ERN-Apulia2 targets to continue bringing Apulian population closer to the research and viceversa. Apulia is an Italian region with about 4.1 million inhabitants and 4 public universities having a total of about 2800 permanent researchers in addition to those in Public and Private Research Institutions. The large capacity of beneficiaries was already demonstrated in the past EU-funded project for 2018 and 2019 Nights.

ERN-Apulia2 further enlarged the network of partners in order to overpass its previous achievements. Main objectives are:

• to implement preparatory events and the 2020 ERN, with particular attention to students, industrial and professional organizations, municipalities and public administrations, already actively involved in the past editions;

• to increase public awareness and recognition of the importance and impact of research in daily life, with specific examples from ICT to health and life sciences, from elementary particle to the preservation of cultural heritage, etc with a special emphasis on sustainability for the 2020 edition;

• to stimulate curiosity and interest and explain the fascinating world and the opportunities in research, especially to the youngest as a mean to encourage them to embark scientific careers;

• to establish a tight connection among population/institutions and researcher to continue during the year;

• to prepare and publicize dissemination materials along with scientific games and site visits (including laboratories and sites of cultural interest) to be available during the whole year for the general public;

• to explain the spirit and opportunities of the European Research Area, the H2020 agenda, the Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions and the principles of “The European Charter for Researchers”;

• to reach a number of followers close to 200,000, a number of participants larger than 100,000 (among all the various initiatives) and a number of participants to the ERN larger than 50,000.

Call:
H2020-MSCA-NIGHT-2020

Ruolo Politecnico:
Partner

Responsabile scientifico del Politecnico:
Prof. Vincenzo L. Spagnolo

SSD:
FIS/01 “Fisica sperimentale”

Sito web:
https://www.nottedeiricercatori.it/ern-apulia/

The main goal is to enable schools, in particular teachers, parents and pupils, to participate in high quality citizen science projects in both curricular and extracurricular contexts.

Citizen Science (CS) has raised a lot of attention in the last years. Its main goal is to involve citizens in different types of science projects, in particular to

1. improve engagement and

2. to increase research capacities, e.g. by shared data collection.

Many projects have incorporated citizen science approaches. Whereas citizen science works well for educational purposes (e.g. in inquiry-based science education), the acceptance of CS on a scientific level ranges from low to questionable. Even though the European Association for Citizen Science has clear guidelines and support mechanisms, many CS projects are not taken seriously. This is the main starting point for the FabCitizen project: We aim at providing tools to increase the quality of CS projects, in particular in schools. For this purpose, we will integrate FabLabs as the main educational environment as they can provide both, technological as well as methodological expertise.

We base our project on clearly defined requirements, amongst them:

• In schools, CS projects need to be embedded in the curriculum

• To ease the implementation, teachers need high quality (open) scenarios and learning materials

• CS projects need support in terms of methodological and technological expertise.

In the project, we will achieve the following main results:

• A Citizen Science competency framework describing knowledge, skills and attitudes to successfully engage in high quality CS projects incorporating the key skill of data handling (such as analytics, security, ethics)

• A pedagogical concept incorporating aspects of inquiry and service learning

• A guide for FabLabs as the key infrastructure to educate and train schools and citizens

• At least 200 Open learning scenarios to train teachers, pupils and parents in early secondary school

• A collection of Open Educational Resources supporting the approach

• A good practice guide for schools and FabLabs across Europe.

Call:
2020 Round 1 KA2 - Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices - KA203 - Strategic Partnerships for higher education

Ruolo Politecnico:
Partner

Responsabile scientifico del Politecnico:
Prof. Nicola Parisi

SSD:
ICAR/14 “Composizione architettonica e urbana”

The project aim is to create an Italian-Albanian-Montenegrin network to support the valorisation of agricultural waste derived from the in-filed and industrial agro-processing and promote their usage within the framework of the European Directives for rational use of energy, with particular reference to public buildings.

The reuse of waste allows to avoid the open-air burning, frequent and hazardous practice from a public health viewpoint. As matter of fact, it is estimated that burning biomass releases in the environment high percentages of carbon dioxide (CO₂), carbon monoxide (CO), particulate matter (PM), and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Thus, currently, this practice is forbidden by the law in the most countries.

The project responds to the requirement of promoting the circular economy design process for a regenerative economy, converting waste, provided by local agricultural companies, into a resource usable as a new raw material for the production of sustainable building components and contribute to obtain greener and “low impact” nearly-zero energy buildings.

The final goal of the project is to disseminate the knowledge on the potential use of the agro-waste as building materials also using the self-building practice, demonstrating their practical advantages.

Call:
2nd Call for projects IPA II CBC ITALY-ALBANIA-MONTENEGRO – targeted

Ruolo Politecnico:
Partner

Responsabile scientifico del Politecnico:
Prof. Francesco Martellotta (DICAR), Prof.ssa Katia Casavola (DMMM)

SSD:
ING-IND/11 “Fisica tecnica ambientale”; ING-IND/14 “Progettazione meccanica e costruzione di macchine”

Macroscopic adhesion is of utmost importance in key technologies such as soft and climbing robots, aerospace grasping technologies, human-robot interactions, pick-and-place manipulators. Commonly, bioinspired adhesives interfaces have been characterized from a quasi-static perspective, neglecting the effect of dynamic excitations. Nevertheless, recent observations suggest that added microvibrations may be exploited to strongly enhance and rapidly tune macroscopic adhesion. By exploiting the multiplicative coupling between geometric- and viscoelastic vibration-induced enhancements of macroscopic adhesion, SURFACE aims at designing future soft interfaces with unprecedented and tuneable adhesion strength.

To this end, I aim to:
(i) develop highly efficient numerical tools for studying adhesion of patterned soft surfaces under micro-vibration excitation,
(ii) unveil the coupling effect between topography and viscoelasticity that determine the interfacial strength and toughness
(iii) design optimal surface topography and excitation for macroscopic adhesion tuning, by exploiting artificial intelligence models to unveil new mechanisms for adhesion enhancement
(iv) prove the adhesive performance reached, by experimentally testing high-resolution 3D printed interfaces with the desired topography and superposed microvibrations.

So far, the adhesive performance of bioinspired patterned interfaces has been limited by manufacturing capabilities at the micro/nanoscale. SURFACE ground-breaking approach aims at exploiting dynamics excitation to outperform state-of-the-art adhesive interfaces. By exploiting artificial intelligence models, SURFACE aims at revealing new mechanisms for adhesion enhancement, which lay beyond our intuition. Rapidly tuneable strong adhesive interfaces have the potential to revolutionize cutting-edge technologies based on soft adhesive interfaces that require to move and place objects quickly and with accuracy.

Call:
ERC-2021-Starting Grant

Ruolo Politecnico:
Hosting Institution

Responsabile scientifico del Politecnico:
Principal investigator: Prof. Antonio Papangelo

SSD:
ING-IND/14

ERN-Apulia3 targets to continue bringing Apulian population closer to researchers and vice versa. Apulia is an Italian region with about 4.1 million inhabitants and 4 public universities having a total of about 2800 permanent researchers in addition to those in Public and Private Research Institutions. The large capacity of beneficiaries was already demonstrated in the past EU-funded projects for 2018, 2019 and 2020 Nights. ERN-Apulia3 further enlarged the network of partners in order to overpass its previous achievements.

Main objectives are:

• to implement preparatory events and the 2021 ERN, with particular attention to students, industrial and professional organizations, municipalities and public administrations, already actively involved in the past editions;

• to increase public awareness and recognition of the importance and impact of research in daily life, with specific examples from ICT to health and life sciences, from elementary particle to cultural heritage, etc., with a special emphasis on societal challenges for the 2021 edition;

• to stimulate curiosity and interest and explain the fascinating world and the opportunities in research, especially to the youngest as a mean to encourage them to embark scientific careers;

• to establish a tight connection among population/institutions and researchers to continue during the year;

• to prepare and publicize dissemination materials along with scientific games and site visits (including laboratories and sites of cultural interest) to be available during the whole year for the general public;

• to explain the spirit and opportunities of the European Research Area, the Marie Sklodowska-Curie actions and the principles of the European Charter for Researchers;

• to reach a number of Facebook Impressions >1.5M and Reach >400k, YouTube Views >30k and watch time >1000h, followers close to 200k, participants >100k (among all the various initiatives) and participants to the ERN >50k.

Call:
H2020-MSCA-NIGHT-2020bis

Ruolo del Politecnico:
Partner

Responsabile scientifico del Politecnico:
Prof. Vincenzo Spagnolo (DIF)

SSD:
FIS/01 – Experimental Physics

Asia is, by far, the continent which has registered the steepest growth in population and goods consumption in recent decades. However, similarly to other parts of the world, the ability of the socio-economic system to manage the resulting increase in waste generation has not kept pace. One of the most pressing issues in many Asian countries is the lack of professionals specialized in solid waste management.

To address this challenge, it is essential to develop a dedicated workforce and build sector-specific knowledge. This can only be achieved by offering specialized educational courses at various levels and promoting capacity building, governance models, and training programmes. New academic and TVET (Technical and Vocational Education and Training) educational products—targeted also at informal workers—will focus on sustainable solid waste management, health and environmental risks of improper treatment, and business operations. These tools aim to meet the needs of teachers and trainers, and consequently, those of students and trainees, by educating them on the most critical aspects of waste management.

The project will also offer practical learning experiences through the establishment of Training Hubs during the implementation of the SWAP Project. The overarching objective is to strengthen capacity building at the tertiary level and to support training for the vulnerable group of informal waste practitioners.

Ultimately, the project aims to enhance entrepreneurship and the employability of university graduates from Southeast Asian HEIs in the field of sustainable solid waste management. This will be made possible through close collaboration among stakeholders from the Quadruple-helix: academia, industry, government, and civil society.

Thanks to this holistic and inclusive structure, the SWAP Project will not only provide high-quality educational products, strategies, and tools, but also support the development of relevant policies in the target countries.

Call:
Call for Proposals 2020 – EAC-A02-2019-CBHE – CBHE-JP – Capacity Building in Higher Education

Ruolo del Politecnico:
Partner

Responsabile scientifico del Politecnico:
Prof.ri De Gisi / Notarnicola (DICATECH)

SSD:
ING-IND/22 – Scienza e tecnologia dei materiali

Sito web:
https://www.swap-eplus.org/index.php

The Naval Industry, Shipbuilding and the related supply chain in the Adriatic-Ionian region are facing great challenges as they undergo the significant transformation brought by the Fourth Industrial Revolution. This shift affects the entire value chain, including production processes, intercompany relations, and human capital development, and requires a fresh adoption of advanced technologies.

The FUTURE 4.0 project developed an experimental knowledge transfer methodology targeted at companies in the sector, aiming to support their transition toward Industry 4.0 and break down innovation barriers between universities, research centers, and enterprises. Tools and models were designed and tested to strengthen competencies, raise awareness of technological trends and needs, and rethink the skill sets required to enable industrial transformation.

Now, with FUTURE 4.0 PLUS, the focus shifts to sharing and valorizing the knowledge capital produced, making it widely accessible—especially to companies and training institutions preparing for a greener and more digital future. To maximize the visibility of the project’s achievements, specific actions will be implemented to disseminate results and practical insights.

Looking toward the Factory of the Future concept, targeted workshops and events will address Industry 4.0 transformation from different angles, sharing research outcomes, showcasing further applications of the learning tools, and reinforcing the network established between academia and enterprises across the Adriatic-Ionian region. New communication materials, such as tutorial videos, will explain the project's main achievements and demonstrate how its knowledge transfer model can be applied in real contexts.

Additionally, the project will highlight the Technological Map and share the most valuable insights from the Pilot Actions through a dedicated web area, where project documentation and analyses—duly reviewed—will be made available for consultation.

Call:
INTERREG V-B Adriatic-Ionian ADRION Programme 2014–2020 – Restricted fourth call for proposals – Priority Axes 1, 2 and 3

Ruolo del Politecnico:
Partner

Responsabile scientifico del Politecnico:
Prof.ssa Maria Pia Fanti (DEI)

SSD:
ING-INF/04 – Automatica

Sito web:
https://future4.adrioninterreg.eu/

Realizzazione di un sistema socio-eco-tecnico in grado di abilitare comunità resilienti attraverso lo sviluppo di tecnologie, metodologie e modelli innovativi integrati che favoriscano la sostenibilità ambientale, sociale ed economica delle comunità, e che permettano di far fronte a situazioni di crisi impreviste.

Call:
Progetti di ricerca industriale e sviluppo sperimentale nelle 12 Aree di specializzazione individuate dal PNR 2015–2020 (Avviso del 13/07/2017)

Ruolo del Politecnico:
Partner

Responsabile scientifico del Politecnico:
Prof.ssa Barbara Scozzi (DMMM)

SSD:
• ING-IND/35 – Ingegneria Economico-Gestionale (gruppo di ricerca coordinato dalla Prof.ssa Barbara Scozzi, DMMM)
• ICAR/20 – Architettura Tecnica (gruppo di ricerca coordinato dalla Prof.ssa Angela Barbanente, DICATECH)

HARTU will provide the necessary tools to implement three basic stages of parts handling: grasping, assembly, and releasing.

These tools aim to address key challenges in the creation of handling applications through innovative technical approaches:
(1) Identification and control of self-supervised grasp and release planning policies;
(2) Learning and control of contact-rich assembly skills from human demonstrations;
(3) Development of AI-based multi-modal perception for visual servoing and continuous monitoring in handling operations, supported by virtual and continuous learning;
(4) Development of versatile and dexterous soft grippers with electro-active fingertips.

HARTU is an industry-driven research project that includes the deployment of these technologies in five industrially relevant scenarios: four manufacturing lines from different sectors (automotive, household appliances, hand tool manufacturing, and food processing), and one in logistics. These scenarios present a wide variability in terms of product shape, material, and size.

This approach contributes to:
(1) The industrial objective of HARTU – increasing the flexibility, reconfigurability, and efficiency of manufacturing lines through handling systems that are easy to integrate and configure, as well as safe and reliable. This will be supported by application development tools and a reference architecture.
(2) The social objective – contributing to user acceptance and adoption, identification of skill development needs, and compliance with legal, ethical, and liability requirements.

Call:
HORIZON-CL4-2022-TWIN-TRANSITION-0

Ruolo del Politecnico:
Partner

Responsabile scientifico del Politecnico:
Prof. Giuseppe Carbone (DMMM)

SSD:
ING-IND/13 – Meccanica applicata alle macchine

The IN2CCAM consortium, in line with the Horizon Europe framework programme 2021–2027 that aims to accelerate the implementation of innovative CCAM (Connected, Cooperative and Automated Mobility) technologies and systems for passengers and goods, intends to develop, implement and demonstrate innovative services for connected and automated vehicles, infrastructures and users. The goal is to provide tangible benefits to all citizens by fully integrating CCAM services into the overall transport system.

The main expected positive impacts for society include:
i) Safety – reducing the number of road accidents caused by human error;
ii) Environment – lowering transport emissions and congestion by smoothing traffic flow and avoiding unnecessary trips;
iii) Inclusiveness – ensuring equitable mobility and access for all users.

To achieve these objectives, the approach is based on the implementation and integration of enhanced physical, digital and operational infrastructures that will enrich CCAM services and improve traffic safety and efficiency.

A set of such infrastructure-based solutions will be proposed and implemented in four Lead Living Labs (LLs): Tampere (Finland), Trikala (Greece), Turin (Italy), and Vigo (Spain). In addition, two Follower LLs will contribute during the design phase by providing ideas and data validated through simulation and testing: Bari (Italy) and Quadrilatero (Portugal).

Call:
HORIZON-CL5-2022-D6-01

Ruolo del Politecnico:
Coordinator

Responsabile scientifico del Politecnico:
Prof.ssa Maria Pia Fanti (DEI)

SSD:
ING-INF/04 – Automatica

The environment is one of the most crucial determinants of health. The Global Burden of Disease report estimates an emerging impact in terms of disability and reduction in quality of life worldwide, particularly for aging populations. One of the root causes of this decline likely derives from the interaction between socio-environmental risk factors and sub-clinical conditions, leading to an increase in primary non-communicable diseases such as dementia, COPD, cerebrovascular, and chronic ischemic heart diseases.

The multi-dimensional causal pathways of these interactions are still largely unknown. In this complex scenario, where the relationship between exposures and outcomes is highly variable and multifaceted, the Health Impact Assessment (HIA) process represents the standard tool for evaluating the issue—from screening health risk factors to proposing new health policies and monitoring their effects. However, a fully digital HIA system capable of dynamically adapting to the variability of these determinants and their interactions is still poorly explored.

Artificial Intelligence algorithms offer innovative, high-performance possibilities for HIA implementations by enhancing the processing and interpretation of complex datasets. This proposal aims to develop a technological toolkit for a dynamic, intelligent HIA capable of predicting the health impact of various determinants and forecasting disability and quality of life trajectories. The method will leverage environmental, socio-economic, geographical, and clinical data, all managed through a federated learning architecture.

The predictive models generated will be adjusted for lifestyle and individual conditions based on data collected from large-scale, population-based digital surveys. These models will be trained and validated using three exposure case studies related to steel plant pollution: Taranto (Italy), Rybnik (Poland), and Flanders (Belgium).

Call:
HORIZON-HLTH-2022-ENVHLTH-04

Ruolo del Politecnico:
Partner

Responsabile scientifico del Politecnico:
Prof. Tommaso Di Noia (DEI)

SSD:
ING-INF/05 – Sistemi di elaborazione delle informazioni

Climate change poses an unprecedented challenge to today’s society. Numerous studies highlight the urgent need to decarbonize global industry and drastically reduce pollutant emissions across all sectors, including aviation. Although the global environmental impact of aviation is mostly driven by small- to medium-range market aircraft due to the high volume of operations, the development of disruptive technologies for the power demands such applications require cannot be implemented until novel enabling technologies are progressively matured at smaller scale or size.

The transformation of regional aviation—i.e., aircraft serving distances of 500 to 1000 km with up to 100 seats—will thus lead the way towards sustainability and will play a particularly important role. Both battery-powered and liquid hydrogen fuel cell technologies will not be sufficiently mature to enable a fully electric regional aircraft within the next decade. Therefore, an intermediate step is necessary to significantly reduce GHG emissions by 2035.

The development of a hybrid-electric propulsion system for regional aircraft, with at least 50% hybridization, represents this challenging yet achievable intermediate solution, potentially enabling a mission fuel burn reduction of at least 50% compared to 2020 state-of-the-art regional aircraft. A thermal engine capable of operating with 100% sustainable aviation fuel will further reduce lifecycle GHG emissions by up to 90%, approaching net-zero levels.

The proposed project AMBER (innovAtive deMonstrator for hyBrid-Electric Regional application) addresses this challenge by advancing the maturity of hybrid-electric key components and validating a product-representative parallel hybrid-electric propulsion system architecture—fuel cell-based—for next-generation regional aircraft with Entry Into Service (EIS) by 2035. This will support the ambitious environmental targets set out in SRIA and the Clean Aviation topic call.

Call:
HORIZON-JU-Clean-Aviation-2022-01

Ruolo del Politecnico:
Partner

Responsabile scientifico del Politecnico:
Prof. Paolo Roberto Massenio (DEI)

SSD:
ING-INF/04 – Automatica

NEUMANN is a pan-European collaborative project involving major players of the European Defence Industrial and Technological Base (EDITB), including key industry, mid-cap companies, SMEs and research organizations, to address the urgent need for strategic autonomy in developing building blocks essential for competitive novel propulsion and energy systems for future air dominance.

The project focuses on propulsion and energy systems technologies required for a highly efficient powerplant capable of delivering both increased electrical power generation and an improved thrust-to-weight ratio — technologies that are currently unavailable in Europe but are essential to meet the mission requirements and operational needs of next-generation fighter aircraft.

The goal of the NEUMANN project is to develop technologies and carry out collaborative system studies for novel energy domains in aircraft, with a focus on propulsion, electrical and thermal systems, and their management. The objective is to reach, within four years, a proof of system integration functionalities and increased confidence in enabling technology readiness at both subsystem and system level up to TRL 4. Ground demonstrators will be employed to assess technology integration and validation.

The project is organised in nine work packages and coordinated by GE Avio. Alongside a broad industrial presence, it is of strategic importance that aircraft manufacturers such as LEONARDO and SAAB are directly involved in the project, ensuring optimal integration of power solutions at platform level.

NEUMANN will enhance strategic autonomy in the defence sector concerning power and propulsion systems, especially in the areas of high-temperature materials, thermal management (enhanced by additive manufacturing), energy generation, and management and control systems. The project also promotes knowledge transfer and the implementation of new technologies within the EU and fosters important cross-border collaborations with SMEs and mid-caps in the defence sector.

Call:
EDF-2021-ENERENV-D-2

Ruolo del Politecnico:
Partner

Responsabile scientifico del Politecnico:
Prof. Paolo Roberto Massenio (DEI)

SSD:
ING-INF/04 – Automatica

GREENLIFE4SEAS stems from the urgent need to find sustainable solutions for two major environmental concerns: the fate of 200 million m³ of sediments, often contaminated, dredged annually in the EU, and the disposal of 490,000 tons/year of shells, which represent one of the most impactful EU aquaculture wastes.

GREENLIFE4SEAS aims to demonstrate the technical feasibility, full safety, and commercial viability of breakthrough solutions for in-situ recovery and reuse of dredged harbour sediments and shells, used as secondary raw materials for the creation of sustainable by-products through an optimised mixing technology.

The project is based on three main pillars:

1. The realisation, at real scale, of four innovative by-products (shell powder, paving blocks, breakwaters, stabilised mass) for the building sector, mainly made by reusing shells and dredged sediments (after decontamination, if polluted), and produced directly in-situ through an original mixing technology.

2. The development of a sound and viable business model for in-situ collection and treatment of mussel shells and dredged sediments, based on a prototype mobile plant (GL4S) that produces the new by-products.

3. The overcoming of regulatory barriers through the definition of a specific authorisation protocol for the reuse of dredged sediments in engineering applications, such as the pilot by-products realised within GREENLIFE4SEAS.

GREENLIFE4SEAS is carried out by a triple-helix model of consortium, where synergy among research capitalisation, industrial symbiosis, and governmental partners as primary stakeholders is the key to innovation and sustainable growth in a knowledge-based economy.

The results of GREENLIFE4SEAS will contribute concretely to improving EU environmental policy on waste management, circular blue economy, and aquaculture.

Call:
LIFE-2022-SAP-ENV

Ruolo del Politecnico:
Coordinator

Responsabile scientifico del Politecnico:
Prof.ssa Claudia Vitone (DICATECH)

SSD:
ICAR/07 – Geotecnica

Sito web:
https://greenlife4seas.poliba.it

The Quantum Secure Networks Partnership (QSNP) project aims at creating a sustainable European ecosystem in quantum cryptography and communication. A majority of its partners, which include world-leading academic groups, research and technology organizations (RTOs), quantum component and system spin-offs, cybersecurity providers, integrators, and telecommunication operators, were members of the European Quantum Flagship projects CIVIQ, UNIQORN and QRANGE. QSNP thus gathers the know-how and expertise from all technology development phases, ranging from innovative designs to development of prototypes for field trials.

QSNP is structured around three main Science and Technology (ST) pillars. The first two pillars, “Next Generation Protocols” and “Integration”, focus on frontier research and innovation, led mostly by academic partners and RTOs. The third ST pillar, “Use cases and Applications”, aims at expanding the industrial and economic impact of quantum secure network technologies and is mostly driven by companies.

In order to achieve the specific objectives within each pillar and ensure that know-how transfer and synergy between them are coherent and effective, QSNP has established ST activities corresponding to the three main layers of the technology value chain: “Components and Systems”, “Networks” and “Cryptography and Security”. This framework will allow achieving the ultimate objective of developing quantum communication technology for critical European infrastructures, such as EuroQCI, as well as for the private information and communication technology (ICT) sectors.

QSNP will contribute to European sovereignty in quantum technology for cybersecurity. Additionally, it will generate significant economic benefits to society, including training new generations of scientists and engineers, as well as creating high-tech jobs in the rapidly growing quantum industry.

Call:
HORIZON-CL4-2022-QUANTUM-04-SGA

Ruolo del Politecnico:
Partner

Responsabile scientifico del Politecnico:
Prof. Cosmo Lupo (DIF)

SSD:
FIS/03 – Fisica della materia