At Fondazione Edmund Mach, it is time for summer schools and international meetings dedicated to research and innovation, bringing together researchers, students, technologists and professionals from all over the world. Today marks the end of the hybrid Summer School organized as part of the European AlgaeNet4AV project, which explored the ecology and biodiversity of microalgae—organisms that represent one of the most promising biological resources for the development of new biotechnological applications.
The event was opened by FEM General Director, Riccardo Velasco, who underlined the importance of the initiative: "This Summer School fully aligns with our mission: to build a concrete bridge and an ongoing dialogue between the business world and research. FEM is an international institute with a long history of scientific excellence; having a background as a researcher myself, I feel particularly close to the goals of these days."
Through lectures, seminars and discussions with experts from both academia and industry, participants had the opportunity to explore the entire process leading from the discovery of new metabolites produced by microalgae and cyanobacteria to their exploitation in innovative products. The topics of the Summer School—organized by the Hydrobiology Unit of the Research and Innovation Centre—spanned from taxonomic and metabolomic biodiversity to large-scale biomass production, highlighting the connections between basic research, experimentation and industrial applications.
The high level of interest in the initiative is confirmed by the numbers, with over 260 participants registered from 46 countries (70% of whom from Europe), drawn by the industrial potential of microalgae and cyanobacteria. Indeed, these microorganisms are true natural laboratories capable of synthesising high-added-value molecules: from the renowned spirulina and the antioxidant astaxanthin, to exclusive extracts such as phycocyanin (a natural blue pigment), plant-based Omega-3s and biomolecules with antiviral properties. This extraordinary biochemical variety makes them a strategic and sustainable resource for the nutraceutical, cosmetic, pharmaceutical and food sectors.
Another major international initiative confirming FEM's role as a meeting point for research, advanced training and innovation is scheduled for 11–19 July and will be dedicated to the development of open-source software for geographic analysis. The GRASS Community Meeting 2026 is the main annual gathering of the international community that develops and supports GRASS GIS, one of the most important open-source software platforms for geographic and environmental data management and analysis.