This year’s final trip of the Innovators Community Lab (ICLab) at the University of Trieste took participants to Japan: a training itinerary designed to strengthen skills, networks and international vision in the fields of innovation and entrepreneurship.

The initiative involved Valentina Coggiola (Master’s Degree in Marketing & Management) and Romina Doz (PhD student in Applied Data Science and AI), two students who excelled in the UniTS programme dedicated to developing business projects and promoting an entrepreneurial mindset.

The first stop was Osaka, with visits to the Innovation Hub, which hosts incubation and start-up support projects, and to the Italian Pavilion at the ongoing Expo. In Yokohama, the two UniTS students presented their projects at Yokohama Connéct, the country’s leading venture café, where they met professionals and innovators in a space that brings together digital culture and community building.

The itinerary continued in Tokyo, with meetings at UNIDO and the United Nations University, followed by a visit to the University of Tokyo in a highly innovative interdisciplinary research centre. The programme then included participation in an event organised by the Tokyo AI community, which brings together researchers, professionals and investors in artificial intelligence and machine learning. The mission concluded with a reception at the Embassy of Italy and a meeting with Franco Nori, one of the world’s most cited and influential physicists, at RIKEN, a leading Japanese research centre, where the students had the opportunity to see one of Japan’s first quantum computers.

A laboratory of culture and relationships: this is how Coggiola and Doz describe their experience, where understanding cultural codes proved almost as significant as exploring the new frontiers of technology. ‘In Japan, I realised that every professional interaction is guided by deeply rooted values such as respect, the building of trust and the determination to complete every task flawlessly,’ says Valentina Coggiola. ‘In particular,’ adds Romina Doz, ‘personal and direct contact is essential to build trust before any collaboration can begin.’

The mission to the Land of the Rising Sun reflects the role of ICLab as a bridge between academic expertise and business culture: field experiences, role-modelling with scientists and managers, and connections with innovation ecosystems and international institutions. For the UniTS students, it was an opportunity to validate their projects, to understand how a profoundly different culture approaches business, and to strengthen their global perspective on AI, quantum research and technology transfer.

A study published in Arthritis & Rheumatology clarifies, through clinical, tissue and laboratory data, why the risk of cardiovascular events is so high in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The research was carried out in collaboration between Giacomo Emmi, immunologist and Professor of Internal Medicine at the University of Trieste, and the research teams of Matteo Becatti, Claudia Fiorillo and Domenico Prisco at the University of Florence.

SLE is a systemic autoimmune disease that can affect several organs. In Italy it affects more than 60,000 people, mostly women of childbearing age. For those affected, the risk of arterial and venous thrombosis can be two to ten times higher than in the general population. The underlying cause is not limited to cholesterol or blood pressure, but primarily linked to the chronic inflammation characteristic of the disease.

At the centre of this process is oxidative stress, the imbalance between oxidising substances produced by our cells and the antioxidant defences that should neutralise them. In SLE patients, certain immune cells – neutrophils – are abnormally active and fuel this imbalance. In such an oxidative environment, fibrinogen, the protein forming the network of the blood clot, behaves differently: the fibres become denser and less permeable, and the clots harder to dissolve. This mechanism directly connects inflammation to thrombotic risk.

The study involved 144 adult SLE patients and 90 healthy controls. Blood analyses documented higher oxidative stress in patients and its correlation with disease activity. Tissue observations confirmed the picture: in renal biopsies from individuals with active lupus nephritis (inflammation of the kidneys), the same mechanism was evident precisely where inflammation was most intense, demonstrating that it is not only a circulating phenomenon but also causes damage at the organ level.

To confirm the causal link, the team reproduced the phenomenon in the laboratory. When fibrinogen was exposed to an oxidative environment, the clots became more compact and resistant; when a reference antioxidant was added, the effect disappeared. The sequence is thus clear: more inflammation → more oxidative stress → altered fibrinogen → clots harder to dissolve.

‘These results provide a deeper understanding of the connection between autoimmune disease and cardiovascular complications,’ says Professor Giacomo Emmi, who teaches at the Department of Medicine, Surgery and Health Sciences of the University of Trieste and is Head of the Clinical Medicine Unit and Scientific Coordinator of the local health authority (ASUGI).

‘Oxidative stress,’ explains Emmi, ‘emerges as a new potential therapeutic target. Alongside the management of traditional risk factors and disease activity, future therapies could aim to modulate these oxidative circuits to more effectively protect the heart and blood vessels of patients with lupus.’

Reference: ROS-induced modifications of fibrin clots connect immune responses to atherothrombosis in systemic lupus erythematosus, in Arthritis & Rheumatology. DOI: 10.1002/art.43371.

This year again, UniTS is taking part in the AIRCampus project, dedicated to university students with the aim of raising awareness about AIRC (Italian association for research on cancer) and promoting understanding of cancer as a public health issue.

In the 2025/26 academic year, the University will host a series of lectures on topics related to the Foundation’s mission, which are also of interest to students from a variety of degree programmes.

The lectures are divided between the two semesters and will take place within degree courses with at least 40 students. Each session lasts about two hours and features both an AIRC expert (researchers, managers, nonprofit professionals, ambassadors) and a UniTS lecturer.

A unique opportunity for students to explore topics connected to their courses of study, through real-world examples and a multidisciplinary approach offered by professionals in the field.

Lecture schedule for this semester

14th October, 16:00, Room 2_A, Building D, Piazzale Europa
I’ll be brief: three plants, three molecules, three stories
Lecture by Ruggero Rollini, science communicator
Hosted by Fabio Carniel Candotto, lecturer in General Botany, bachelor’s degree in Science and Technology for the Environment and Nature

17th October, 14:30 in person; 21st November, 14:30 (tbc) online; 12th December, 14:30 (tbc) in person, Aula Magna, Via Monfort 3
Health education in primary schools: a UDA workshop with the AIRC in Schools project
Workshop by Alessandra Frittelli, Project Manager, AIRC in Schools
Hosted by Barbara Bocchi, lecturer in Teaching, bachelor’s degree in Education

29th October, 12:00, Room 1B, Building H3, Central Campus
The organisation of AIRC and its social impact
Lecture by Marco Rogledi, Human Resources Manager, AIRC
Hosted by Francesco Venier, lecturer in Business Organisation, bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Management

13th November, 11:00, Aula Grande, Building C6, Via Valerio 8/3
New drugs in a click: strategies to accelerate molecular synthesis
Lecture by Tracey Pirali, AIRC researcher at the University of Eastern Piedmont
Hosted by Tatiana Da Ros, Stephanie Federico and Federico Berti, lecturers in Pharmaceutical Chemistry I and II, Bio-organic Chemistry, degree courses in Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Technology (CTF) and Chemistry

13th November, 15:00, room tbd
Title to be defined
Lecture by Claudia Borreani, Head of the Clinical Psychology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale Tumori, Milan
Hosted by Barbara Penolazzi, lecturer in Basic Clinical Skills/Psychology module, bachelor’s degree in Psychology

25th November, 9:00, room tbd
Designing a health communication campaign
Lecture by Sabrina Bonomo, Senior Account, External Communication, AIRC
Hosted by Patrizia De Luca and Giovanna Pegan, lecturers in Marketing and in Communication and Branding, degree courses in Business Administration and Management, and in Marketing and Management

25th November, 16:00, Aula Venezian, Building A, Piazzale Europa
The right to be forgotten: the oncological right to be forgotten becomes law in Italy
Lecture with Giordano Beretta, oncologist, ASL Pescara and Fondazione AIOM
Hosted by Maurizio Barberis, lecturer in Philosophy of Law, integrated master’s degree in Law

11th December, 9:30, room tbd
Title to be defined
Lecture by Francesco Iorio, AIRC researcher at the Human Technopole Foundation, Milan
 Hosted by Giulio Caravagna, lecturer in Introduction to Programming and Laboratory, bachelor’s degree in Artificial Intelligence and Data Analytics

15th December, 9:00, room tbd
New strategies in the fight against cancer
 Lecture by Alessandra Raimondi, AIRC researcher at the Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale Tumori, Milan
 Hosted by Vanessa Nicolin, lecturer in Human Anatomy, degree courses in Medicine and Surgery and Dentistry

18th December, time and room tbd
DNA damage in cancer and ageing
Lecture by Fabrizio D’Adda di Fagagna, AIRC researcher at IFOM – the AIRC Institute of Molecular Oncology ETS, Milan
Hosted by Stefan Schoeftner, lecturer in Non-coding RNA Biology, degree course in Functional Genomics

All AIRCampus lectures organised in Italian universities and the updated calendar are available at the following link.

The Italian Chemical Society (SCI), specifically the executive board of the Interdivisional Group of Catalysis (GIC), has awarded the 2025 Adolfo Parmaliana Prize ex aequo to Miriam Marchi for the best doctoral thesis (36ᵗʰ and 37ᵗʰ cycles). Miriam obtained her PhD in Nanotechnology under the supervision of Paolo Fornasiero and Michele Melchionna from the Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Trieste.

Her thesis, ‘Catalysis for Sustainable Development’, explored innovative photo- and electrocatalytic approaches for organic synthesis and the activation of small molecules such as CO₂, focusing particularly on carbon-based materials as versatile alternatives to traditional catalysts.

A day marked by togetherness and the inclusive power of sport, in a spectacular setting and with a spirit of competition that celebrates teamwork stroke after stroke. Following the great success of 2024, the Barcolana Dragon Boat University Challenge returned this year as part of the 57ᵗʰ edition of the Barcolana, organised by CUS Trieste (UniTS sports centre) in collaboration with the University of Trieste, CUS Venezia, the Società Velica di Barcola e Grignano and with the support of the Regional Council of Friuli Venezia Giulia.

The event saw the dragon-headed and dragon-tailed boats race in the San Giusto Basin, crewed by students from the teams of CUS Trieste, CUS Bari, CUS Venezia and CUS Udine, with the latter joining the ranks of the two Venetian formations (CUS Venezia Ca’ Foscari and CUS Venezia Iuav). After the traditional Eye-Dotting Ceremony, a ritual of Chinese origin wishing good fortune to the boats, the four teams, each composed of 16 athletes, competed fiercely over the 150-metre course alongside Molo Audace.

CUS Trieste enjoyed the satisfaction of claiming victory at home, first completing the qualifying rounds unbeaten with three wins out of three, and then defeating CUS Bari once again in the much-anticipated final for first and second place. The third step of the podium went to CUS Venezia Ca’ Foscari, which won the Venetian derby against CUS Venezia Iuav in the race for third and fourth place.

The final ranking therefore saw the triumph of CUS Trieste (1ˢᵗ) ahead of CUS Bari (2ⁿᵈ), CUS Venezia Ca’ Foscari (3ʳᵈ) and CUS Venezia Iuav (4ᵗʰ).

The Rector of the University of Trieste, Donata Vianelli, underlined ‘This afternoon dedicated to fun and togetherness, once again demonstrates that our university environment is not only about research and study but also embraces sport and its values. The Barcolana Dragon Boat University Challenge, which brings together various institutions capable of joining forces and creating productive synergies, has proven once again to be a valuable opportunity to express the unifying power of sporting practice – a sport such as Dragon Boat is inclusive and offers participants a unique experience of mutual understanding and a culture of collective strength.’

‘The university is a fundamental pillar in the education of young people,’ commented Mitja Gialuz, President of the Società Velica di Barcola e Grignano, ‘not only on a cultural level but also in terms of personal and ethical growth. Today, the Italian Constitution recognises sport as an essential instrument of education, and I believe that universities, through the CUS network, can and must increasingly promote sport as an integral part of the academic journey. In this sense, the Barcolana Dragon Boat University Challenge represents an extraordinary example: it connects the academic world with the spirit of the sea and teamwork, bringing to the Barcolana a discipline that perfectly embodies the values of cooperation, energy and inclusion.’

‘Building on the success of the 2024 edition,’ emphasised Michele Pipan, President of CUS Trieste, ‘Dragon Boat has returned on a broader scale, proving to be a valuable tool for promoting solidarity in sporting effort, teamwork and inclusion. The 2025 edition was held in this spirit, involving participants of all levels of ability, gender and nationality. The main goal — highlighting cooperation among athletes who, each in their own way, can contribute to achieving a common objective — was fully achieved. I would like to thank the teams from CUS Bari, CUS Venezia and CUS Udine, who were keen to take part in this event.’

The new research project Be-UP, funded with €8.5 million by the Horizon Europe Programme, has now been launched. The project aims to develop new renewable polymers for the production and use of biodegradable packaging across Europe.

Coordinated by ITENE (Spain), Be-UP brings together a consortium of 17 private and public organisations from nine countries, with the University of Trieste as the only Italian university involved. Participating companies include Novamont, Particula, Hybrid Catalysis, Isotech, Aptar Group, Imerys, Innotech (Grupo Lantero), and the laboratories Polinivo, Normec, Cebimat, FTPO and IDENER. European Bioplastics and the competitiveness cluster Polymeris will ensure the dissemination of Be-UP results, with the support of the Spanish Standardisation Association (UNE).

In detail, the Be-UP project aims to develop pioneering methods for the synthesis and industrial processing (extrusion, injection moulding and thermoforming) of polyesters derived from bio-based raw materials. Be-UP will employ biocatalysts and sustainable additives, while also integrating advanced multi-object digital modelling tools to achieve simultaneously high technical performance, sustainability and biodegradability of polymers.

The Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences of the University of Trieste is involved in the project with a multidisciplinary team combining biocatalysis (Prof. Lucia Gardossi), computational chemistry (Prof. Emanuele Carosati) and spectroscopy (Prof. Fioretta Asaro). The research is supported by funding of approximately €330,000 over four years, enabling the activation of a research contract and a PhD scholarship. A further position will be opened in 2026.

In recent years, the UniTS team has designed and enzymatically synthesised new bio-based polyesters which, thanks to collaboration with the ecology group led by Prof. Monia Renzi in the Department of Life Sciences at UniTS, have also provided the basis for the development of rapid tests to assess the marine ecotoxicity and biodegradability of polyesters. These studies open new prospects for the rational design of environmentally sustainable polymers and demonstrate the importance of multidisciplinary collaborations in addressing the complex environmental challenges faced by science today. The results, which led to participation in the Be-UP project, were achieved thanks to two Marie Skłodowska-Curie grants (RenEcoPol and InterFACES) and to funding under the PNRR – NextGenerationEU (ICSC – National Centre for Research in High Performance Computing, Big Data and Quantum Computing, Spoke 7).

At the conclusion of Be-UP, packaging prototypes will be produced with a high level of technological maturity (TRL7) in order to validate the materials developed. Their biodegradability will be assessed in various end-of-life scenarios, including both open natural environments and controlled conditions. The UniTS team will develop computational models capable of correlating polymer structure with marine biodegradability.

This data-driven approach will help to improve the knowledge base underpinning European regulations, support industrial competitiveness and accelerate the transition towards a truly circular bioeconomy, making a direct contribution to several European action plans and strategies, including the plastics strategy, the Single-Use Plastics Directive, the Circular Economy Action Plan and the regulation on packaging and packaging waste.

What are the opportunities and limits of applying Artificial Intelligence to cultural institutions – particularly museums, archives and libraries?

These questions will be explored on 6th and 7th October 2025 at the Conference Centre of the Gorizia Campus (Via D’Alviano 18), during the conference ‘Artificial Intelligence in Cultural Institutions’. The national-level event is organised by the University of Trieste, through its University Museum Services (smaTs), in collaboration with MAB – Museums, Archives and Libraries coordination of Friuli Venezia Giulia. It will bring together scholars and cultural professionals for an in-depth exchange, with the support of Generali Group, the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region, and the Municipality of Gorizia.

A rich programme of high-level guests and content

The conference will unfold over two days. On Monday 6th October, from 15:30 to 19:00, the opening session entitled ‘Artificial Intelligence: a dialogue between science and culture’ will begin with the institutional greetings of Professor Donata Vianelli, Rector of the University of Trieste, together with representatives of major national and regional cultural institutions.

Speakers on the first day will include representatives of the Trieste academic community, such as Paolo Gallina (Head of the Department of Engineering and Architecture), who will speak on ‘Art, Artificial Intelligence and their perception’; Maria Teresa Scantamburlo (holder of the Chair in Responsible and Sustainable Artificial Intelligence), who will present ‘Responsible Artificial Intelligence at the service of culture’; and Massimo De Grassi (Head of the Department of Humanities), who will explore the question ‘Artistic production and Artificial Intelligence: shared paths?’. The discussion will also feature cultural-sector professionals: Bruna La Sorda (Vice-President of the National Association of Archivists – ANAI) will discuss ‘Artificial Intelligence in archives: evolutionary trajectories’; Matilde Fontanin (AIB Information Literacy Observatory) will present the European project ‘Supercharged by AI’, focused on AI literacy in Italian libraries; and Anna Maria Marras (member of the ICOM Italia Board) will conclude with ‘Inclusive Intelligences: education, accessibility and sustainability of AI in cultural institutions’.

On Tuesday 7th October, from 9:30 to 12:15, the second session, ‘AI Applications in the Cultural Sector’, will take a practical perspective with real-world case studies. Speakers will include Marco Ranieri, entrepreneur and developer of AI apps for cultural institutions; Roberta Spada, Head of Historical Archive and Corporate Heritage at Generali; and Tilman Scheel, founder and CEO of AboutSomethinK, who will discuss chatbots designed for libraries, archives and museums. Also taking the floor will be Bruno Callegher (smaTs) and Giorgio Donato (IT Manager of Nomismata), with a talk entitled ‘Nomismata (Byzantine Coin Hoards): AI interprets for us’, and Luca Bortolussi (Vice-Rector for Digital Transformation at the University of Trieste), who will address the topical question ‘Does Artificial Intelligence copy or create?’

Focus on responsible Artificial Intelligence

The conference tackles one of today’s most pressing challenges: how to reconcile automation with human creativity and the diversity of cultural expression. As the organisers point out, ‘the automation of cultural data encompasses different types of Artificial Intelligence, from those involved in creating art and culture to those dedicated to cataloguing and processing their results.’ The event aims to explore the potential of a responsible Artificial Intelligence model – one that can guide institutions, professionals and cultural venues towards sustainable cooperation between automation and human creativity, without undermining the richness of Italy’s cultural heritage.

Opening of the exhibition La donna del mare by Annamaria Ducaton

To conclude the conference, on Tuesday 7th October at 12:15, again at the Conference Centre of the Gorizia Campus (Via D’Alviano 18), the University Museum Services will inaugurate the exhibition by Trieste artist Annamaria Ducaton, who has donated to the University of Trieste the 28 works in her series ‘La donna del mare’ (the sea woman), created to mark the University’s centenary. The exhibition will be introduced by Paolo Quazzolo from the Department of Humanities.

Huge public participation and sold-out events: the 14th edition of Trieste Next, once again under the scientific direction of UniTS, has been a great success.

With its rich programme, the University managed to bring science into the square, engaging with children, welcoming Nobel laureates and internationally renowned scholars, and connecting with the citizens who crowd our stand every year.

Centre stage were today’s scientists and science communicators as well as those of tomorrow: this year, young people were truly among the leading voices animating the activities and shaping the narrative of the festival.

Thanks go to everyone who values and enjoys the festival, to those who discovered it for the first time and to those who have followed it from the beginning.

And a special thanks to our magnificent and tireless volunteers, our students, without whom Trieste Next would not be the same.

At the end of September UniTS will be illuminated in gold to mark Gold September, the international awareness campaign on childhood and adolescent cancer Light it up gold / Go Gold, promoted worldwide by Childhood Cancer International.

The Italian campaign is organised by FIAGOP (Italian Federation of Parents’ and Survivors’ Associations in Paediatric Haematology and Oncology) and is supported in Trieste by AGMEN, the association that provides help to families of children with cancer treated at the Burlo Garofolo Research Hospital.

From 21st to 28th September, associations and families across Italy will take to the streets with the symbol of the Gold Ribbon, representing the strength and resilience of children with cancer. Wearing it is a sign of solidarity with young patients and their families, and a way of shining a light of hope.

This year, the campaign coincides with a long-awaited milestone: the final approval of the law on the right to be forgotten in oncology. This will allow more than 45,000 former paediatric patients to access banking, insurance, employment and adoption without discrimination.

Every year, more than 400,000 children and adolescents worldwide are diagnosed with a malignant tumour – one every three minutes. While survival rates in high-income countries approach 80%, in middle- and low-income countries they remain below 20%. In Italy, around 2,400 new cases are diagnosed annually, with recovery rates close to 80% and peaks of nearly 90% for some conditions. These figures point to significant progress, while also highlighting the urgent need for increasingly personalised treatments with fewer side effects.

The Euclid Consortium has published the largest simulated galaxy catalogue to date, making it available to researchers worldwide. It includes 3.4 billion galaxies, each modelled with numerous properties such as brightness, position, velocity and shape. The work was developed by eight European institutions, led by the Institute of Space Sciences (ICE-CSIC) and the Port d’Informació Científica (PIC) in Barcelona, Spain.

The new catalogue is available on the CosmoHub platform.

The University of Trieste contributed to the project by validating the catalogue, ensuring its suitability for cosmological analysis.

In parallel, Pierluigi Monaco, Professor of Astrophysics and Cosmology, and his team produced a set of thousands of simulations using a fast approximate method called PINOCCHIO (PIN-pointing Orbit Crossing Collapsed HIerarchical Objects). The 4,500 simulations replicate the sample that Euclid will observe through spectroscopy, with the aim of calculating the uncertainties in determining cosmological parameters.

To learn more, the Italian National Institute for Astrophysics (INAF) interviewed Prof. Monaco, first author of the article recently accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysics on these simulations.

Read the interview “Thousands of Simulations: One Universe Is Not Enough” – MEDIA INAF