From Earthquakes to AI, 94 Million for Research Infrastructures

94 million euros allocated for research infrastructures for 10 public bodies . The interventions, the Ministry of University and Research announced, are "ready to be put into action thanks to the Fund for construction and research infrastructures". Minister Anna Maria Bernini signed the decree that distributes the new annual amount of the Fund for research bodies. Among the infrastructures that will be able to benefit from the funds, those for earthquake monitoring, for the study of superconducting magnets, high-temperature superconducting materials, optical fibers for metrology and the icebreaker Laura Bassi. BERNINI RESEARCH NEEDS INVESTMENTS "Sustainability, artificial intelligence, environmental challenges, earthquake monitoring: research needs investment, it is necessary to guarantee resources for scientific projects, finance new infrastructures, support the most advanced technologies", observes in a note the Minister of University and Research Anna Maria Bernini, regarding the overall funding of 94 million allocated to the infrastructures of ten public research bodies.

"The 94 million we have allocated for the Fund for the construction and modernization of scientific infrastructures adds an important piece to the growth of our research. With these resources - continues the minister - the institutions will have the opportunity to strengthen their study activities, to purchase new technologies, to renovate and secure sites, to start new projects capable of generating concrete and positive effects to improve the quality of life. In this way we want to give continuity to an already excellent work, the pride of the country".

For Bernini, public research institutions "are jewels, a source of pride for Italy, a scientific reference at an international level. We - he continues - have the responsibility to ensure that these excellences can grow and continue on the path they have undertaken. It is necessary to be able to guarantee resources for new projects, finance increasingly complex infrastructures, support the most advanced technologies". The new funding of 94 million, he notes, "goes in this direction. It allows scientific institutions to strengthen their study activities and open new fronts of study capable of generating concrete and positive spin-offs to improve the quality of life. We want to give continuity to an already excellent work, the pride of the country". TO CNR 7.5 MILLION FOR INFRASTRUCTURES IN ANTARCTICA 7.5 million assigned to the National Research Council to renovate and strengthen the two Italian research bases in Antarctica: 'Mario Zucchelli in Terra Nova Bay and Concordia on the plateau. For the president of the CNR Maria Chiara Carrozza, "the CNR's Antarctic scientific stations, given the hostile environment to which they are subjected, inevitably require renovation interventions: the funding assigned to the CNR for 2025 as part of the Fund for construction and research infrastructures will allow us to complete important objectives, partly already undertaken in previous years, which aim to maintain the high scientific level of the Stations and at the same time respect the need, today increasingly shared, to ensure that the activities carried out in these extreme environments have a lower environmental and energy impact". INGV GIVES 6 MILLION EUROS TO MONITORING THE CAMPI FLEGREI The 6 million euros assigned to the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology for research infrastructures are intended to strengthen research infrastructures for real-time monitoring of seismic signals and the study of earthquakes, particularly in the Campi Flegrei area. The 6 million euros allocated to the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology for research infrastructures, out of the 94 allocated by the Ministry for Universities and Research from the Fund for Construction and Research Infrastructures. The funds just allocated "represent a substantial contribution for the realization of important preparatory activities for scientific research at the service of the country", observes the president of the INGV Fabio Florindo. INFN 34 MILLION FOR SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND AI Superconductivity and artificial intelligence are among the objectives of the 34 million funding for infrastructure assigned to the National Institute of Nuclear Physics by the Ministry of University and Research for 2025. INFN plans to use the funds "to continue some strategic multi-year activities that the ministry has already been financially supporting since 2022", such as the renovation and repurposing of the Gran Sasso National Laboratories building, acquired by the Institute to expand the availability of experimental rooms, offices and guesthouses and to implement new initiatives to enhance and enhance its infrastructure assets. "These are key investments not only for science but also, more generally, for society, in light of the increasingly strategic role that research infrastructures play both for the advancement of knowledge and for technological innovation", observes INFN President Antonio Zoccoli. ALMOST 27 MILLION FOR INFRASTRUCTURE TO INAF The approximately 27 million allocated to the National Institute of Astrophysics of the Ministry for Universities and Research as part of the fund for construction and research infrastructures for research institutions are intended to set up new spaces for study and dissemination. "It is with great satisfaction that we welcome this allocation that allows us to continue to give shape to the many structural and technological modernization interventions at the Observatories of Turin, Milan, Padua, Florence, Rome (together with the Institute of Space Astrophysics and Planetology), Naples, Catania and Palermo", comments the president of Inaf Roberto Ragazzoni. 2 MILLION FOR THE LABORATORIES OF THE AREA SCIENCE PARK Strengthening research on the mechanisms underlying diseases: this is the purpose of the 2 million euros allocated for 2025 to the Area Science Park of Trieste by the Ministry for Universities and Research as part of the Fund for construction and research infrastructures. The resources will strengthen the laboratory hosted at the University of Salerno, with which Area Science Park has a multi-year collaboration. The Salerno science laboratory will operate in an integrated manner with the life science research infrastructure (genomics, structural biology and data science) of Area Science Park, which represents a node of the national and international network of the Central European Research Infrastructure Consortium (CERIC) and which operates in open access mode. "The funding from the Mur is of great importance in the development strategy of the activities of the Institution because it allows us to strengthen the southern laboratory by creating the basis for the construction of a new Institute of integrated omic sciences", declared the president of Area Science Park, Caterina Petrillo. 3.4 MILLION FOR THE ZOOLOGICAL STATION 'ANTON DOHRN' The recovery of the Biblioteca del Mare, the safety of the historic site, interventions for the Marine farm aimed at ensuring the well-being of marine organisms maintained for research and conservation projects: these are the main interventions in the pipeline for the 'Anton Dohrn' zoological station in Naples for 2025, thanks to the 3.4 million euro funding assigned by the Ministry of University and Research as part of the Fund for construction and research infrastructures. "Italian science has so far managed to maintain high levels of quality and productivity, despite a significantly lower level of funding compared to other European countries, thanks to an excellent cultural tradition", observes Roberto Bassi, president of the 'Anton Dohrn' zoological station. ALMOST 7.5 MILLION FOR INFRASTRUCTURE AT INRIM Fiber optics, quantum technologies, chip metrology and infrastructures at the service of the energy transition: these are among the interventions ready to be implemented by the National Institute of Metrological Research in Turin thanks to the funding for research infrastructures of almost 7.5 million euros assigned to the institution by the Ministry of University and Research. Of the 94 million euros of the Fund for construction and research infrastructures, the allocation planned for Inrim is 7,499,148 euros. The funding "represents an important recognition of the strategic value of the activities carried out by our Institute", observed the president of Inrim Pietro Asinari. 4 MILLION FOR OGS TO MODERNIZE THE SHIP 'LAURA BASSI' A modernization and extraordinary maintenance plan for the icebreaker 'Laura Bassi' will be possible thanks to the 4 million euros allocated to the National Institute of Oceanography and Experimental Geophysics (OGS) by the Ministry of University and Research as part of the new annual Fund for construction and research infrastructures. "With this important funding, the ministry guarantees investment in the future of marine research, strengthening Italy's scientific presence on the international scene, especially with regard to the polar areas. The intervention will, in fact, guarantee the ship an operational life of at least another twenty years, increasing efficiency, safety and sustainability", observes the president of OGS Nicola Casagli.