to Casa Marcegaglia, the company museum inaugurated in 2023 and dedicated to the history, values and vision of the Marcegaglia entrepreneurial family. A striking digital installation gives voice to Steno Marcegaglia, the company’s founder, who recounts his humble beginnings and rise in the industrial world.

The museum offered UniTS students an immersive experience where art and industrial heritage blend with the idea of enterprise as a common good, in a narrative that uses technology to interweave identity, memory and social responsibility.

The visit concluded with a tour of the historic plant in Gazoldo degli Ippoliti, which today employs more than 1,700 people and remains a strong symbol of the Group’s deep local roots.

The initiative forms part of the training programme of the Innovators Community Lab, which in this edition has expanded its role modelling opportunities to provide students with inspiring examples, hands-on experiences and valuable professional contacts to better understand the dynamics of innovation, business and the world of work – through direct interaction with key players in the production system.

The virtual exhibition Italy in Antarctica is now online, created to mark the 46th Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting (ATCM XLVI) and the 26th Meeting of the Committee for Environmental Protection (CEP XXVI), hosted in Milan for the 2025 edition.

The exhibition explores Italy’s scientific presence in Antarctica, highlighting operational infrastructure, the governance model of the National Antarctic Research Programme (PNRA), and Italy’s strategic role in international cooperation on the continent.

Among the contributors to the project is the National Museum of Antarctica, which has exhibition sites at the Universities of Trieste, Genoa and Siena. The Museum serves as a national hub for the promotion and dissemination of scientific knowledge about Antarctica.

The initiative provides a valuable opportunity to share the findings of research conducted in the White Continent, with a particular focus on:

• environmental protection and management of ASPAs (Antarctic Specially Protected Areas)
• studies on the Marine Protected Area in the Ross Sea
• research on ecosystems and climate change
• pollutant monitoring
• results from Antarctic ice core drilling

The exhibition is accessible via direct link or by scanning the attached QR code. 

The University of Trieste is strengthening its commitment to research and training in the fight against primary liver cancer, one of the leading causes of cancer-related mortality worldwide. In collaboration with Italian Liver Foundation (FIF), the Italian League for the Fight Against Cancer – Provincial Association of Trieste (LILT), and the local healthcare service ASUGI, the University is set to establish a shared operational protocol for the creation of themed working groups.

The agreement was announced during a multidisciplinary seminar held at FIF’s headquarters in Trieste, as part of an initiative dedicated to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The event brought together researchers, clinicians and students with the aim of promoting an integrated approach to the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of HCC.

Professor Saveria Lory Crocè, Professor of Gastroenterology at the University of Trieste and Director of the Departmental University Clinic of Liver Diseases, highlighted the importance of technological innovation in tackling liver cancer:
"In today’s diagnostic and clinical landscape, there is a lack of standardised biomarkers and clinical indicators for the early diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma. New tools based on artificial intelligence will undoubtedly play a key role, a major area of research at our university.”

"Throughout the day," added Claudio Tiribelli, Scientific Director of the Italian Liver Foundation, “the focus was placed on the importance of primary and secondary prevention, early diagnosis, and multidisciplinary care of patients, as well as the need to invest in education and scientific outreach to raise public awareness about chronic liver diseases. The meeting ended with a clear message: only by pooling expertise, resources and vision can we improve the prevention and treatment of liver cancer, for the benefit of both patients and the wider community.”

The operational protocol between UniTS, FIF, LILT and ASUGI marks a significant step forward in establishing a structured collaboration, based on joint scientific research projects, academic training and public health initiatives that serve both the region and the scientific community.