The Interdepartmental Centre for Energy, Environment, and Transport “Giacomo Ciamician” of the University of Trieste has published, in collaboration with WWF Italy, the report entitled ‘The Steel Sector in Italy: Criticalities and Opportunities’: the innovative study explores the sustainability prospects of the Italian steel sector, highlighting current challenges and possible future scenarios.

The scientific contribution proposes a systemic view of the steel industrial sector, divided into several sections analysing global, European and Italian steel production, associated greenhouse gas emissions and decarbonisation opportunities related not only to environmental, but also to economic and social aspects. 

The work is primarily aimed at companies and institutions driving the transition to climate neutrality targets by 2050, considering the interests of organised civil society and trade unions. 

Innovative elements of the study include the quantitative and qualitative analysis of steel production, with a focus on the different production processes, including the electric arc furnace (EAF), the integrated steel mill (BF-BOF) and direct reduced iron (DRI) plants, short- and long-term decarbonisation strategies, with a focus on emerging technologies and renewable energies, and economic and employment assessments of transition scenarios towards more sustainable production.

The University of Trieste research team includes Andrea Mio from the Department of Engineering and Architecture (DIA), Romeo Danielis from the Department of Economics, Business, Mathematics and Statistics 'Bruno de Finetti' (DEAMS) and Giovanni Carrosio from the Department of Political and Social Sciences (DiSPeS). 

The UniTS team worked closely with WWF Italy to develop a detailed and multidisciplinary analysis of the sector. The project was supervised by Mariagrazia Midulla of WWF Italy, ensuring that the recommendations were aligned with environmental best practices.

'This report,' says Andrea Mio, who scientifically coordinated the study, 'represents an important step towards greater sustainability of the steel sector in Italy. The proposed strategies aim to reduce CO₂ emissions and promote the use of renewable energy, thus contributing to national and European climate goals.’

The study outlines three decarbonisation scenarios (Conservative, Prospective and Desirable), each with different environmental, economic and employment implications. The scenarios provide a comprehensive picture of possible developments, highlighting the benefits of a transition to low-carbon technologies.

The overall assessment of the decarbonisation scenarios presented by the researchers highlights some key considerations. From an environmental perspective, reducing CO2 emissions must be one of the main objectives. Among the different scenarios outlined, the desirable one envisages a significant decrease in emissions through the adoption of innovative technologies and the use of renewable energies.

From an economic perspective, the investments required for the transition to more sustainable production are considerable, but the long-term benefits, including energy cost savings and improvements in the competitiveness of the sector, are significant.

As far as employment effects are concerned, the transition to more sustainable steel production will lead to substantial changes, with likely growth in sectors related to renewable energy production and innovative plant maintenance.

Some technical details of the three scenarios

• Conservative Scenario: this is a business-as-usual scenario and envisages rather limited corrective actions, mainly related to the capture and reuse of CO₂ produced through existing technologies (BF-BOF and EAF). The overall reduction in emissions by 2050 will be -10.02 MtonCO₂ (-53.37% compared to 2022). Annual investments will be € 1.478 billion, with an estimated LCOP of € 612.76/tonne and an employment level of 42,600 in the steel sector and about 4,000 in the renewables sector.
• Prospective Scenario: DRI (Direct Reduced Iron) technology is introduced here using natural gas and biomethane with CO₂ capture. The reduction in emissions will be -12.735 MtonCO₂ (-67.85% compared to 2022). As in the previous case, CO2 capture is necessary for decarbonising this scenario. However, its implementation requires very stringent conditions to be conducted in a sustainable manner, conditions that are presented in the report. Annual investments will be € 1.845 billion, with an estimated LCOP of € 607.28/tonne and an employment level of 39,400 in the steel sector and about 5,000 in the renewables sector.
• Desirable Scenario: this scenario envisages the use of DRI technology based on green hydrogen and renewable sources coupled to the national energy mix. The overall emission reduction will be -12.735 MtonCO₂ (-67.84% compared to 2022), without introducing CO2 capture and with a potential further reduction linked to the progressive decarbonisation of the national energy sector. Annual investments will amount to € 1.386 billion, with an estimated LCOP of € 621.61/tonne and an employment level of 39,400 in the steel sector and more than 12,000 in the renewables sector.

In Memoriam

The authors also wished to honour the memory of Maurizio Fermeglia, full professor of Principles of Chemical Engineering and former Rector of the University of Trieste, who was passionate about environmental sustainability issues, a WWF collaborator and the association's delegate in Friuli Venezia Giulia. 

‘Maurizio contributed to the initial development of the work and helped us to combine scientific rigour with a climate and environmental vision in this report. He is greatly missed by all of us, and we want to honour him and remember him also on this occasion,’ reads the report's dedication.

Il report completo è disponibile sul sito del WWF Italia

To mark the 100th Anniversity of its founding, the University of Trieste is establishing the ‘PhD Innovation Awards’ to reward the best PhD theses submitted as part of the third-level courses held at UniTS.

For this purpose, 15,000 euros have been allocated, allowing for five prizes of three thousand euros each. 

The competition is aimed at PhD graduates who passed their final exams between 1st January 2023 and 30th June 2024. It will focus on a thesis that stood out for its innovation. Applications must be submitted online with University log in details by 13:00 on 29th August 2024.

The initiative aims to recognise the excellence and innovation of those who represent the future of research.

‘Investing in young researchers and promoting their cultural and professional growth is one of the most important objectives of our University.’ says prof. Alessandro Baraldi, Deputy Rector for scientific research and doctorates. ‘With the prizes we are awarding, we want to enhance ideas, originality and creativity, which are at the foundation of the knowledge and innovation we are celebrating with the 100th anniversary of UniTS.

If in recent years we have promoted access to the highest level of university education by increasing the number of PhD scholarships, now, through this initiative, we also wish to celebrate their achievements at the end of the process, which reflect the enormous commitment of our PhD students.'

The applications will be assessed in a first phase by a University panel who will select the ten best theses. The finalists will participate in a seminar of experts in the field of innovation who will then decide the final ranking and the awarding of the five prizes.

The award ceremony will take place at an event entitled ‘PhDs, authors of the future of knowledge’, planned for November 2024, at which the competition winners will present the results of their doctoral thesis research.

All information about the competition is available in the relevant Call for Applications.

Iris Zalaudek, Full Professor of Cutaneous and Venereal Diseases and Head of the Specialisation School in Dermatology, has received the prestigious Certificate of Appreciation Awards in the International Leadership of Dermatology.

The recognition is awarded by the International League of Dermatological Societies (ILDS), which brings together 215 different scientific societies from 103 countries worldwide, with the aim of promoting strategic leadership at an international level in the field of medicine dealing with skin and cutaneous adnexa diseases.

The UniTS lecturer, who is also Head of the Clinical Dermatology Department and STD Centre of the ASUGI (local health service), was recognised for her significant contribution to the promotion of international dermatology, with a positive impact on global health policies and practices, promoting cross-border research, education and empowerment of dermatologists, their societies and the public.

Professor Zalaudek was the first female President of the International Society of Dermoscopy (2016-2021) and was named among the 50 most influential women in dermatology in 2021.

On the occasion of this award, we asked our lecturer for a contribution describing the state of the art and the most important challenges of international dermatology within healthcare systems.

Dermatology - a multidisciplinary branch

More than 2,000 skin and mucosal diseases demonstrate the diversity of dermatology. It is a speciality that interfaces with many other disciplines, dealing with the physiology and pathology of the skin and mucous membranes, tumour diseases, chronic inflammatory diseases and autoimmune dermatoses, ageing processes, infections, allergies and other environmental diseases.

Skin diseases affect all age groups and genders. Chronic diseases, such as atopic dermatitis or psoriasis, are very common and require lifelong treatment.

Dermatology, like many other specialities, is experiencing a real revolution in medical therapies: more and more new, innovative and effective drugs are arriving for the treatment of skin tumours and inflammatory diseases. Biologics, small molecules, immunotherapies and immuno-check-point inhibitors, JAK-inhibitors, etc. have expanded the landscape of personalised dermatology. 

Dermatology - a constantly changing discipline

Dermatological research is the prerequisite for acquiring new knowledge, the clinical application of which is used for the diagnosis and treatment of patients. An active national and international exchange (conferences, associations and guideline work) makes it possible to share research results and to develop new research questions and approaches.

The quality of dermatological treatment is fundamentally based on guidelines that are regularly reviewed and updated.

In a constantly ageing society, prevention and early diagnosis, as well as early treatment concepts with innovative therapies, such as 'proactive instead of reactive therapy', need to be incorporated more than ever in order to change the course of the disease, prevent comorbidities and reduce or avoid side effects, also in terms of healthcare system funding.

Dermatology - challenges for the future

An ageing society poses major challenges to the health care system: the number of elderly people in need of care and the chronically ill will increase with significant repercussions and pressure on funding. More prevention, multi-professionality and good interaction between the health professions are needed. Clinics are already facing great challenges due to staff shortages.

Efforts are being made to counter this, but forecasts for the next five to six years predict further deterioration.

The skin, however, is also a model organ that is particularly suitable for digital medicine because it is easily accessible. Apps and artificial intelligence are already components of digital support for diagnostics and therapy. Digital health apps, systematic digital networking of data in research (big data), diagnostic devices and teledermatology have the potential to improve comprehensive dermatological care and thus avoid waiting times.

Although digitisation cannot replace personal contact with a doctor in all cases, it offers people with skin changes a real opportunity to consult a specialist/app, without having to wait months.

Stefania Buttignon, a Naval Engineering student at the University of Trieste, is among the Italian athletes who will participate in the Paris Olympics, which start today until 11th August. 

Originally from Monfalcone and a rower for the Italian Police team, the UniTS student is part of Italremo, the Italian national rowing team that will compete in the waters of Vaires-sur-Marne in this extraordinary sporting adventure.

The opening ceremony of this edition will be revolutionary compared to past editions and will not take place inside a stadium but will be a long parade through the most striking and monumental places of the French capital. ‘I am already feeling so emotional,’ Stefania confesses, ‘and I can't wait to take part in this historic parade. Witnessing the lighting of the Olympic flame live is the moment that every athlete dreams of experiencing'.

However, she will miss the Olympic Village experience: ‘Unfortunately, the regatta course is about an hour away, so the Italian Rowing Federation has chosen to have us stay in a facility close to the competition waters. But I definitely want to visit the village a couple of times, to see the cohabitation of athletes from all over the world, to meet my sporting idols, to experience at least a little bit of that incredible atmosphere'.

In the course of her career, the Monfalcone athlete has won several Italian titles, but in her record of achievements shine the victory at the under-23 World Championships (2018) in the lightweight doubles, together with Silvia Crosio, and a bronze medal at the European Championships (2019) with Stefania Gobbi, in the same specialty.

Despite having qualified already in the last Olympics, Buttignon had not participated in the Azzurri's Tokyo expedition. She again obtained the ‘pass’ in the senior women's doubles (despite being a lightweight) together with Stefania Gobbi, but the technical choice of the selector rewarded another crew of the same level. Stefania Buttignon will therefore be on reserve for the senior women's double, ready to take over if necessary, both as bowwoman, a role in which she has established herself, and as rowing leader, a role in which she trained as a girl.

But how do you experience the event from the ‘bench’? ‘As a reserve,' Buttignon explains, ’I am giving my all in training: mentally I feel less pressure and I have to contribute to the group by supporting my teammates, of whom I am the first supporter. I also have to keep my concentration high, as is required of high-level athletes, because in case I am called upon to compete I have to be ready. I have great enthusiasm; I will definitely do a great race’.

She exudes a great determination, carved out over many years of sacrifices to reconcile life as an athlete and as a student: ‘Even as a child I got up at 5 in the morning to train or to study. I would train twice a day and in between I would go to school and read books. Even at university, the rhythm has remained this way: it has allowed me to build a forma mentis, to be focused on the ‘here and now’ necessary to do things at my best'.

Participation in the XXXIII Olympics represents for the rower from Monfalcone the point of arrival of a long journey, but also the moment from which future prospects and resolutions start. ‘My career will continue,’ says the UniTS student, ’I would like to aim for the 2028 Los Angeles Games and get there as a starter. But after Paris I also want to get back to focusing on my studies, which I had to put on hold for a while to pursue the Olympic dream: the goal is to finish my final year and get a degree in Naval Engineering, in the future I would like to apply this training to the field of racing boats’.

An international team of researchers coordinated by the University of Trieste has discovered a new species of Antarctic shrimp – the Orchomenella rinamontiae – a crustacean belonging to the order of amphipods, identified in the vicinity of the Mario Zucchelli Italian Antarctic Station by Piero Giulianini, zoologist and professor at the University of Trieste’s Department of Life Sciences, during the 33rd Italian Antarctic Expedition in Terra Nova Bay.

The event opens up new avenues for research and represents a significant step forward for a deeper understanding of marine life and biodiversity in the most remote and inhospitable regions of the planet: knowledge of Antarctic marine communities and the species that make them up is, in fact, of fundamental importance for monitoring global changes due to human activities.

‘The initial aim of the research was to verify the responses of an Antarctic shrimp species to warming seas. However, morphological and genetic analyses revealed that some of the samples belonged to a previously undescribed species,’ explains Piero Giulianini, zoologist and professor of the Department of Life Sciences at the University of Trieste. ‘The new species belongs to a dominant and endemic group in Antarctic waters, scavenger shrimps that play a key role in marine communities, consuming and dispersing food of all sizes. Like a litmus test, monitoring the abundance and diversity of these shrimps will allow us to understand the ongoing anthropogenic impacts on these delicate ecosystems: human impact on the environment, in fact, negatively affects marine communities, hampering their diversity and complexity. But not only that, in our laboratories we will also conduct analyses to study how the newly identified species responds to ocean warming,’ the professor concludes.

For the morphological analysis, the researchers used an innovative and advanced imaging technique, X-ray microtomography, which allowed them to obtain high-resolution three-dimensional images of the new species, offering the advantage of digitally examining the sample without introducing artefacts and distortions due to manipulation.

The discovery not only enriches the catalogue of Antarctic marine species, but also underlines the importance of combining physical and genetic analyses for species classification, through technologically advanced tools such as microtomography, which could revolutionise the way biological samples are studied and classified. As image resolution continues to improve and equipment costs decrease, microtomography could soon become a standard technique in biodiversity research, greatly accelerating the process of species discovery, description and classification.

The name chosen to describe the new shrimp, Orchomenella rinamontiae, is a tribute by the research group to the zoologist Rina Monti, who in 1907 became the first Italian woman to hold a professorship at the University of Sassari, and celebrates her pioneering contribution to zoology in academia.

The study involved the Applied Zoology and Applied Genomics research groups of the University of Trieste (Piero Giulianini, Samuele Greco, Elisa D’Agostino, Marco Gerdol, Alberto Pallavicini, Chiara Manfrin) with the contribution of two experts in the field of Antarctic shrimp classification: Claude de Broyer of the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences and Ed Hendrycks of the Canadian Museum of Nature. A physicist and a zoologist from the University of Calabria (Sandro Donato and Anita Giglio) participated in the analysis of X-ray microtomography data performed at Sincrotrone Elettra in Trieste.

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Full study published in Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society   
‘A new Antarctic species of Orchomenella G.O. Sars, 1890 (Amphipoda: Lysianassoidea: Tryphosidae): is phase-contrast micro-tomography a mature technique for digital holotypes?’

Piero G. Giulianini1, Claude De Broyer2, Ed A. Hendrycks3, Samuele Greco1, Elisa D’Agostino1, Sandro Donato4,5,6, Anita Giglio7, Marco Gerdol1, Alberto Pallavicini1, Chiara Manfrin1

1Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
2Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Bruxelles, Belgium
3Canadian Museum of Nature, Research and Collections, Ottawa, Canada
4Department of Physics, University of Calabria, Cosenza, Italy
5Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Division of Frascati, Frascati, Rome, Italy
6Elettra-Sincrotrone Trieste SCpA, in AREA Science Park, Basovizza, Trieste, Italy
7Department of Biology, Ecology and Earth Science, University of Calabria, Cosenza, Italy

The celebrations of the Centenary of the University of Trieste – which will turn one hundred years old this 8th August – will be enriched by an extraordinary cultural event: a classical music concert organised by the University of Trieste in collaboration with the Giuseppe Verdi Opera Theatre Foundation.

The event will take place on Tuesday, 23rd July 2024, at 21:00, in Piazza Verdi, as part of the Trieste Estate 2024 festival.

The concert will be a musical journey through some of the most significant stages of the Italian 20th century, with pieces that reflect crucial moments in the history of the University and the city of Trieste.

The musical programme will begin with “Tramonto” for mezzo-soprano, soloist and strings by Ottorino Respighi, a youthful composition that transports the audience to the melancholic and poetically evocative atmosphere inspired by a poem by Percy Bysshe Shelley. The piece, which dates back to the period before the First World War, outlines the decline of an era of prosperity and cultural vibrancy favourable to the establishment of a university institution.

It will continue with Alfredo Casella’s ‘Concerto per archi op. 40b’, a work coeval with the founding of the University in 1924, which reproposes the national theme in the contextually problematic form of instrumental music.

The evening will continue with ‘Festlicher Morgen’ from Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari’s Venetian Suite, a piece from 1936 that takes us back to the time, troubled by dense shadows, when the foundation stone of what is now the central building of the University of Trieste was laid.

Luciano Berio, with his “Folk Songs”, will then take us into the 1960s through a cultured and innovative reinterpretation of popular songs with the intention of recounting the period of expansion of the University, which was no longer only accessed by the children of the elite, but which became a place where the conditions were created for the social mobility of young people from the middle class and also of those with more humble origins.

Closing the programme will be the “3 unvollendete Portraits” by Fabio Nieder, an internationally renowned composer from Trieste, who with this 2014 work reflects on incompleteness as a characteristic feature of culture and science open to innovation. A reflection that is intended to be the legacy of the Centenary for the future of the University of Trieste, which aims to continue “building the future of knowledge”.

The presentation of the pieces will be given by Riccardo Martinelli, lecturer in Philosophy of Music at UniTS, who will offer the audience a key to better understand the works performed. The orchestra of the Giuseppe Verdi Opera House Foundation will be conducted by Maestro Giulio Prandi. The evening will also feature the special participation of mezzo-soprano Manuela Custer.

“This event,” explains Rector Roberto Di Lenarda, “is part of the numerous initiatives that we have organised to celebrate the Centenary of the University of Trieste, with the aim of creating new opportunities for the University of Trieste to meet the city, also through a greater involvement of cultural institutions. Art, music and culture in general allow us to tell a wider audience about our history and our mission in an original and creative way, enabling us to connect the past with future prospects. The concert also projects us towards the date of 8th August 2024 when we will symbolically celebrate the founding date of UniTS on the campus in Piazzale Europa’.

“We are very happy,” says Giuliano Polo, Superintendent of the Verdi Theatre, “to continue and intensify our relationship at several levels with the University of Trieste and we are honoured to contribute in a significant way to celebrating the Centenary of the University of Trieste with a concert performed by our Orchestra and a musical programme specifically designed to excite with history and culture”.

The Centenary concert is realised thanks to the contribution of the Region of Friuli Venezia Giulia and Promoturismo Io Sono FVG, with the support, in the broader context of the event “Trieste Estate 2024”, of the Municipality of Trieste and Discover Trieste Convention and Visitors Bureau.

This morning saw the presentation of the second edition of the further education course in Legal Translation between Italian and Slovenian, set in motion by the University of Trieste in cooperation with the Region of Friuli Venezia Giulia.

The presentation took place in the Predonzani Room of the Regional Government Building in Piazza dell'Unità d'Italia, in the presence of the Regional Councillor Pierpaolo Roberti, the Rector Roberto Di Lenarda and the Head of IUSLIT Gian Paolo Dolso.

The main objective of the course, which is part of the Department of Legal, Language, Interpreting and Translation Studies (IUSLIT), is to enhance skills in the translation and drafting of legal texts in the two languages and to deepen knowledge of the functioning of local authorities in Italy and Slovenia.

The incoming edition has been revised from an organisational point of view to better meet the needs of working students, while in terms of content, a computer part on computer-aided and machine translation tools and post-editing following the use of artificial intelligence has been included. As far as the legal part is concerned, the course will focus on a comparative approach of the Italian and Slovenian legal systems with particular reference to the functioning of local authorities.

Registration will open on 25th July with a deadline on 10th September, as per the call available online. A bachelor's degree is required. Twenty places are available, and lessons will follow a blended approach.

Thanks to the financing of 50,000 euros by the Department of Local Government, Civil Service, Security and Immigration of the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region, tuition fees for each participant will be limited to stamp duty.

‘The success of the first edition,’ remarked Rector Roberto Di Lenarda, ‘bears witness to the success of training initiatives that come about in response to the demands of public administrations and the labour market. Besides training young people, universities today also have the task of supporting Long Life Learning and the reskilling of workers who need to update their skills.’

The Head of IUSLIT, Gian Paolo Dolso, emphasised, on the other hand, how the course perfectly reflects the legal and linguistic expertise of the department which is promoting it and how the initiative, by focusing on the translation of administrative acts, places an important emphasis on the effective protection of minorities.

The course, in fact, responds to the needs of public administrations operating in border areas and cultivates new professionalism in the cross-border sphere: the figure of expert translator in the legal sphere, which is very valuable for all public administrations, from the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region to the coastal municipalities of Slovenia where the Italian community is present.

All information about the course

The 2024 edition of ’Signals from the climate in FVG’, the popular publication realised by the technical-scientific working group Climate FVG set up by the regional administration in 2022 and coordinated by Arpa FVG, is freely available. 

This work, available online on Arpa's website, aims to inform the regional population – and all public and private stakeholders – about climate change, its effects and the actions that can be taken to tackle it in our region. At the same time, the publication also makes it possible to link the local dimension with the global one, through articles that broaden our view to what is happening on a wider scale.

‘Signals from the climate’ is therefore not a report on the state of the climate in Friuli Venezia Giulia, but rather a description of the situation, how important it is to become aware of it and act, and how society, public administration and the scientific world are already acting.

The ‘magazine’ collects more than 40 articles by 67 authors working at the FVG Climate Group entities: Region, ARPA FVG, University of Trieste, University of Udine, ICTP, OGS and CNR with the two institutes of marine and polar sciences.

The year 2023 was the third hottest year ever recorded in the region: the atmosphere and the sea reached above-average temperatures for many months and extreme events of considerable intensity affected several areas of the region. This year, the story begins of the signs of climate change that we detect in our territory and that translate into diverse effects on the various natural systems and productive sectors, calling us to 'act for the climate'. 

Experts from the various fields – climatologists, geologists, oceanographers, biologists, agronomists, economists, engineers, architects, environmental, public administration and health professionals – from our region accompany the reader on a journey of knowledge that starts in our mountains and winds its way ideally following the flow of water across the plains, to the lagoon and the sea. Returning to the mainland, the articles explore the effects of climate change on plants and animals, both in their natural state and in the agricultural sector.

This issue also concludes with some examples of actions taken by public bodies, primarily the FVG Region, for climate change mitigation and adaptation. 

This edition also hosts a remembrance of Maurizio Fermeglia, former Rector of UniTS who passed away last February, and one of his last popular contributions. A total of six articles are signed by researchers from the Department of Engineering and Architecture and the Department of Life Sciences at the University of Trieste.

Mountains and Climate Change: A Fragile Balance in a Vulnerable Environment (p.43)

Maurizio Fermeglia (DIA) with a preface by Sabrina Pricl (DIA)

The effects of climate change are particularly evident in the mountains, a very vulnerable environment where even 'small' increases in temperature have amplified effects and can compromise the delicate balance that revolves around 0 °C. The consequences are significant, from melting glaciers and permafrost to impacts on ecosystems and mountain activities. Important changes are already being felt by mountain users: hikers, mountaineers, skiers and ski mountaineers.

Freshwaters: Changing Perspective to Cope with a Changing Climate (p.89)

Elisabetta Pizzul, Marco Bertoli (DSV)

Freshwater ecosystems are particularly vulnerable to changes in the environment and climate. A change in the way we perceive and manage them is necessary not only to preserve them, but also to enable them to perform those functions that are effective natural solutions to cope with climate change as well.

Transformation of Reclamation Landscapes and New Friuli Deserts in a Framework of Changing Agricultural and Climatic Patterns (p.105)

Thomas Bisiani, Adriano Venudo (DIA)

The drainage of the Friuli-Isontine plain has shaped the landscape, creating a hydrographic network that today performs important ecological functions. This environmental, historical and cultural heritage is now threatened by new agricultural models and irrigation efficiency methods adopted to cope with climate change. A balance must be found between the needs of agriculture, the environment and the landscape to stem a veritable 'desertification' of the land.

Courageous Mice: The Role of Small Mammals in the Adaptation of Oak and Beech Trees to Climate Change (p.153)

Alessio Mortelliti (DSV)

Up to 90 per cent of plants in an ecosystem may depend on animals for the dispersal of their seeds, as is the case for oaks and beeches, ecologically and economically important trees in Friuli Venezia Giulia. Small mammals, such as mice and voles, perform this vital function in complex and fascinating ways, and some research shows that certain individuals are particularly important in this process.

Climate Change and Well-Being: Summer Temperatures in Living Spaces (p.195)

Marco Manzan, Atlas Ramezani (DIA)

High temperatures, especially when associated with high humidity, can be dangerous for people, especially the most frail. In order to act to protect them, with a view to climate equity, it is important to assess this phenomenon in homes, especially those without air conditioning systems. A UniTS study analysed indoor conditions of comfort and stress in a multi-family building, considering the current and future climate and also the effect of electric fans.

Building and Climate Change: Designing Structures More Resistant to Extreme Events (p. 203)

Chiara Bedon (DIA)

With global warming, the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events is generally increasing. Many building components and systems, designed to withstand conventional weather events, are deficient for extreme phenomena, such as those recently recorded in FVG. New attention will be needed to adapt building systems, and in particular their most vulnerable components, to make them more resistant to the most intense weather events.

The University of Trieste hosted, in the Main Hall of Building D (Piazzale Europa Campus), the closing event of the 5G-SITACOR project, which conducted a feasibility study for the implementation of 5G along cross-border sections of the Mediterranean and Baltic-Adriatic TEN-T corridors between Italy and Slovenia.

The study was coordinated by the Region of Friuli Venezia Giulia, in collaboration with the University of Trieste, University of Ljubljana (Slovenia), DARS (Slovenia), Telekom Slovenije (Slovenia), Anas (Italy), Autostrade Alto Adriatico (Italy), Retelit (Italy) and Luka Koper (Slovenia) with the objective of evaluating and defining the best ways to exploit the potential of 5G technology (higher throughput, lower latency and higher reliability) in different areas for the development of linear infrastructure such as Connected and Automated Mobility (CAM) and road safety in the identified areas.

The event was attended by political representatives from the Ministry for Digital Transformation of the Republic of Slovenia and the Department of Property, State Property, General Services and Information Systems of the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region, as well as a technical contribution from the Ministry of Business and Made in Italy.

The study, preparatory to the participation of the FVG Region in the next call of the European Commission, analysed the state of the art, with geographical analysis, of the road network and telecommunication infrastructures, whose collected information allowed to develop the second part of the work. In fact, it was possible to define the parameters necessary for the creation of an infrastructure dedicated to the development of smart digital and services for territories and communities, evaluating the best ways to apply 5G network technology for the development of linear infrastructures, such as connected and automated mobility and road safety, along 275km of motorway between Friuli Venezia Giulia and Slovenia. 

In detail, the motorways covered by the study include over 200km of the Mediterranean corridor and the Baltic-Adriatic corridor, and over 60km of additional motorways as secondary routes in case of critical events. The main sections are: Udine Nord-Palmanova (27km), Latisana-Fernetti and Fernetti-Sežana (102km), Fernetti-Sezana-Divača (16km), Fernetti-Koper via Trieste (36km), Koper- Divača-Postojna (57km) and Villesse-Gorizia-Nova Gorica-Razdrto (62km).

The University of Trieste, as part of the project, was responsible for studying the safety requirements of the infrastructure, in particular how they can be enhanced through the use of quantum technologies. One of the most promising uses of 5G is the possibility of enabling autonomous driving, for which it is necessary to exchange a large amount of information (presence of other vehicles, road conditions, road signs, and so on and so forth.) and secure communications between all the elements of the infrastructure.

The working group co-ordinated by Prof. Angelo Bassi, full professor of Theoretical Physics, has developed an architecture based on quantum communication to ensure the safe exchange of information between moving vehicles and their control centres.

The University of Trieste, which for several years has been running an important programme for the development of these innovative technologies, has a cutting-edge laboratory for the development of quantum communication, which has been set up with the support of the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region.

In this regard, UniTS is also participating in the creation of a quantum network on fibre optics that will connect the three regional universities: the network will be managed by LightNet, one of the spearheads of our region in the field of communications infrastructure. Plans for the future are to connect this infrastructure to the rest of the country and neighbouring countries, including Slovenia. 

'The 5G Sitacor project,' Bassi concludes, 'paves the way for the realisation of a digital infrastructure that will benefit economic operators and citizens. In the academic field, I would like to emphasise the start of an important collaboration between the University of Trieste and the University of Ljubljana on a strategic issue for the area'. 

Developing a new therapy capable of completely regenerating the heart after a myocardial infarction, forming new tissue and new blood vessels to restore the heart muscle to full function: this is the goal of the RESCUE international research project - Bridging the gap between cardiac regeneration and revascularization coordinated by the University of Trieste, which involves experts in cardiac regeneration and angiogenesis from Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Slovakia and Turkey.

‘For many years, progress in the fields of cardiac regeneration and angiogenesis have proceeded in the same direction, without talking to each other. However, repairing a heart damaged by an infarction requires the formation of both new heart muscle and new blood vessels. With the RESCUE project, we aim to bridge this gap between cardiac regeneration and revascularisation: we want, in fact, to develop a new biological drug containing two active ingredients - and in particular two RNA molecules - that can regenerate the heart and simultaneously promote the vascularisation of the regenerated tissue,' explains project coordinator Serena Zacchigna, professor of molecular biology at the department of medical, surgical and health sciences at the University of Trieste and head of the cardiovascular biology laboratory at ICGEB (International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology).

The researchers have already identified a number of candidate molecules, which have been shown to promote the proliferation of heart muscle cells on the one hand and the formation of new blood vessels, both small capillaries and larger arteries, on the other. Over the next three years, researchers will experiment with different combinations until they identify the most effective one. This will be the first time that two biological molecules, capable of stimulating these two fundamental processes for the repair of an infarcted heart, are combined in a single drug, to demonstrate synergy of action. 

The University of Trieste – the only Italian university leading one of the seventeen projects selected by the CARDINNOV call for proposals – will coordinate the study in collaboration with the Monzino Cardiological Centre Research Hospital, in particular with the research group of Prof. Giulio Pompilio, scientific director and alternate Italian delegate to the Committee for Advanced Therapies (CAT) of the European Medicines Agency (EMA). 

'Myocardial infarction continues to be a major cause of death,' explains Prof. Giulio Pompilio, scientific director of the Monzino Cardiological Centre Research Hospital. 'Research has recently produced new RNA drugs that act on the risk factors of infarction, but there are still no therapies that stimulate heart repair. In the coming years, we expect more and more RNA drugs to be introduced into the clinic for the treatment of heart disease,' the professor concludes.

The National Centre for Cardiovascular Research (CNIC) in Madrid, the University of Utrecht, the Lokman Hekim University in Ankara, the Slovak Academy of Sciences, and the PLN Foundation patient association, the latter of which is responsible for educating and raising awareness among patients and caregivers about the new RNA therapies, are collaborating on the project. 

With funding of EUR 1.5 million - of which more than 600,000 are earmarked for Italy, through the Ministry of University and Research and the Ministry of Health - the project is promoted by the EU ERA4Health partnership, which supports collaboration between various European and international research bodies in priority areas in the health sector, fostering the development of therapeutic innovations..