Strengthening collaboration between institutions, universities, research organisations and businesses to develop the skills and technologies needed to enhance the competitiveness and security of Italy and Europe. This was the focus of a meeting held at the University of Trieste with a delegation from the Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of University and Research (MUR), the Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy (MIMIT) and the Friuli Venezia Giulia Regional Government.

Strategic technologies at the heart of the new Europe.

The meeting was inspired by the framework established by the Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform (STEP), the European initiative supporting the development and deployment of technologies considered strategic for the competitiveness, security and technological autonomy of the European Union.

Three areas are of particular interest: Digital Technologies and Deep Tech, Biotechnology, and Clean Technologies.

It is precisely in the ability to develop the skills needed in these fields that universities and research institutions are called upon to play a decisive role.

The meeting confirmed the shared commitment to developing new synergies to support the growth of the strategic technologies identified by the European Union, combining innovation, sustainability and competitiveness, while keeping the needs of people and society at the centre.

As part of this effort, the University of Trieste aims to strengthen its role as a hub connecting education, research, institutions and the productive sector, contributing to the training of the professionals needed to design and manage the strategic technologies and infrastructures of the future. In this context, UniTS can offer multidisciplinary expertise across a wide range of fields: from quantum technologies to physics and computer science, from engineering to energy infrastructure, and from logistics to sustainability technologies.

The delegation’s visit concluded at Area Science Park in Basovizza, at the UniTS laboratories ArQuS – Artificial Quantum Systems and QCI – Quantum Communication and Information.

Members of the delegation.

The Rector met with Rear Admiral Vito Lacerenza, Deputy Head of the Cabinet of the Minister of Defence, and Rear Admiral Vincenzo Pullez, Head of the Office for Strategic Studies and Technological Innovation.

Representing MUR was Francesco Ciardiello, from the Technical Secretariat of the Directorate-General for Research, responsible for funding programming and technological innovation. MIMIT was represented by Gianluigi Sechi, an advisor to the Ministry.

The Friuli Venezia Giulia Regional Government was represented by Ketty Segatti, Director of the Specialist Operational Unit for Research, Innovation, European Social Fund Plus and other EU funds; Luciana Grimani, Head of the Research, Development and Innovation Organisational Unit; and Michela Giarle, Head of the Strategic Projects and European and International Research and Innovation Collaborations Organisational Unit.

Representing UniTS were Angelo Bassi, coordinator of the Quantum Physics projects, and Prof. Giorgio Sulligoi, Director of the Department of Engineering and Architecture.

The entrance examination for the University of Trieste’s degree programmes in the health professions took place today. A total of 875 applicants registered for 525 available places across eleven programmes based in Trieste, Gorizia and Pordenone. Applications reached an all-time high, up 31% on 2025.

Interest extended across the full range of programmes: when first, second and third choices are combined, every programme attracted more expressions of preference than available places. Each applicant could select up to three degree programmes, ranked in order of preference, to be considered for admission to each.

Applications increased for Psychiatric Rehabilitation (+69%), Dental Hygiene in Trieste (+42.4%), Dental Hygiene in Pordenone (+39.4%), Medical Radiology, Diagnostic Imaging and Radiotherapy Techniques (+34.8%), Speech and Language Therapy (+30.2%), Physiotherapy (+21.5%, with a record number of applications) and Health Assistance (+17.4%).

Nursing also recorded a positive result, with first-choice applications rising by 21.2% compared with last year. This recovery significantly outpaced the national increase of 16.3% reported by FNOPI, Italy’s National Federation of Nursing Professions.

Physiotherapy remained the most sought-after programme, with 254 first-choice applications, followed by Nursing, with 143, and Speech and Language Therapy, with 112.

For the 2026/27 academic year, programmes will again be offered across the three locations. Trieste has 220 places in Nursing, 40 in Physiotherapy, 40 in Biomedical Laboratory Techniques, 30 in Medical Radiology, Diagnostic Imaging and Radiotherapy Techniques, 25 in Dental Hygiene, 30 in Psychiatric Rehabilitation and 30 in Speech and Language Therapy.

Gorizia offers 40 places in Health Assistance and 20 in Environmental and Occupational Prevention Techniques. In Pordenone, Dental Hygiene and Dietetics each offer 25 places.

Women continued to make up a clear majority of those registered for the entrance examination, once again accounting for more than 70% of applicants.

Applicants’ places of residence also highlight the programmes’ appeal beyond the region: one in five lives in another Italian region, with Veneto accounting for by far the largest share, at 16.1% of all applicants. The most represented provinces were Treviso, Venice and Belluno.

The examination took place in buildings H3 and C1 on the Piazzale Europa campus. Applicants had 100 minutes to answer 60 multiple-choice questions: 23 in biology, 15 in chemistry, 13 in physics and mathematics, five in logical reasoning and problem-solving, and four assessing reading comprehension and knowledge acquired during previous studies. Admission rankings will be published within 15 days of the examination.

Is it possible to recover genetic information from plankton samples preserved in formalin for seven years? The answer is yes. This is demonstrated by a new study resulting from a collaboration between the University of Trieste (UniTS) and the National Institute of Oceanography and Applied Research (OGS), recently published in the Journal of Plankton Research.

The study analysed samples of mesozooplankton collected in the Gulf of Trieste in 2017 and preserved in formalin for approximately seven years.

What is mesozooplankton? It refers to the community of small animal organisms that live in seawater and, although often invisible to the naked eye, play a fundamental role in marine ecosystems. It includes, for example, small crustaceans, larvae, and other organisms that form an essential component of the marine food web.

These organisms are normally identified under a microscope. This study instead applied DNA metabarcoding, extracting and sequencing genetic material from zooplankton samples collected and fixed in formalin. In practice, rather than searching for and identifying organisms one by one, the method analyses the “genetic code” present in the sample to reconstruct which species or groups of organisms are present.

Formalin damages DNA, making these analyses particularly challenging. Despite this obstacle, the researchers were able to recover a significant amount of biological information. Comparison with microscopic identification showed that the molecular method can identify a substantial proportion of the organisms present.

Historical collections as biodiversity archives

The most important finding of the study concerns future prospects. Research institutes and museums around the world hold vast historical collections of plankton, collected over decades and often preserved in formalin.

These samples could therefore represent not only archives of biodiversity observable under a microscope, but also genetic archives of marine life from the past.

Analysing them could make it possible to reconstruct how marine communities have changed over time, by comparing present-day biodiversity with that of decades ago. It could also help retrospectively identify the presence of non-native species, including during the early stages of their appearance in a given area.

The study was supported by the Interconnected Nord-Est Innovation Ecosystem (iNEST) and the National Biodiversity Future Center (NBFC)**, both funded by the European Union – NextGenerationEU under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR)**.

The University of Trieste, through Vanessa Nicolin, the Rector’s Delegate for Student Wellbeing and Inclusion, will coordinate the new national working group on “Inclusive placements in medical and healthcare education”. The group was established at the initiative of the Executive Board of CNUDD, the Italian National University Conference of Delegates for Disability, following the national congress held at the University of Trieste last May.

The working group will involve representatives of the national conferences of degree programmes in Medicine and Surgery, the Health Professions, and Dentistry and Dental Prosthetics. It will address the challenges of including students with disabilities and specific learning disorders in medical and healthcare placements, drawing on experience and good practice across universities. Its aim is to promote shared approaches that ensure inclusion and the full achievement of learning outcomes.

Initial activities will focus on mapping existing practices and drafting guidelines for submission to CRUI, the Conference of Italian University Rectors, to be shared subsequently with other universities.

The appointment of Nicolin, Associate Professor of Human Anatomy in the Department of Medical, Surgical and Health Sciences, was communicated on 9 September. 

Lucia Gardossi, who teaches Organic Chemistry at the University of Trieste, has been appointed Officer of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic by President Sergio Mattarella, in recognition of her contribution to green chemistry and the development of the bioeconomy.

The honour recognises a career that has long combined scientific research with public service. The nomination highlights Gardossi’s contribution to the development of the bioeconomy through her scientific and technical expertise, and her work at senior policymaking levels to help shape sustainability strategies in Italy, Europe and, more recently, internationally.

Gardossi was appointed directly to the rank of Officer under an exceptional provision available to the President of the Republic in cases of particularly distinguished merit. Under the rules governing the Order, first-time recipients are normally appointed to the rank of Knight.

Her research focuses on the use of enzymes in chemical processes, particularly to convert biomass and agricultural waste into materials from renewable sources. She graduated in Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Technology from the University of Trieste in 1988. Following a period of research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, she obtained her doctorate in Trieste in 1993 and has since pursued her academic career at the University, where she works in the Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences.

Over the years, her research has also informed sustainability policy. She serves on the Board of SPRING, the Italian National Technology Cluster for Green Chemistry, whose Scientific and Technical Committee she chaired until 2024. She is also a member of the National Bioeconomy Coordination Group at the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, contributing to technical documents that support national and international strategies. Internationally, she served as Vice-Chair of a European Commission advisory group for the implementation of Horizon 2020 and has collaborated with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), including as lead author of a report on the sustainability of agrifood value chains.

Professor Gardossi also serves on the scientific committees of Assobioplastiche and Ecomondo and contributes to the activities of the European Federation of Biotechnology. In 2020, her research on renewable and biodegradable plastics earned her the Tecnovisionarie Special Award for Research and Science. The nomination also links this recognition to her commitment to younger generations and equal opportunities for women in science.

The University of Trieste and the Trieste Police Headquarters (Questura di Trieste) have signed a memorandum of understanding under which the parties commit, within the scope of and in compliance with their respective institutional roles and purposes, to promoting, developing and strengthening opportunities and initiatives for collaboration. The agreement was signed by the Rector, Donata Vianelli, and the Chief of Police (Questore) of Trieste, Lilia Fredella.

The collaboration will cover several areas. It provides for advanced training programmes, seminars and supplementary teaching modules delivered with the contribution of State Police experts, as well as meetings and training conferences for University teaching staff and students on State Police topics of interest to the University. Similar training initiatives will be organised for managers and staff of the Trieste Police Headquarters, focusing on regulatory aspects relevant to their work. 

The agreement also provides for information sessions for students interested in pursuing a career in the State Police, and for the State Police's participation in the Career Day periodically organised by the University.

Other commitments include dedicated support for administrative procedures for international faculty and students at the University, the development of joint study projects on topics of shared interest — with particular attention to the scientific and technological fields — and curricular internships and research fellowships for University students to be carried out at the Police Headquarters. 

The parties will also collaborate on joint research activities aimed at producing publications, as well as on information, institutional communication and dedicated event initiatives.

Aneta Aleksova, Associate Professor of Cardiovascular Diseases at the University of Trieste, has been elected to the Board of the Association for Acute CardioVascular Care (ACVC) of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) for the 2026–2028 term and appointed Co-Chair of Education, with a coordinating role in the association’s educational activities in the field of acute cardiovascular care.

The new appointments were officially announced during ESC Congress 2026, held in Munich from 28 to 31 August. Aneta Aleksova is one of the seven elected Ordinary Board Members of ACVC, the European Society of Cardiology association dedicated to the care of patients with acute cardiovascular conditions.

Following her election to the Board, ACVC President Alessandro Sionis appointed Aneta Aleksova Co-Chair of Education. During her term, the UniTS professor will contribute to coordinating the specialist training activities promoted by the association, including simulation-based and hands-on programmes such as the ACVC Simulation School and the ACVC-EAPCI Cardiogenic Shock School, a programme dedicated to the management of cardiogenic shock and organised across different levels of training. Her role will also involve collaboration with ACVC groups working in the fields of accreditation, artificial intelligence and research.

The new appointment is closely connected with Aneta Aleksova’s work at the University of Trieste in the field of simulation-based medical education. She is the Scientific Director of the University’s Centre for Medical Simulation and Advanced Training (CSMAA), where students and healthcare professionals can train in high-fidelity clinical scenarios using advanced technologies and simulation-based activities. Aneta Aleksova is also a certified instructor in Medical Simulation, Basic Life Support (BLS) and Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS).

Aneta Aleksova has also joined the ACVC research group coordinated by Professor Karl Huber of the University of Vienna, in recognition of her research on myocardial infarction and cardiac arrest. In recent years, she has received ACVC scientific awards for studies focusing on biomarkers in myocardial infarction and prognosis. The research was carried out at the Molecular Cardiology Laboratory of the ASUGI Cardiology Complex Unit, which she leads, through national and international collaborations.

The roles entrusted to Professor Aleksova within these European networks further strengthen the standing of Cardiology at the University of Trieste and of the ASUGI Cardiology Complex Unit, directed by Professor Gianfranco Sinagra.

How can we track the behaviour of a gas once it has been injected deep beneath the Earth’s surface? This is the challenge at the heart of SBEM (Svelvik Borehole Electromagnetic Monitoring), an experimental campaign carried out in Norway by a team from the Exploration Geophysics Group of the Department of Mathematics, Informatics and Geosciences (MIGE) at the University of Trieste.

The experiment took place at the Svelvik CO₂ Field Lab, near Oslo, a research facility operated by the Norwegian research centre SINTEF and designed to test technologies for monitoring underground gas storage under controlled yet realistic conditions.

At the core of the SBEM campaign is borehole electromagnetic monitoring, a geophysical technique being tested to reconstruct the distribution and evolution of gas injected into the subsurface. This capability is crucial for the safe and economically sustainable development of both carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) and underground hydrogen storage.

An international laboratory bringing research “into the field”

The Svelvik CO₂ Field Lab serves as a bridge between laboratory research and future industrial-scale applications. The University of Trieste group was able to access the facility and carry out the experimental campaign thanks to Geo-INQUIRE (Geosphere INfrastructures for QUestions into Integrated REsearch), a project funded under Horizon Europe that facilitates transnational access to Europe’s leading geoscientific research infrastructures.

The proposal submitted by the Trieste team was selected through a competitive process under the Geo-INQUIRE call, enabling the researchers to design and carry out the experimental activities directly in the field.

From proposal to field research: training through experience

A distinctive feature of the project was the direct involvement of PhD students Elisa Ligas and Giovanni Pantaleo, who followed the entire research process: from preparing the proposal and designing the geophysical acquisition to setting up the instrumentation and conducting the fieldwork, through to data processing, analysis and interpretation.

“This project demonstrates what the University of Trieste offers its students and PhD candidates: the opportunity to design and conduct original research at the forefront of current technology, in close collaboration with international research and industrial organisations,” highlights Michele Pipan, coordinator of the Exploration Geophysics Group and of the Master’s Degree Programme in Geophysics and Geodata. “Experiences such as this one at Svelvik turn PhD students into independent researchers, ready to contribute to the technologies needed for the energy transition.”

FUSE Project (UniTS–UniUD–OGS)

Underground hydrogen storage (UHS) and natural (“white”) hydrogen resources are emerging as key components of Europe’s energy transition strategy, offering large-scale, flexible and low-carbon solutions that can help mitigate the intermittency of some renewable energy sources and strengthen energy security.

Achieving the objectives of the European Hydrogen Strategy and global net-zero roadmaps requires robust geoscientific evidence and advanced technological capabilities to identify, characterise and monitor suitable geological formations. Reducing the risks associated with subsurface operations—from technical and environmental risks to geological hazards—requires new integrated research infrastructures.

The FUSE project, launched in April 2025, addresses this need. Developed through a strategic partnership between OGS, the University of Trieste and the University of Udine, FUSE is building an open, distributed infrastructure that combines state-of-the-art geophysical instrumentation, laboratory facilities and multiscale modelling environments.

The infrastructure integrates borehole geophysical logging systems, seismic, geoelectric and electromagnetic instruments, fibre-optic and orbital-vibrator monitoring solutions, as well as airborne/drone-based magnetic and gravimetric sensing capabilities. These are complemented by advanced laboratory platforms for petrophysics and fluid dynamics.

Together, these components will enable improved imaging, experimentation and simulation of hydrogen–rock–fluid interactions in Italy and beyond.

An international study published in PLOS Medicine documents the progressive decline in stillbirth and early neonatal mortality between 1990 and 2023 across 17 low- and middle-income countries (Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mali, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Egypt, Jordan, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Colombia, and Peru).

The study was conducted by Dr Mohammed Ali (World Health Organization, Geneva) and Prof. Saverio Bellizzi (United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health, Ontario, Canada), in collaboration with Prof. Luca Cegolon, Professor of Hygiene and Preventive Medicine at the University of Trieste.

Lower perinatal mortality was found to be associated with residence in urban areas, higher levels of maternal education, greater household socioeconomic status, and stronger national welfare systems. By contrast, maternal age of 30 years or older was associated with an increased risk.

Stillbirth and early neonatal mortality remain a major global health challenge, with the vast majority of cases occurring in low- and middle-income countries that rely on household surveys—such as the Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS)—for their estimates, as civil registration systems are often incomplete.

However, DHS data tend to underestimate the scale of the problem and misclassify cases of stillbirth and early neonatal death, limiting their usefulness for planning maternal and child health interventions.

“Although most countries have experienced a decline in perinatal mortality, progress remains uneven and significant socioeconomic disparities persist. Strengthening maternal and neonatal health services and improving data collection systems in low- and middle-income countries remain essential to accelerate progress towards the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) of reducing perinatal mortality,” state Prof. Cegolon and Dr Bellizzi.

The study, recently published in PLOS Medicine, analysed 93 DHS surveys conducted between 1990 and 2023 across 17 low- and middle-income countries, covering a total of 1,019,253 reported pregnancies among 733,181 women. Pregnancies lasting at least seven months were included, in line with the standard definition of stillbirth.

Age-specific risks of stillbirth and early neonatal death were estimated using life-table methods and a modified Gompertz-Makeham model, which is able to correct for common DHS data-quality issues, including underreporting, misclassification between stillbirths and deaths occurring on days 0–1 after birth, and age heaping at death—that is, the tendency to systematically report neonatal deaths as occurring at 7 days of age rather than on adjacent days.

UniTS and the University of Rijeka (UNIRI) have launched efforts to strengthen their collaboration through an official meeting. The two institutions share a strong focus on research, innovation, engagement with the local area, and their strategic position in the Upper Adriatic region.

Among the first initiatives identified to give concrete form to the agreement is the organization of Joint Research Day Seminars, initially focusing on three areas: Naval Engineering, Blue Economy and Physics. The two universities will explore potential collaborations in other strategic fields in the future.

The collaboration may also be extended to administrative and student communities through staff meetings, student entrepreneurship programmes, technology transfer initiatives and Erasmus Traineeship opportunities.

The meeting builds on a relationship that began in 2001 and has led over the years to nearly one hundred joint scientific publications, as well as joint participation in NAHV – North Adriatic Hydrogen Valley, the major European project dedicated to developing the renewable hydrogen economy in the Upper Adriatic region, which originated from an UniTS initiative.

The meeting was attended, on behalf of UNIRI, by Rector Goran Hauser, Vice-Rector for Strategic Projects Goran Vukelić and Vice-Rector for Digitalisation and Development Marin Karuza. Representing UniTS were Rector Donata Vianelli, Vice-Rector for Research Paolo Fornasiero, Vice-Rector for Relations with Companies and the Local Community Guido Bortoluzzi and Delegate for Technology Transfer and Relations with Research Institutions Erik Vesselli.