Academic PoCs

This project aims to address the problem of wastewater pollution caused by contrast agents used in medical diagnostics. Although essential for improving the visualisation of tissues and organs in X-ray or MRI imaging, contrast agents containing iodine and heavy metals, such as gadolinium, are a significant source of environmental pollution. Once administered, these agents are excreted through urine and end up in the wastewater system. It is estimated that several hundred million doses of contrast agents are administered each year for X-ray tomography alone, and their increasing use has led to the detection of significant amounts of pollutants in the environment, potentially posing a risk to human health and ecosystems.     Contact: Contact person Angelo Bifone E-mail angelo.bifone@unito.it  Tel. 0116706437 3351270982  

Whey is the main waste product of the dairy industry. Worldwide, 160 Mton/year of it is produced, 8 in Italy alone. Due to its high organic load, whey cannot be discharged directly into surface waters. The recovery of high feed value proteins by means of ultrafiltration is often carried out to valorise this effluent. Nevertheless, the residual liquid (permeate) still has too high a load due mainly to the lactose content. The permeate is often concentrated to facilitate its transport to purifiers, reaching lactose concentrations of up to 160 g/L. REFINEMENT develops two technologies to create additional value from permeate: ethanol production by fermentation and surfactant synthesis by biocatalysis. Furthermore, it assesses how the integration of the two processes into a single ‘no-waste’ biorefinery can increase sustainability and facilitate technology transfer and business development of the developed know-how. In particular, it studies how the effluents of the two processes, which are currently unused, can be further exploited: the lactose residue at the end of fermentation can be used as a substrate for biotransformations, while the glucose-containing effluent from the biotransformations can be exploited as a medium for the preparation of the bacterial inoculum for pre-fermentation. Thanks to the synergy between the two processes so far considered separately, further added value will be generated from the up-cycling of the by-products by enhancing the circularity of the two processes.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is one of the most powerful clinical imaging techniques for diagnosing various diseases such as cancer, neurological diseases, metabolic diseases and cardiovascular diseases. Approximately 40% of MRI scans use Gadolinium-based contrast agents (GBCA) to enhance diagnostic information and detect pathological tissue. In Europe, more than 25 million MRI scans are performed per year, of which about 10 million use GBCA (a quarter of the world total). GBCAs are excreted from the human body through urine and end up in city sewers.  

Through the 2i3T incubator, a business acceleration process has been launched for the foundation of a university spin-off offering an innovative service for the automatic measurement of the gaseous exchange of water vapour and carbon dioxide between plant and atmosphere (Plant Flow Solutions, PFS). The PoC aims to support a project that will enable a technological advancement capable of redefining the applicability of these measurements, giving them all the characteristics of modern phenotyping systems, which will support the scientific basis of the nascent university spin-off.  

The need to ensure access to raw materials (RM), including critical materials (CRM), has stimulated EU policies to find alternative and supplementary sources to exploit. RM, secondary raw materials (SRM) and sometimes CRM can be recovered from old landfills and flowing waste from different production cycles, applying landfill mining and circular economy approaches respectively.  

The biomedical research and industry use cell cultures extensively, generating significant amounts of waste. BioReMediA was born from reflections on the economic and environmental impact caused by the daily disposal of large quantities of Exhausted Cell Culture Media (ECCM). Inspired by the exceptional versatility of microalgae and their ability to decontaminate heavily polluted matrices (such as wastewater and industrial effluents), Biomedica aims to develop strategies to recycle this waste into supplements that can efficiently grow microalgae. In detail, the project aims at: reducing the impact of liquid waste from the bio-medical research/industry; activating circular economy pathways by fostering sustainability in the same supply chains; increasing yields in microalgae cultivation for bioremediation applications through the use of ECCM-derived products; developing methods to obtain high value-added products (lipids, proteins, pigments) from microalgae with a cost-effective approach.

BiOCARE recovers cutin from agro-food waste, transforming it into a medical fabric with the aim of recovering (upcycling) food waste, resulting in environmental and economic benefits.

According to the preliminary environmental report of December 2021, which is part of the strategic environmental assessment procedure implemented by the Ministry of Ecological Transition (MITE) in cooperation with the Istituto Superiore per la Protezione e Ricerca Ambientale (ISPRA), the annual production of waste in our country amounts to approximately 184 million tonnes. Of this, about 30 million are from urban sources and the remaining share (more than 80 %) comes from production activities. The largest production, for the latter category, is in Lombardy and Piedmont. In this context and in accordance with the aims of Spoke 2 of the NODES project, this project proposal is positioned and developed.

Plastics are now a necessary technology, but they are increasingly the focus of attention due to their direct effects on the environment and the land-water ecosystem, as well as the use of petroleum derivatives required for their production. In this project, a technology already patented by our research group as a resin for 3D printing will be optimised for industrial applications. The material under study in this project is a polymerisable, thermosetting bio-resin under curing conditions. All protocols used will follow Green Chemistry standards, producing a >80 % bio-based resin with low or no VOC emissions. This will give us an ecological advantage over current resins that often contain hazardous compounds such as styrene. Possible applications for the product will be wood flatting/impregnating (light-curing resin) and intumescent paints for fire-fighting use with a high filler content (heat-curing resin). The latter use is of particular interest due to the high heat resistance and non-melting nature of the cured product.

The proposing research group has patented a simple and inexpensive yet effective portable procedure for the determination of total mercury (HgTOT), inorganic Hg (HgIN) and methylmercury (CH3Hg) in fish products.  

The system stems from the need to reduce the overall environmental impact of cars during their lifetime by mitigating secondary emissions from braking systems, which, for the latest generation of combustion vehicles, produce a portion of particulate matter comparable to that of the engine itself.

The objective of this project is to develop a new mechanism called 'Infinite Stroke System - ISS'.

The project aims to use “marmettola” as an ingredient in the preparation of two-component grout (2CG), a technology used for backfilling in the mechanised excavation of tunnels using shielded machines. The development of the idea makes it possible to improve the quality of the "tunnel product," durability and hydraulic sealing capacity (thus reducing long-term maintenance) on the one hand, and facilitate the disposal of a waste from the mining industry in a virtuous process of circular economy on the other. The goal of the PoC is to take the technology to the level of industrial demonstration by experimenting with the preparation of backfilling mortar using turbo mixers commonly used on tunnel construction sites.  

Following the pandemic, many small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have developed forms of remote work and agile work (which we call flexible remote work). After the pandemic phase, many SMEs have opted for hybrid forms of work, where employees have the opportunity to work remotely typically up to 2 or 3 days a week. This change has required new organizational forms and weekly goal setting. However, due to complexity and costs, only a few SMEs have equipped themselves with suitable management tools to measure and evaluate the effects of this organizational change. This critical issue particularly affects businesses located in mountainous regions. The project aims to refine the Activity-Based Costing (ABC) methodology and develop a prototype of a low-cost cloud-accessible application that enables SMEs to evaluate work performance by breaking down activities into processes, considering hybrid work modes. The project is structured in 4 phases: - In the first phase, the ABC methodology is adapted to account for flexible remote work. - In the second phase, a new methodology called Activity Multidimensional Performance (AMP) is developed to comprehensively assess activity performance: this includes parameters such as efficiency, output quality, recipient satisfaction, and completion times. - The third phase develops a new methodology called Process Performance Management (PPM), which combines the results of the previous two methodologies (ABC and AMP) to measure and design or redesign the allocation of different activities between flexible remote work and in-person work. - In the final phase, an application is developed that allows for the collection, processing, analysis of data, and reorganization of activities based on these new methodologies.  

Nature-based Solutions (NBS) contribute to the recovery of mountainous areas through local water treatment, thermal control of buildings, and reduction of small landslides. The PoC aims to apply NBS technology for wastewater treatment in a mountain village, acting on building scale across multiple fronts: water management and energy aspects, slope stabilization, landscape value, economic attractiveness of buildings, and data collection for monitoring and managing properties and infrastructure. Building on previous research, interactive thematic maps will be developed to classify areas based on resource availability and terrain configuration. Within a case study, an architectural project managed through Building Information Modeling (BIM) technology will be formulated, integrating the installation of a green wall demonstrator for water management in mountain environments and terraces for rainwater management. Installation of IoT sensors facilitating the management of mountain and autonomous energy communities will also be planned. The construction and development of a versatile tool for use in sustainable building renovations will lead to the creation of an online platform with a section dedicated to graphical boards, interactive maps, informative sheets, and multi-target events to stimulate investments and co-design, two pillars of a virtuous circle in environmental protection, combating climate change, adapting to extreme events, and ecological and digital transition. At the heart of the proposed technology will also be the design and implementation of demonstrators aimed at developing vegetated system modules for thermal control and air quality, to be integrated into a high-value, low-impact architectural project. The proposed project will pass through phases of design, implementation, monitoring, installation, and monitoring for demonstrators. The development of the decision-making flow chart for the value proposition will pass through the creation of the online platform, which will encompass the results of territorial analyses and architectural proposals. At the end of the project, all elements will be available to propose a methodology for use in the revitalization of mountain villages both in the decision-making phase and in terms of architectural archetypes, integrating Nature-based Solutions into the value proposition. The developed technology will offer cutting-edge construction and plant solutions to increase the resilience of mountain living environments, benefiting entrepreneurship, citizenship, and administrations.  

At the conclusion of the project, we expect to have an advanced and fully functional technology that synergistically integrates augmented reality, BIM/GIS platform, and IoT network for natural disaster prevention. Compared to current technology, there will be several significant differences. Firstly, our system will feature greater scalability and flexibility through the integration of static and dynamic data from IoT devices, enabling real-time monitoring and continuous updates of environmental conditions. Furthermore, the virtual environment will be significantly enhanced, offering a more accurate and interactive representation of natural hazards and emergency procedures. User interfaces will be intuitive and engaging, facilitating user understanding and interaction with the system. Ultimately, we anticipate that our technology will have a significant impact on natural disaster prevention and management, enhancing the safety and resilience of vulnerable communities worldwide. 1. Implementation of IoT Network Integration: During the project, a key step will be implementing a robust IoT network to enable scalability of the BIM/GIS/IoT platform. This will involve designing and installing IoT devices for continuous monitoring of static and dynamic data related to flood and landslide risks. Additionally, developing a data management system will be necessary to ensure regular updates and real-time accessibility of this information. This step is crucial for effectively connecting the virtual and real worlds, providing users with the ability to interpret and utilize monitored data for disaster prevention and management. 2. Development of Interactive Virtual Environment: Another key step of the project will be the development of an interactive and innovative virtual environment. This process will require creating an accurate digital representation of the area of interest, integrating geospatial data and BIM models to provide a detailed overview of existing natural hazards. It will also be important to design and implement intuitive and engaging user interfaces that allow users to explore the virtual environment, access information on risks, and learn proper alarm and emergency procedures. This virtual environment will play a fundamental role in educating and raising awareness among the local population about natural hazards, and instilling safe and responsive behaviors in case of emergencies. Once proven effective and versatile, this technology could find numerous applications beyond the initial project scope. For example, it could be adopted in other geographical areas prone to similar natural risks, adapting BIM and GIS models to local specifications. Additionally, IoT network integration could be expanded to other environmental monitoring situations, such as seismic risk management or extreme weather conditions. The interactive virtual environment could also be used for educational and training purposes outside the context of natural disaster prevention. For instance, it could be used for emergency responders' training, environmental education in schools, or public awareness campaigns on climate change and environmental sustainability. Moreover, considering the growing popularity of augmented reality and wearable devices, there may be a market for customized applications that provide real-time safety and environmental condition information to individuals during their daily activities, such as mountain hikes or walks in potentially hazardous areas. In summary, the potential future applications of this technology are broad and varied, and could significantly contribute to safety, education, and environmental awareness in various contexts.    

The idea of TeleFragMont 4.0 to experiment with an integrated telemedicine system aimed at strengthening healthcare in marginal and remote areas arises from the need to overcome the challenges faced by mountainous regions, often treated as peripheral. Mountainous territories are facing significant challenges, such as demographic trends due to the combined effects of aging and migration, as well as socio-economic impoverishment. The distance between peripheral mountainous areas and hospital facilities exacerbates their fragility, leading to critical conditions for healthcare provision to the fragile population, elderly, and individuals with chronic conditions requiring assistance. Through a remote monitoring system of vital parameters, teleconsultation for the correct administration of therapies, and specialized medical visits, TeleFragMont 4.0 aims to reduce discomfort for the elderly and those most in need of care and assistance. This initiative offers them the opportunity to access adequate services without having to travel to larger centers with suitable healthcare and social facilities, thereby helping to counteract the depopulation phenomenon in mountainous and remote areas. Moreover, the telemedicine system will greatly support early diagnosis and prompt, personalized interventions tailored to the specific needs of individuals, making it easier to address the complex needs of frail, chronically ill patients. The project is characterized by its multidisciplinary approach, involving two departments of the University of Turin and integrating aspects related to the health of individuals residing in remote areas with informatics, organizational, and economic dimensions. State of advancement Currently, the project has addressed privacy-related aspects to enable monitoring of individuals interested in participating in the experimentation while complying with regulations. Research has been initiated to explore telemedicine solutions available on the market to assess their suitability in terms of detectable parameters and data availability.

In cases where work activities are carried out in contexts different from company premises, such as in the case of smart working, the protection of the health and safety of the worker is the responsibility of the employer. The employer is indeed accountable for the proper functioning of the technological tools assigned to the worker for smart working activities; moreover, they are required to ensure adequate training on the correct execution of work activities in agile mode. In fact, the Protocol for the private sector (as well as the Guidelines for the public sector) envisages specific training initiatives for personnel engaged in smart working, particularly on the technical tools to be used, the characteristics of this organizational form, and the health and safety aspects related to performing work outside the workplace environment (such as adequacy of workspaces, correct ergonomics, and use of appropriate furniture and equipment). The primary objective of the SHAKE project is to support companies in meeting their obligations to inform and train employees who perform their work activities in agile mode. To achieve this goal, SHAKE aims to develop a modular online training course that addresses the multifaceted aspects of smart working, including technical-legal aspects and components related to the psychophysical well-being of workers. To this end, the SHAKE project relies on an interdisciplinary team composed of legal experts, engineers, occupational psychologists, and physiologists. Each researcher will provide qualified input based on their expertise to define the individual modules of the course and develop training materials. The course will be delivered through a dedicated digital e-learning platform specifically designed for the SHAKE project. State of advancement The project started on November 15, 2023, and proceeded with the organization of the kick-off meeting with the project team. On December 15, 2023, there was a detailed reorganization and distribution of the budget across the involved departments and resources necessary for project activities. Procedures were then implemented for consolidating personnel resources for project activities in January 2024 by all working groups from various departments. On February 9, 2024, participation occurred in the presentation meeting for the training course NODESL - Entrepreneurship in Action, from idea to execution.

The project aims to build and test a blockchain-based platform to support the tourism sector, particularly to encourage travel to lesser-known locations and activities in mountainous areas. The tokenization capability offered by blockchain technology enables the creation of an incentive system to encourage tourists to visit less-known mountain places and make purchases at local businesses offering typical and zero-mile products. The project's starting point will be the CommonsHood blockchain platform developed by the project leader at the University of Turin. CommonsHood is a wallet app that allows citizens, institutions, and merchants to create new types of cryptographic tokens from templates without technical knowledge, using a no-code approach. It enables the creation of tokens representing assets such as customer loyalty tools (discount coupons, cashback), crowdfunding tools (crowdsales), NFTs, and complementary currencies. CommonsHood is integrated with FirstLife, a georeferenced civic social network, an interactive map also developed by the project leader, which can be used to discover and share the tourist resources and opportunities offered by a city or region. It allows interaction with visitors, for instance, by signaling events that might interest them. The challenge addressed is to increase tourist flows in mountainous areas, particularly in lesser-known zones, by offering economic incentives to tourists and giving local businesses and other stakeholders the ability to create a blockchain-based economic ecosystem. The project will lead to an increase in the TRL (Technology Readiness Level) of the platform applied to the new field of tourism and the evaluation of the establishment of an academic spin-off. The spin-off's business model will be based on the sale of tokens and collaboration with tourism stakeholders. State of advancement Currently, the project is in the phase of gathering and specifying functional and non-functional requirements, which will lead to the system specification that will define the architectural and technological design of the system. The tokenization model to be used in the experiments is also under study.

They are ~1 million in LEO orbit and can collide with orbiting satellites, damaging them and producing new debris. As most of these are uncatalogued, the main purpose of the system is to pursue space safety, acting as a technological and scientific demonstrator with future commercial applications.   Contacts: Contact person Prof. Mario Edoardo BERTAINA   Email marioedoardo.bertaina@unito.it  

The main goal of the project is to test patented stabilisation techniques for tethered space systems in a simulated environment. The Proof of Concept consists of an experimental test bench to simulate the in-orbit behaviour of these systems (over three degrees of freedom), so that control algorithms based on aerodynamic and gyroscopic stabilisation can be tested.    Contacts: Contact person Prof. Marcello Romano   Email marcello.romano@polito.it    

The proposed PIM-based binder is based on an advanced, proprietary formulation that offers benefits such as cost savings, reduced environmental impact and superior performance.  Improving the efficiency of fuel and electrolyser devices by offering an alternative to the reference material. The methodology adopted includes synthesis and characterisation of the binder, laboratory performance testing and comparative evaluation with the reference material.     Contacts: Contact person Dott. Sergio Bocchini   Email sergio.bocchini@polito.it

The project aims to create an innovative technology to recreate reduced gravity conditions for the simulated orbital flight of an autonomous artificial satellite simulator in three degrees of freedom, two translational and one rotational, through the use of a pressurised system and appropriate bearings that allow the simulator to float on a flat surface. This surface, formed by a monolithic block of granite, will also be able to tilt through a control algorithm and, consequently, control the gravitational gradient to which the simulator is subjected, allowing tests to be carried out in variable reduced gravity.    Contacts: Contact person Prof. Marcello Romano Email marcello.romano@polito.it

The PoC plans to validate the system in a relevant environment, especially in microgravity and extreme conditions such as vacuum and high/low temperatures. The technology expected at the end of the PoC therefore includes the realisation of a prototype with materials suitable for space applications, such as the use of aramid fibres for the structural layer of the inflatable links. Contacts: Contact person Prof. Stefano Mauro Email stefano.mauro@polito.it 

The project involves making a digital twin of a propulsion system and using AI algorithms to learn the behavior of these propulsions in real time.   Contacts: Contact person Giuseppe Giorgi   Email giuseppe.giorgi@polito.it  

The advent of electric and autonomous mobility broadens horizons in the facility management sector through Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMR). The project aims to develop an innovative IoT Hardware-Software platform for the design and management of facility management systems through electric fleets.   Contacts: Contact person Prof Paola Pisano   Email paola.pisano@unito.it

The so-called LLMs (Large Language Models) are based on generic contents and, although extremely broad, lack precision, giving rise to errors or "hallucinations" in a non-negligible number of cases, varying from 3% to 27% of the answers based on the different models. The AIACE project is specific: it is intended to pave the way for the creation of AI tools that function as a support for the tourist use of territories and learning in the humanities, while models such as ChatGPT are generic. The expected results consist in demonstrating the effectiveness of this approach as a support in the dissemination of knowledge in the historical and more generally humanistic fields.     Contacts: Ref. Prof. Edoardo Tortalo Email edoardo.tortarolo@uniupo.it    

CERR aims to enhance the territorial culture and industrial heritage, with a view to the growth and development of tourism, through the creation of routes based on innovation that combines creativity and technology by placing augmented reality in support of the narrative of the territory and of the visitor experience. The project's approach is combined with the idea of ​​slow and sustainable tourism that integrates with the place. The first application of the project is the textile culture of the Como area with collaboration with various local partners.     Contacts: Ref. Prof.ssa Roberta Minazzi Email roberta.minazzi@uninsubria.it    

ITM, using digital technology, it wants to enhance the historical-cultural heritage of the textile sector of the Como district, through the development of new paths and fruition methodologies, starting from an emblematic institution: the Silk Museum. The project, aware of how the museum is not adequately exploited due to both critical issues inherent in its structure as well as its low use by a young and fragile public, aims to overcome, through immersive and augmented reality technologies, these limitations. The use of these new technologies, which allow the visitor to use coherently integrated virtual content, aims both to attract those under 18 and to spread digital skills.     Contacts: Ref. Prof.ssa Valentina Jacometti Email valentina.jacometti@uninsubria.it    

Museums currently adopt management choices using a qualitative approach. The objective of the project is to support them by using a quantitative approach using big data and machine learning techniques. The start-up we aim to create will use the algorithms we are developing to provide museums with a management model that uses a multidisciplinary, data-driven, exportable and scalable approach. The spin-off activities will concern, by way of example, the estimation of the demand and value of the museum asset, the implementation of predictive models of visitor flows and the dynamic pricing of entrances based on artificial intelligence.     Contacts: Ref. Prof. Giovanni Mastrobuoni Email giovanni.mastrobuoni@unito.it    

The HiStoryGraphia project aims to create a digital online platform for the presentation of an organic and interdisciplinary vision of the cultural heritage spread across the territory, read as an integrated system of relationships between things and people in time and space. Only a global and integrated, truly inter- and trans-disciplinary approach allows us to address the complexity of a territory, also in terms of its valorisation and the development of sustainable tourism.     Contacts: Ref. Prof. Luigi Provero Email luigi.provero@unito.it    

Tourism in Piedmont is full of potential, but effective tools for accessing detailed and personalized information on the area, cultural events and historical attractions are often lacking. PiémuntAIs aims to revolutionize the tourist experience in Piedmont through the use of advanced generative artificial intelligence technologies.     Contacts: Ref. Prof. Luigi Di Caro Email luigi.dicaro@unito.it    

ETLAV aims to strengthen and promote heritage tourism and experience tourism based on the use of the cultural element at an individual and collective level thanks to the research and planning of new cultural and literary routes in the area of ​​the Lower Aosta Valley. To this end, the objective is to create concretely useful tools for the development of Aosta Valley and foreign tourism in the area concerned for a potential expansion and differentiation of the types of users who benefit from the lower valley. The focus on this area arises from its strategic, and still under-valued, role at the heart of a network of cultural itineraries that demonstrate a wealth of literary and artistic testimonies hitherto unexplored and of great interest for tourists of non-Italian culture. While studies in recent years have traced the presence of non-Italian travelers in the lower valley in a very limited historical period (first part of the nineteenth century), ETLAV aims to rediscover landscapes and exchanges that strengthen circulation and/or reveal the representation and description of the region in the writings and works of non-Italian authors and artists. Despite the great interest in the figure of foreign mountaineers in the region, the project focuses on the literary texts written by travellers, artists, authors to understand significant aspects of the non-Italian imagination that passed through Valle d'Aosta, to trace historical-transit cultural events of international importance and clarify as well as enhance the cultural context which over the centuries has strengthened relations between Valle d'Aosta and Europe.   The routes created thanks to this project pay great attention to the local reality and to the revaluation of the territory of the lower valley with a view to cultured and/or curious tourism. In this sense, they aim not only to overcome the problems that often arise from the seasonality of tourism, but above all to open the territory of the lower Aosta Valley to high-quality cultural tourism also by offering events and opportunities complementary to those already active in the field of sport , food and wine and wellness. These routes will be advertised through communication strategies suitable for attracting non-Italian visitors, such as digital communication plans that rely on easily downloadable tools / apps, where information on the lower valley is communicated clearly, effectively and pleasantly, and QR codes placed in the cities and in the main points of interest to create coherent, inclusive and adaptable tourist routes to every desire and need. The ETLAV Project approach aims to showcase the unique cultural heritage of the Lower Valley and ensure tourists have an unforgettable experience. For this reason, we hope to contribute to the sustainable tourism development of the area and its promotion as a privileged tourist destination for international, high-quality tourism.     Contatcts: Ref. Prof. Carlo Maria Bajetta Email c.bajetta@univda.it