The UniTS Audace Sailing Team’s new boat is in the water! BAI - Flax Bandit was launched at the Yacht Club Adriaco in Trieste, ready to debut on 16th June at the student sailing competition SuMoth Challenge in Malcesine. 

The name of the new foiling moth, a small regatta boat that ‘flies’ over the water, is a word play on Red Bandit, the German competition yacht that is the protagonist of all the most important international competitions. ‘Flax’ in English means linen, the main material used for the construction of the hull, designed and built by the UniTS student sailing team. BAI, on the other hand, is the main sponsor of Audace. 

The use of high-performance flax fibre is the trademark of the Audace fleet, optimising efficiency and environmental sustainability. Along the same lines, resins are also used and obtained from a mixture 30% derived from cashews. 

The special feature of BAI – Flax Bandit is the use of basalt fibre skins to reinforce the internal structure of the hull and deck and optimise performance. 

Another innovation is the sail, made with a more modern and high-performing design than the previous versions, and produced by recovering waste material from other sails. 

The foils are the highlight of the boat, since the water-soaked wings allow the craft to fly. They are subject to extreme stress, and for this reason they have to be made from carbon fibre. Less environmentally friendly than linen and basalt, use of this material is limited to the foils, where it is layered with linen skins. 

The University’s new Art Gallery boasts around one hundred artworks, including paintings, sculptures, drawings, prints and photographs by artists such as Tullio Vietri, Giovanni Pulze, Arturo Rietti, Marcello Mascherini, Twombly Cy, Serse Roma and Giacinto Cerone, donated to the University thanks to the initiative ‘A Trieste mi piaceva tornare: doni arte per il Centenario dell'Università’ (I liked coming back to Trieste: gifts of art for the University's centenary).

Special mention should go to the ten works of contemporary art, mixed media and installations, created as part of the #SBLAD – Shine Bright Like A Diamond, Residenze d’artista (Artist Residencies).

The new exhibition space, which will in the future also be open to the whole city and not only to students and the university community, is the result of the artistic projects organized for UniTS’ centenary.

It was, in fact, the University Museum Services (smaTs) that wanted to create a new centenary collection through the Donors ’24 project that was connected to the famous 1953-1954 Art Exhibition held at the University of Trieste.

Many artists and collectors expressed their willingness to donate one or more works to commemorate the University's centenary, a selection of which was already exhibited in summer 2024 at the centenary exhibition held at the Pomis Bastion of San Giusto Castle.

In continuity with that initiative and almost serving as a seal for the entire centenary, the University of Trieste has now committed itself to enhancing the significant artistic heritage donated to the University.

So that generosity of artists and donors could live on and be shared, a suitable space was found to preserve and exhibit the donated works. In this way the University’s cultural heritage shall be conserved, enjoyed and transmitted to future generations. This is why the University of Trieste Art Gallery was created in the humanities section of UniTS library.

The Art Gallery will be a permanent place for reflection on the relationship and mutual interaction between universities, art, culture and society. It will be a place that will allow visitors to appreciate the complexity of contemporary art, to identify the works that most move them and that best narrate both the major challenges and the opportunities arising from the rapid and profound cultural changes of our day.

The publication of the Donors Catalogue ’24 accompanies and illustrates the inauguration of the University of Trieste Art Gallery.

The opening was attended by: the Rector, Roberto Di Lenarda; the Head of the Department of Humanities, Massimo Degrassi; Francesca Fiorentini (smaTs Coordinator) and Bruno Callegher (smaTs staff member); Ilaria Garofolo, former Deputy Rector for Energy and Building management, Anna del Bianco, FVG Director for Culture and Sport; Lorenzo Michelli, curator of the installation of the Art Gallery.
 

After a tournament played at the highest level, the men’s basketball team of the University Sports Centre (CUS) of Trieste secured a brilliant silver medal at the National University Championships (CNU), held in Ancona.

More than twenty years since their last podium finish and nearly thirty years since their last championship title in 1996, the University of Trieste has returned to the top tier of university basketball, thanks to the players superbly led by head coach Dejan Faraglia and assistant coach Matteo Filippone.

Over an intense week of competition, the UniTS team first dominated their group stage, defeating the CUS teams of Macerata, Pisa, and Insubria, before overcoming the Turin side in the semi-finals. In the final, despite an outstanding performance that saw them remain in contention until the final possessions, CUS Trieste’s campaign was brought to an end by the formidable Bologna team.

‘The boys were extraordinary,’ said coach Faraglia. ‘They played five matches at an exceptionally high level and came close to matching Bologna even in the final. I’m proud of this group for delivering such an important result for both CUS Trieste and the University of Trieste after so many years.’

CUS Trieste President Michele Pipan, in addition to thanking the staff for their crucial role in achieving this result, highlighted how ‘the group managed to become and act as a true team, both on and off the court.’ In fact, during the regular season, the ten players, with few exceptions, do not play together, as they compete in higher-level leagues with other clubs. For the CNU, however, they came together to represent the University of Trieste, demonstrating a strong sense of belonging to the UniTS academic community.

The silver-medal-winning CUS Trieste team was composed of: Paolo Scoleri (Naval Engineering), Federico Paganotto (Naval Engineering), Matteo Baissero (International Economics and Financial Markets), Luca Pauletto (Medicine and Surgery), Daniel Riccio (Electronic and Computer Engineering), Matteo Varesano (Business Administration and Management), Giacomo Comelli (Health Care), Mattia Gattolini (Medicine and Surgery), Federico Gallo (Marketing and Management), Giovanni Del Ben (Dentistry and Dental Prosthetics).

From 5th to 8th June 2025, the Department of Engineering and Architecture of the University of Trieste will take part, together with Italian and Slovenian partners, in GOin4SAFETY, a large-scale cross-border exercise focused on environmental emergency management and disaster prevention. The event will take place across Gorizia, Nova Gorica and Šempeter-Vrtojba.

The initiative is part of the IN4SAFETY project, funded by the Interreg Italy–Slovenia Programme, and aims to strengthen joint response capacities in neighbouring areas across national borders. Through its Department of Engineering and Architecture, the University of Trieste contributes with research, education and technology transfer activities, particularly in the areas of environmental data georeferencing and the identification of target groups involved.

GOin4SAFETY will bring together over 500 participants from Friuli Venezia Giulia, Veneto, Slovenia, Croatia and Germany, including civil protection personnel, security forces, organised volunteer groups and local authorities, who will operate in complex scenarios such as earthquakes, landslides, wildfires, hazardous materials incidents and climate change-related impacts.

The programme also includes training sessions for municipal staff, volunteers, students and members of the public, as well as a command post exercise simulating large-scale emergency situations.

GOin4SAFETY offers a tangible example of European cooperation at the local level, and promotes a shared culture of prevention, risk management and territorial safety. The project is coordinated by the Municipality of Ajdovščina and involves, among others, the Geodetic Institute of Slovenia, the Metropolitan City of Venice, the International Institute of Sociology of Gorizia, the Nova Gorica Fire and Rescue Service and the University of Trieste.

For further information: 
Interreg Italia - Slovenija Site International
Institute of Sociology of Gorizia Site

Scientists from the Muon g-2 experiment, hosted at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory and involving a broad international collaboration, including numerous researchers from Italy’s National Institute for Nuclear Physics (INFN), have announced their third and final measurement of the muon’s anomalous magnetic moment. This result is consistent with those published in 2021 and 2023 but achieves significantly greater precision: 127 parts per billion, surpassing the original experimental design goal of 140 parts per billion.

Muons, the focus of the Muon g-2 experiment, are fundamental particles similar to electrons but approximately 200 times more massive. Like electrons, they possess a quantum property called ‘spin,’ which endows them with a magnetic moment, making them behave like tiny magnets. When exposed to an external magnetic field, muons undergo a rotational motion known as precession, akin to the wobble of a spinning top tilted relative to a vertical axis. The precession frequency in a magnetic field depends on the muon’s properties, described by a number called the ‘g-factor.’ Nearly a century ago, theoretical physicists predicted a g-factor value of 2 based on the Standard Model of particle physics. However, experimental measurements soon revealed that g slightly exceeds 2 due to a quantity known as the muon’s anomalous magnetic moment (a_μ), calculated as (g−2)/2.

Measuring this anomaly with the highest possible precision is the objective of the Muon g-2 experiment, which derives its name from the formula (g−2)/2.

The Muon g-2 collaboration comprises 179 scientists from 37 institutions across seven countries. The Italian INFN group has been actively involved since the experiment’s inception, playing leading roles and contributing significantly to its success. They designed and implemented two systems that substantially reduced the overall uncertainty in measuring the muon’s anomalous magnetic moment: an absolute laser calibration system for the calorimeters used in energy measurements, and a high-sensitivity optical magnetometer for detecting magnetic transients. Additionally, they played a crucial role in the extensive data analysis efforts leading to the final result.

‘Thanks to the deployment and synergy of diverse expertise, from optics and laser specialists to computing and data analysis experts, the Italian INFN group was critically important to the success of the measurement,’ concludes Giovanni Cantatore, physicist at UniTS and the INFN Trieste Section, and leader of the Italian Muon g-2 team.

The muon’s anomalous magnetic moment is influenced by all particles within the Standard Model. A discrepancy between experimental results and theoretical predictions, as observed in the past, could indicate the presence of physical processes not accounted for in the current theoretical framework, suggesting the need to revise or even extend the Standard Model. Accordingly, the international Muon g-2 Theory Initiative has worked in parallel with the experimental group to refine theoretical calculations. In addition to techniques based on data from various experiments, which previously yielded values in tension with those from Fermilab, a computational approach leveraging high-performance computing has recently been adopted. This method has produced a theoretical prediction closer to the experimental measurement, though not yet fully aligned with it.

While the primary analysis of the Muon g-2 experiment has concluded, the extensive dataset collected over the past six years offers opportunities for further exploration. In the future, the collaboration plans to measure another muon property known as the electric dipole moment and to test a fundamental symmetry in physical laws known as CPT symmetry (charge, parity, and time reversal).

An international research group has designed a new low-cost catalyst for the production of propylene, which is more efficient and sustainable, doesn’t require processing crude oil and uses less of the rare and expensive precious metal, platinum. Propylene, which is essential in the production of plastics, fibres, automotive components and electronic devices, is considered a key raw material in the industrial sector. Its annual production exceeded 160 million tonnes in 2023 with a forecast of over 200 million tonnes in 2030.

The study was published in the prestigious scientific journal ‘Nature’ and will have a significant impact on the industrial sector. Among the researchers was Paolo Fornasiero, professor at the Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences of the University of Trieste, associated with the Institute of Chemistry of Organometallic Compounds of the Italian National Research Council (ICCOM-CNR) in Florence and member of the National Interuniversity Consortium for Materials Science and Technology (INSTM).

The research conducted by Professor Fornasiero and his research team presents a concrete solution, which improves what is already considered a valid alternative to the production of propylene from crude oil. The alternative is the process of the ‘dehydrogenation’ (PDH) of propane (a component of natural gas), splitting the bonds between carbon and hydrogen and as a result forming propylene and releasing hydrogen. Triggered at very high temperatures, dehydrogenation uses platinum catalysts, a metal that is easily susceptible to aggregation and deterioration when used repeatedly (the ‘sintering’ phenomenon). As well as producing propylene, the high temperatures used to trigger the reaction also lead to the formation of solid carbon deposits and other undesirable products that can compromise the catalyst. The process is, therefore, still inefficient for bridging the gap between the supply and demand of propylene.

Paolo Fornasiero, professor at the University of Trieste, associated with the ICCOM-CNR Institute in Florence and member of the INSTM consortium, commented: ‘With a view to an increasingly sustainable, less polluting and energy-intensive economy, our study offers the possibility of significantly reducing the use of platinum, maintaining or even improving performance, while avoiding the processes of decommissioning and regeneration of the catalyst currently required in industrial plants due to their rapid degradation.’

The catalysts obtained by the researchers, encapsulating platinum clusters in appropriate zeolites (minerals with crystalline and microporous structure), can actually maintain high activity and selectivity for over six months in industrial conditions, whereas catalysts currently used are active for only a few weeks.

As well as improving the overall efficiency of the process, researchers also expect significant economic and environmental benefits, such as reduced operating and maintenance costs of industrial catalysts, drastically reduced catalyst reactivation/replacement cycles, reduced waste and platinum use.

The international research group involves Professor Paolo Fornasiero, Professors Haibo Zhu and Xiaojun Bao and their collaborators from the University of Fuzhou (China), Professor Jean-Marie Basset at the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (Saudi Arabia), with contributions from the Qingyuan Innovation Laboratory (China) and the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics (China).

The publication comes just a few days after another publication on the same topic, by the same research group which appeared in the prestigious journal Science on 1st May 2025.
 

The bloody and brutal terrorist attack of 7th October 2023 has set in motion a spiral of tragic events whose end is still not in sight. The relentless cruelty of the grave humanitarian crisis afflicting Gaza has left an indelible mark on the civilian population. A particularly unbearable burden weighs on the younger generations exposed to unparalleled traumas and deprivations, generations who represent our collective future.

Rooted in its founding principles – such as freedom of thought serving as a beacon of knowledge, interaction between cultures as an antidote to intolerance, and the role of research as a tool for progress and connection between communities – the University of Trieste wishes to express profound solidarity with all the innocent victims of this prolonged conflict.

The University of Trieste confirms its ongoing commitment to actively promoting peaceful conflict resolution for the sake of mutual respect and human dignity, and to offering support to victims through the expertise of the academic community.

Over 7,000 girls and boys from Friuli Venezia Giulia will face the summer with a greater awareness of the importance of sun protection: this is the outcome of the Occhio al Sole project, which took place during the 2024-2025 school year, involving 138 first-grade secondary schools across the entire regional territory.

The project, entitled “Occhio al Sole! Buone pratiche per stare bene all’aria aperta”, was created by FondoSviluppo FVG (the mutual fund of Confcooperative FVG) and promoted by the Regione Autonoma Friuli Venezia Giulia, with the patronage of the University of Trieste and the University of Udine. The activities were carried out in schools with the support of the Immaginario Scientifico, aiming to promote, from an early age, conscious behaviors to protect skin health.
Through interactive workshops lasting two hours, students explored the topic of ultraviolet rays, analyzing their effects on the body and the risks associated with unprotected sun exposure. Particular attention was given to the role of climate change, which increases the intensity and danger of UV rays. The program included experimental activities and moments of discussion, focusing on the skin and the correct use of sun protection.
The initiative saw a high level of participation: around 80% of first-grade secondary schools in Friuli Venezia Giulia – distributed across the four provinces – chose to participate. This result reflects the interest and value of the initiative and led to the confirmation of the project for the 2025-2026 school year.

Prof. Iris Zalaudek, Director of the Dermatology Clinic at the University of Trieste and the Azienda Sanitaria Universitaria Giuliana Isontina, emphasized: “Educational campaigns like the ‘Occhio al Sole’ project are essential for promoting healthy behaviors from childhood, reducing the risk of skin damage such as premature aging or the increased risk of skin cancer in the long term. Several studies show that targeted school interventions significantly increase the use of sun protection and the habit of staying in the shade among children. In Australia, melanoma is one of the most common forms of cancer, particularly among young adults aged 15-25. However, in recent years, a decline in the incidence of melanoma in this age group has been observed for the first time, thanks to various public health initiatives, including the early education of young people on sun protection.”
Given the high level of participation and the success of the initiative, a second edition of the project has been confirmed for the 2025-2026 school year.

The University of Trieste took part in the presentation of the new Manifesto for Public Engagement, promoted by APEnet – the Italian Network of Universities and Research Bodies for Public Engagement.

The Manifesto, the result of a collaborative and open process involving the network’s 57 members – universities, research institutions, polytechnics and high schools across Italy – updates the Association’s identity and, for the first time, outlines a shared direction.

It calls for:

• the integration of Public Engagement into the strategic plans of universities and research institutions;
• recognition of its value in career pathways and research evaluation systems;
• the promotion of a culture of participation and collaboration among all stakeholders;
• support for lifelong learning, open science, and the active involvement of new generations.

The document sets out a crucial vision for strengthening alliances between research and civil society, with the aim of bridging the gap between science and the public.

Inspired by the latest European recommendations on the social role of research, the Manifesto underlines the urgent need to enhance the public value of knowledge by promoting processes of listening, dialogue, collaboration and co-creation as key elements for generating cultural, social and economic impact.

“The APEnet Manifesto,” explained Giulia Carluccio, outgoing President of APEnet and Vice-Rector of the University of Turin, “is a key step in accelerating a paradigm shift within the research institutions of our country. Universities and research bodies are committed to producing and enhancing knowledge through listening, dialogue and collaboration in order to address current and future challenges together with society.”

New APEnet Board of Directors

Alongside the presentation of the Manifesto, APEnet elected its new board of directors, who will lead the Association for the next three years.

The board includes:

• Irene Baldriga (University of Rome La Sapienza)
• Pier Andrea Serra (University of Sassari)
• Giorgio Chiarelli (Italian National Institute of Nuclear Physics - INFN)
• Elisa Ascani (University of Florence)
• Elisabetta Bani (University of Bergamo)
• Andrea Attanasio (University of Calabria)
• Valentina Lomi (University of Modena and Reggio Emilia)
• Alessandro Zennaro (University of Turin)
• Monica Guerra (University of Milan Bicocca)

Pier Andrea Serra has been appointed President and will be supported by two Vice-Presidents: Irene Baldriga and Elisabetta Bani.

What is APEnet?

APEnet – the Italian Network of Universities and Research Bodies for Public Engagement – has been active since 2018 and was formally established as an Association in 2022 to consolidate and give visibility to the role of Public Engagement in Italy.

Public Engagement is a set of values and institutional actions undertaken by universities and research institutions to foster social, cultural and economic development in collaboration with all societal actors. It is a dynamic process of interaction aimed at progressively closing the gap between research and society, addressing new challenges that take local identities into account and recognising the contribution of all those involved, thereby amplifying the impact of their work.

APEnet serves as a space for dialogue, research and development of tools and actions, sharing and strengthening the knowledge and skills needed to drive the cultural transformation that sees universities and research bodies as key actors in promoting the country’s inclusive growth through listening, dialogue and collaboration with society.

Ensuring public funding for providing home care to older adults with limited self-sufficiency could prove not only to be a welfare measure, but also an effective strategy for improving seniors’ mental health, reducing psychiatric care costs, and easing the burden on families.

This is the conclusion of an international study published in the prestigious journal Health Economics, led by Ludovico Carrino, Professor of Political Economy at the University of Trieste, in collaboration with Erica Reinhard of King’s College London and Mauricio Avendano of the University of Lausanne.

The study, among the first in the scientific community to empirically examine the socio-economic impact of public home care for older adults, analysed data from four European countries (Belgium, France, Germany, and Spain), and highlighted the many potential benefits of publicly supported Long-Term Care (LTC) programmes.

The findings show that access to home care services:

• reduces the risk of clinical depression by 13 percentage points, compared to an observed average of 28% in the study population;
• lowers the risk of loneliness by 6.7%;
• improves perceived quality of life by 14%.

Ludovico Carrino, Professor of Political Economy at the University of Trieste, commented: ‘In addition to the health benefits for individuals, the study highlights the potential economic impact of such measures. Late-life depression has high healthcare costs: studies conducted over the past decades show an annual extra cost of $3,225 per person aged 65–74 in the UK, while in Germany the figure is $2,840 annually for those over 75. Reducing the incidence of mental health disorders through an efficient home care system therefore means not only improving the quality of life for older people, but also decreasing the need for medication, psychiatric care and hospitalisation, with positive effects on the sustainability of national healthcare systems.’

Another key finding of the research relates to the role of informal caregivers. Care provided by family members, such as children or relatives, is often the main source of support, with a significant impact on the work and personal lives of those providing care. Widening access to home care services could relieve caregivers from what is often an all-consuming role, returning human resources to the labour market with potentially positive outcomes for productivity and household income. In Italy, where the development of public Long-Term Care lags behind that of other European countries, the findings of the Health Economics study may offer concrete guidance for shaping public policy and updating welfare strategies. 

‘Legislative initiatives in recent years have sparked reflection on the need to strengthen funding and broaden access to home care services, drawing attention to a highly relevant issue in a country where an ageing population will inevitably lead to a rise in the number of people requiring care,’ concluded Ludovico Carrino.

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Full study published in Health Economics
There Is No Place Like Home: The Impact of Public Home‐Based Care on the Mental Health and Well‐Being of Older People