(LIFE+) This project focuses on the adaptation of forest areas to extreme meteorological events, the promotion of fast responses to negative effects produced by such events, the acceleration of natural regeneration processes, targeting stable ecosystems with high biodiversity levels, and the generation of economic benefits to compensate the loss of income from timber exploitation.

Specific objectives are to:

• Consolidate the knowledge base on the use of innovative agroforestry procedures in forest farming, assess the effectiveness of the method and encourage its use in European forests;
• Develop an ecosystem-based innovative approach by implementing temporary/transitional (15/20 years) agroforestry until the growth of forest trees, and finalised to: i) tackle in the short time most of the negative effects caused to the environment by the destruction of trees (e.g. erosion, mineralisation of organic matter, loss of biodiversity); ii) accelerate the reconstruction of forest ecosystems, mixing natural and artificial reforestation concepts to promote the establishment of stable ecosystems characterised by high biodiversity and ecological value; and iii) create opportunities for sustainable economic development aiming to halt depopulation in the affected areas;
• Test and apply the VAIA approach in several areas characterised by different conditions to define fast response models to be transferred to other sites affected by extreme weather events, intensified by climate changes; and
• Promote the implementation of the EU Forest Strategy (in particular the 2021 Strategy).

The project contributes to the implementation of the EU Strategy on adaptation to climate change (COM(213)2016 and the new Strategy COM/2021/82 final); and the new EU Forest Strategy, under the European Green Deal, which highlights the need “to maintain and enhance forest resilience and adaptive capacity, including through adaptive solutions”. In addition, the project is in line with the 2019 Alpine Convention on climate change.

(ANCI) Enhancement of abandoned/underused mid-mountain areas in the municipality of Arco - Alto Garda area in Trentino. The project activity is carried out in (in)formative moments or indications to the technical staff of the municipality or local stakeholders on specific activities in the livestock sector, such as the valorisation of meadows/pastures, minor crops /organic agriculture, enhancement of the beekeeping sector and restoration of chestnut trees. The main aim is the recovery of that part of the public heritage - which belongs directly or indirectly to the Municipality of Arco - currently in a state of decay/abandonment. In particular, these are terraced, hilly or high-altitude land allotments where there are also huts that the Municipality would like to analyze, in order to understand how to revitalize and consequently assign management to young farmers.

(WELLCOME FOUNDATION) General objectives of the project: to establish an innovative and multidisciplinary research group to develop analytical methods capable of identifying drugs subject to fraud (falsified and substandard (SF) medicines) with a particular focus on antimicrobials.

FEM activity: use of the analysis of stable isotope ratios as a potential method for determining drugs subject to fraud similar to what is already done in the agro-food sector.

(EIT Food-KIC) Assessing digital and cultural potential of Food Hubs towards sustainable local food systems.

This project aims to study and test the importance of designing sustaining and managing landscape and social infrastructure to make food circular sustainability more shared and practicable. The shortening of the supply chain could be a solution to improve the economic, social and environmental sustainability of the food supply chain. To promote these changes, it is necessary to work with a multiscale and multilevel approach. The project aims to explore agroecological landscapes as places for social innovation, care and transformation in support of sustainable local food policies in RIS countries (Italy, Spain, Portugal).

The project explores the role of food as an element of reconnection between farmers, citizens and “eaters” (i.e. citizens more aware of sustainable food issues) through the promotion of Community-Supported Agriculture models as sustainable examples of production, distribution, and consumption of food as well as care and enhancement of the landscape.

(COST OPEN CALL 2021) Mountainous areas are characterized by disparity, poorer territorial cohesion, unbalanced use and conservation of ecosystem services, rich and exploited natural resources, and marginalization.

MARGISTAR forum reflects collaboratively on natural, environmental, social and economic inter-relationships and
interactions in mountainous areas, and identifies a range of environmental, social, economic, and political
challenges.

It enables innovation through a range of physical and virtual meetings to co-design innovative
pathways for the transformation of marginalized mountainous areas towards their green, digital and healthy
futures.

(Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions MSCA) This project seeks to exploit the microalgae biodiversity, as a source for high-added-value lectins and polyphenols with antiviral properties against influenza and coronavirus pandemic strains. Microalgae derived-compounds are easily amendable, bio-degradable, non-toxic and safe; thus, they are preferred to be used for the development of novel bio-based materials and cosmetics with antiviral potential. Lectins and polyphenols could be highly demanded non-drug interventions across the materials and cosmetics industry as a solution to reduce the risk and speed of contamination and transmission during pandemic outbreaks.

The project will combine the whole value chain in order to:

• develop transcriptomics and metabolomics resources from microalgae diversity as a valuable source for the discovery novel lectins and polyphenols;
• characterize their spectrum of bioactivity and toxicity and provide structure-function relationships;
• develop and optimize application-based microalgae culture systems and downstream processing strategies for higher production rate of the desired compounds;
• develop, formulate and evaluate lectins and polyphenols-based final cosmetics products.

The work will be supported by market assessment, integral biorefinery designs, techno-economic and sustainability assessment. Integrated value chains will be demonstrated to deliver proof-of-concept and demonstrate economic feasibility.

(EUREGIO) With more than 4000 vascular plant species, the Alps are one of the hotspots of European biodiversity. Particularly the Alpine grasslands are extraordinarily species-rich and harbour much of the biodiversity of the Alps. Polyploidisation (multiplication of chromosome sets) has been an important mechanism contributing to diversification of Alpine plants, also in the graminoid genus Luzula (Juncaceae). Contrary to true polyploidy, which is widespread across the plant kingdom, the process named agmatoploidy, i.e. fission of holocentric chromosomes, is restricted to a small number of plant families and genera, including Luzula. Compared to the multitude of studies dedicated to polyploid evolution, only a few studies have tackled diversification mechanisms of agmatoploids and our goal is to fill this gap by studying evolution and diversification of eight Luzula species in the Eastern Alps.

(EUREGIO) Come dichiarato negli obiettivi del millennio delle Nazioni Unite, una delle maggiori sfide per l'umanità è la riduzione della fame entro il 2030 e la garanzia di cibo per gli attesi 8,3 miliardi di persone nel mondo. Di conseguenza, si prevede un significativo aumento dell'uso di pesticidi sintetici al fine di ottimizzare la resa delle colture. Tali pesticidi comportano, tuttavia, gravi effetti negativi sulla salute ambientale e umana.

La frutta e in particolare l'uva sono tra le colture che richiederanno l'uso più abbondante di fungicidi soprattutto contro la peronospora causata dal patogeno oomicete Plasmopara viticola. Si stima che due terzi di tutti i fungicidi sintetici attualmente impiegati in agricoltura nell'Unione europea vengano utilizzati per controllare la peronospora della vite. Di conseguenza P. viticola è diventato recentemente resistente a molti fungicidi. Pertanto, la ricerca e lo sviluppo di strategie alternative per controllare le infezioni da P. viticola sono urgentemente necessari. In alternativa all'uso di sostanze chimiche tossiche, viene proposto un nuovo tipo di prodotto fitosanitario basato sull'azione di piccoli RNA (siRNA) interferenti rivolti specificamente a P. viticola.

NRP Mission 4, Component 2, Investment 1.5 - Creation and strengthening of 'Innovation Ecosystems', building 'territorial R&D leaders' 

• MUR Notice No. 3277 of 30.12.2021 
• Financing: € 109,866,032.00 
• Directorial Decree Granting Funding No. 1058 of 23 June 2022 
• Identification code: ECS000043 
• CUP: D43C22001370006

PNRR Mission 4: Education and Research, Component 2: From Research to Enterprise, Investment 1.3 - Partnerships extended to universities, research centres, enterprises and research project funding:

• MUR Notice No. 341 of 15 March 2022 
• Financing € 114,500,000.00 
• Directorial Decree granting MUR No. 1550 of 11 October 2022 
• Identification Code: PE0000003 
• CUP B43C22000770006

NRP Mission 4, Component 2, Investment 1.4 - Strengthening research structures and creating 'national R&D champions' on certain Key Enabling Technologies. 

• MUR Notice No. 3138 of 16.12.2021 
• Funding: 350 million euro (320 million from the PNRR) 
• Directorial Decree of Granting of Funding No. 1032 of 17.06.2022 
• Identification code: Progetto CN_00000033
• CUP: D43C22001280006