Press Review | Polytechnic University of Bari

The results of the agreement between the Public Prosecutor’s Office of Trani, the Apulia Region and the Polytechnic University of Bari presented at Poliba

Environment. A Polytechnic University study on environmental sustainability in the judicial offices of the Public Prosecutor’s Office of Trani

The results of the agreement between the Public Prosecutor’s Office of Trani, the Apulia Region and the Polytechnic University of Bari presented at Poliba

Agreements between the Public Prosecutor’s Office, the Apulia Regional Government and Poliba

Bari, 21 October 2026 – This morning, at the Rectorate of the Polytechnic University of Bari, an initial assessment was presented of the actions carried out by the Public Prosecutor’s Office of Trani, the Apulia Region and the Polytechnic University of Bari under the Cooperation Agreement for the implementation of activities of common interest relating to the implementation of the Regional Strategy for Sustainable Development, signed in March 2025.

Those present included the Rector of the Polytechnic University of Bari, Umberto Fratino, the Public Prosecutor at the Court of Trani, Renato Nitti, the Apulia Region’s Councillor for the Environment and Climate, Debora Ciliento, together with the Director of the Regional Department of Environment, Landscape and Urban Quality, Pompeo Colacicco, and thePolytechnic University of Bari’s Sustainability Delegate, Michele Dassisti.

The Agreement strengthened the parties’ institutional commitment and cooperation on environmental sustainability, supporting the adoption of organisational models for the offices of the Public Prosecutor’s Office of Trani aimed at reducing environmental impact and establishing measurable targets. This cooperation builds on the path embarked upon by the Public Prosecutor’s Office of Trani with the protocol signed in 2024 with MASE, and by the Apulia Region with the approval in 2023 of the Regional Strategy for Sustainable Development.

Under the Agreement signed in March 2025, the Public Prosecutor’s Office of Trani and the Apulia Region’s Department of Environment, Landscape and Urban Quality drew up the Public Prosecutor’s Office Sustainability Plan 2025-2027, presented a year ago at “Ecomondo” in Rimini. With precise indicators, the plan translates the objectives of the Regional Strategy for sustainable development into the activities of the judicial office.

The Public Prosecutor’s Office of Trani and the Polytechnic University of Bari entered into an agreement for a training and orientation internship to prepare a study assessing the environmental sustainability of the Public Prosecutor’s Office, which was subsequently incorporated into two degree theses. By applying the Itaca Protocol to the Public Prosecutor’s Office building—a regulatory reference for measuring the environmental and energy impact of non-residential buildings—it was possible to achieve an adequate sustainability rating, also thanks to infrastructure improvements already carried out, such as replacing the windows. Users and staff also have a positive perception of the sustainability of the Public Prosecutor’s Office, according to surveys and interviews conducted.

Together with the Department of Environment, Landscape and Urban Quality of the Apulia Region, the Trani Public Prosecutor’s Office subsequently drew up the new “Guidelines for Good Environmental Practices in Judicial Offices”, a document offering practical solutions, often at no cost, to be adopted by both employees and the administration. These good practices aim to optimise energy consumption, reduce water use, introduce sustainable and responsible management of waste and resources, promote sustainable mobility among staff, and pay attention to digital sustainability as well. The document also recommends a monitoring system to verify the proper implementation of the sustainable activities identified and the resulting environmental benefits, as well as the sharing of these results and further objectives through internal communications.

Cooperation among the three institutions does not end here. Their future goal is to define replicable good practices and create a model to share with other public administrations, thereby strengthening the community’s environmental, social and economic sustainability education, starting with those who work in or visit public offices. The Polytechnic University of Bari, under the guidance of prof. Michele Dassisti, will continue its study on the assessment of the environmental sustainability of the Trani Public Prosecutor’s Office, setting ambitious targets to improve performance indicators.

“The agreement with the Trani Public Prosecutor’s Office and the Apulia Region is to conduct a careful technical and scientific analysis of how a public institution operates, focusing on offices that provide services to citizens and apply good environmental practices,” explained the Rector, Umberto Fratino -. In essence, this concerns the environmental sustainability of judicial offices—measures that could be replicated in any other public institution or office—to build awareness and accountability among industry professionals, public employees and service users themselves. Sustainability is now a topical and central issue. The Polytechnic University is supporting this process, which stems from the commitment expressed by Trani Chief Public Prosecutor Renato Nitti, together with the Apulia Region, which has produced a manual of good practices. This is a virtuous process whose results we are presenting today, and which also demonstrates a method we would like to apply in other settings.”

“Public administration in general, and judicial offices in particular, need to ask themselves what impact we are having on the environment, and beyond. The Trani Public Prosecutor’s Office has provided concrete answers to this question,” commented the Chief Public Prosecutor of Trani, Renato Nitti -. We have established and mapped out a process and sought help from leading experts, the Polytechnic University and the Regional Government, including the Department specifically responsible for environmental issues. We have achieved results beyond those already attained. It is now possible to consult environmental best-practice guidelines that any public office can follow. It is now possible to assess and identify the type of impact generated by each office. We need to take a few more steps forward, but I must say that the results are already particularly significant. We cannot think that environmental sustainability concerns everyone else but not public administration and public offices.”

“Today we presented the results of a collaboration with the Trani Public Prosecutor’s Office and the Polytechnic University of Bari, aimed at making the objectives of the Regional Sustainable Development Strategy tangible and turning them into measurable actions,” said the Councillor for the Environment and Climate, Debora Ciliento -. Environmental sustainability is a strategic priority for public administration, which is called upon not only to provide efficient services but also to set an example in protecting the environment and responsibly using public resources in its offices. With this agreement and the documents produced, we are demonstrating that sustainability can easily be translated into simple everyday actions, making public employees and public administration itself more accountable.”

The new director Pompeo Colaccio highlighted the distinctive nature of the work underway: “We have managed to develop a process that, starting from the general strategic policy document on sustainability, has led to a practical document: guidelines setting out best practices for application in the day-to-day running of a public office. This demonstrates that habits can be changed through simple gestures and a strategy capable of translating objectives into action.”

Press release.

Link video dichiarazione Ciliento

https://rpu.gl/aSYKJ

Link video dichiarazione Fratino

https://rpu.gl/GQM1B

Link video dichiarazione Nitti

https://rpu.gl/8LfQg

Link video immagini conferenza stampa

https://rpu.gl/nhRWQ

presentation of environmental best-practice guidelines

Building the Future of Skills and Innovation

2026-2029. Framework Agreement Formalized Between Poliba and Federmanager Puglia

Building the Future of Skills and Innovation

The collaboration, already underway, will develop along three main lines: innovative educational pathways aligned with the needs of the production system; the design and support of professionally oriented degree programmes; and joint initiatives in technology transfer, continuing education and the promotion of research. A schedule of topics and meetings is planned for the coming months.

Bari, 20 October 2026 – Poliba has signed a new framework agreement with Federmanager Puglia, the association representing industrial executives, middle managers and highly skilled self-employed professionals.

The three-year agreement, running from 2026 to 2029, was signed by the Rector, Umberto Fratino, and the President of Federmanager Puglia, Eng. Vincenzo Marucci. It was established in response to the need to integrate academic knowledge with managerial expertise.

In the view of both parties, this collaboration is a strategic factor for innovation, business competitiveness and the sustainable development of the region.

At the same time as the agreement was formalized, the two organizations appointed their representatives: Prof. Riccardo Amirante for the Polytechnic and Eng. Antonio Arvizzigno for Federmanager Puglia.

The collaboration will develop along three main lines: innovative educational pathways aligned with the needs of the production system; the design and support of professionally oriented degree programmes; and joint initiatives in technology transfer, continuing education and the promotion of research.

With the involvement of managers affiliated with Federmanager Puglia, students, researchers and businesses will benefit from practical experience, professional insights and expertise gained in the most advanced industrial settings, strengthening the link between universities and the world of work.

The agreement is intended as a further step towards creating a regional ecosystem capable of generating value, promoting the employability of young talent and supporting the transformation of businesses in Puglia through knowledge, innovation and managerial expertise.

The agreement is already in effect. A schedule of topics and meetings involving faculty, students, SMEs and managers is planned for dates yet to be determined: “Safety Project” (late November 2026, at the Polytechnic); “Energy Sustainability as a Key Driver of Competitiveness”; “Future Automotive Scenarios and Their Impact on the Region of Puglia”; “Training: Identifying Areas for Collaborative Teaching with the Greatest Added Value”.

Press release.

A New Model. Implementing the Regional Sustainable Development Strategy

Press briefing. Wednesday, 21 October, 10:00 a.m., Rectorate, Polytechnic University of Bari

A New Model. Implementing the Regional Sustainable Development Strategy

Review of activities of common interest to the Public Prosecutor’s Office of Trani, the Apulia Region and the Polytechnic University of Bari. Areas covered: promoting sustainability within the Public Prosecutor’s Office of Trani; environmental guidelines and best practices; training; study of performance indicators and technologies. New perspectives. The initiative stems from the collaboration agreement signed in 2025, which is nearing its expiry

Bari, 19 October 2026 – A review of the collaboration agreement for carrying out activities of common interest to the Public Prosecutor’s Office of Trani, the Apulia Region and the Polytechnic University of Bari, relating to the implementation of the regional sustainable development strategy, will be the focus of a dedicated press briefing scheduled for Wednesday, 21 October, at 10:00 a.m. at the Rectorate of the Polytechnic University of Bari (University Campus).

A presentation of past and future activities follows from the agreement signed by the parties on 4–5 March 2025, which is nearing its expiry (31 December 2026), entitled: “Collaboration Agreement for carrying out activities of common interest relating to the implementation of the regional sustainable development strategy”.

Speakers:

The Rector of the Polytechnic University of Bari, Prof. Umberto Fratino

The Public Prosecutor at the Court of Trani, Dr. Renato Nitti

The Apulia Region’s Councillor for the Environment and Climate, Dr. Debora Ciliento

The Polytechnic University of Bari’s Delegate for Sustainability, Prof. Michele Dassisti.

Press release.

The Water That Comes Unexpectedly. Bari’s Historic Floods

Opening. Promoted by the Polytechnic University of Bari and the University of Bari “Aldo Moro”

The Water That Comes Unexpectedly. Bari’s Historic Floods

1926–2026. Photographic exhibition marking the centenary. 40 photographs documenting the tragic devastation that struck the Apulian capital on the night of 5–6 November 1926

Tuesday, 20 October, 4:00 p.m. Auditorium Andidero Palace, Bari. At 6:00 p.m., exhibition opening at Fondazione Puglia, Starita Palace, Bari

flood 2025 S. Rita - Bari_

Bari, 16 October 2026 – On Tuesday, 20 October, at 6:00 p.m., the photographic exhibition “Water That Comes Unexpectedly – Bari’s Historic Floods, marking the centenary of the 1926 event” will open at Palazzo Starita (Piazza del Ferrarese 23, Bari). The initiative is promoted by DICATECh (Department of Civil, Environmental, Land, Building and Chemical Engineering) at the Polytechnic University of Bari, supported by DiSTeGeo (Department of Earth and Geoenvironmental Sciences) at the University of Bari Aldo Moro, and hosted by Fondazione Puglia.

The opening will be preceded by a meeting at 16,00 at theAuditorium of Palazzo Andidero a Bari at Viale Venezia 13 (Muraglia, Bari Vecchia), attended by representatives of institutions and local authorities, including the Polytechnic University of Bari, the University of Bari Aldo Moro, and the Southern Apennines District Basin Authority.

On the occasion of the opening event, a degree award will also be announced, established by the Polytechnic University of Bari in memory of Prof. Eng. Antonio Rosario di Santo (formerly Full Professor of Hydraulic Engineering at the Polytechnic University of Bari and, for many years, Secretary General of the Apulia Basin Authority). The award is for dissertations on topics related to the event.

One hundred years after the flood that struck Bari on the night of 5–6 November 1926, the city looks back on the most significant floods in its history and their impact on the population and the area. Torrential rains swept through the city centre, flooding streets and homes.

The exhibition brings together 40 photographic records of the floods of 1905, 1915, 1926, 1954 and 2006, alongside historical information materials and an overview of key technical and scientific developments in risk-mitigation activities. The images convey the scale of these events and allow visitors to appreciate their impact on the city, offering an opportunity to understand the relationship between Bari’s urban fabric and its ravines.

The exhibition aims to help recover and preserve historical memory and to share with the public the knowledge gained through research and collaboration among universities, organisations and institutions. The centenary thus offers an opportunity to reflect on changes to the area, the impact of weather events at the urban scale, flood risk and flood-defence works.

The exhibition, excluding the opening day (20 October at 18:00), will be open every day until 30 October from 14:00 to 20:00. Admission is free and booking is required.

They said. “Urban areas are constantly evolving and are exposed to increasing flood risk due to a range of factors, from meteorological to technical and social ones,” says Umberto Fratino, Rector of the Polytechnic University of Bari. “Now more than ever, we need to work to develop and share knowledge and experience, improve advanced training in the technical skills needed to operate wisely and effectively in the area, and ensure the collaboration of all the institutional stakeholders involved.”

“The history of flooding in Bari, especially over the past century, tragically demonstrates that a territory retains its memory and that, in Bari, water may return suddenly even after years of absence,” explains Michele Mossa, Professor of Hydraulics at DICATECh, Polytechnic University of Bari. “Photographic records of the floods of 1905, 1915, 1926, 1954 and 2005 convey the scale of these events and make it possible to appreciate their impact on the city. They provide an opportunity to understand the relationship between Bari’s urban fabric and its lame, and to emphasise the importance of urban planning in flood-risk management.”

“Historical memory of events and knowledge of how they occur are the first tools for defining the risk to which a territory is exposed,” notes Giuseppe Mastronuzzi, Professor of Physical Geography and Geomorphology at the University of Bari. “In a historical period marked by rapid climate change, made evident by the increase in extreme weather events, knowledge of the territory, physical processes and their recurrence over time is a fundamental tool for sound territorial planning in the service of protecting the environment, people and their activities.”

“The exhibition we are hosting at Palazzo Starita is not intended merely to celebrate an anniversary, but to turn it into an opportunity for learning and reflection,” says Antonio Castorani, President of Fondazione Puglia. “This is a memory that belongs to the whole community, and we have a duty to preserve it and pass it on to future generations. Only in this way can we better understand the past and look with greater awareness at the vulnerabilities of our territory.”

Press release.

Inauguration of the Confucius Institute of Bari

1986-2026. On the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the twinning between Bari and Guangzhou

Inauguration of the Confucius Institute of Bari Co-founders: Polytechnic University of Bari and South China University of Technology

Bari, 16 October 2026 – Tomorrow, Saturday, 17 October, the Confucius Institute of Bari, co-founded by the Polytechnic University of Bari and South China University of Technology, will be officially inaugurated. The event coincides with the 40th anniversary (1986–2026) of Bari’s historic twinning with the Chinese city of Guangzhou.

The Confucius Institute, which will be based in the old town, in the Poliba building at Isolato 47, will serve the city and beyond by promoting Chinese language and culture through Chinese language courses, the organization of cultural events, and university exchanges.

The official inauguration event includes two important appointments at Poliba’s premises:

3:30 p.m.: inauguration ceremony at Isolato 47 (Strada Lamberti, 16 - Bari).

Attendees will include the Rector of the Polytechnic University of Bari, Umberto Fratino; the Regional Councillor for Economic Development, Eugenio Di Sciascio; the Mayor of Bari, Vito Leccese; and Ambassador Alberto Bradanini, former Ambassador of Italy to China and President of the Center for Contemporary China Studies.

Representing China: Minister Counsellor LI Xiaoyong, accompanied by a delegation from the Chinese Embassy in Italy; Vice President Wu Bo of South China University of Technology in Guangzhou, accompanied by a delegation from the Chinese university; and Hu Guiping, Chinese Director of the Confucius Institute in Bari.

This will be followed by, 7:00 p.m.: an evening celebrating Chinese music and dance at the “Attilio Alto” Main Hall (“Ernesto Quagliariello” Campus, Via E. Orabona, 4, Bari), featuring the Artistic Group of South China University of Technology, from Guangzhou.

Press release.

Erosion: protecting our changing coastlines

Marie Curie Actions. A European challenge from Puglia. Research examines coastal defence structures

Erosion: protecting our changing coastlines PRO-ARMOUR is the winning European project, developed at the Polytechnic University of Bari in collaboration with the prestigious Delft University of Technology

Artificial intelligence, probabilistic design and 3D experimentation for new methods of designing coastal protection breakwaters and seawalls. The ultimate goal is to turn research into a practical, applicable tool. The project’s winning researcher, funded by “Marie Curie Actions”, is Giulio Scaravaglione of Poliba. Meanwhile, in Puglia, Manfredonia, Margherita di Savoia and Barletta are the municipalities at highest risk from coastal hazards.

Bari, 8 October 2026 – With around a thousand kilometres of coastline, Puglia has one of the longest coastlines in Italy. This environmental, scenic and economic asset is also particularly exposed to erosion, storm surges and the anticipated effects of climate change and rising sea levels. The latest regional studies highlight the widespread presence of erosion along the coast of Puglia and the need to identify mitigation measures suited to different coastal dynamics. In 2026, the Puglia Region launched a €26.4 million programme to protect the coastline from erosion, landslides and shoreline retreat—phenomena described as being exacerbated by climate change and the intensification of extreme marine weather events.

The problem and Puglia. Vulnerability affects numerous sections of the regional coastline, from the Gargano to Salento, albeit in different ways. The stretch between the Gulf of Manfredonia, Margherita di Savoia and the mouth of the Ofanto is particularly significant: regional planning documents extensive erosion and the presence of numerous coastal defence structures in this area. Manfredonia, Margherita di Savoia and Barletta have also been identified as among the Puglia municipalities at highest risk from coastal hazards, owing to the combination of eroding sandy shorelines, low elevations and high exposure of built-up areas. In settings such as these, the design of breakwaters, groynes and rubble-mound seawalls is about more than protecting the shoreline: it is also about the safety and resilience of towns, infrastructure, economic activities and coastal ecosystems.

Research and studies have been underway at the Polytechnic University of Bari for some time. A recent, promising project is taking on the challenge of erosion and proposing new solutions. The project is called “PRO-ARMOUR” and is the winner of the prestigious Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship, considered one of the most prestigious and selective awards in Europe. The idea originated at the Polytechnic University of Bari from research by Giulio Scaravaglione, a researcher at the Polytechnic University of Bari affiliated with the Department of Civil, Environmental, Land, Building Engineering and Chemistry (DICATECh). Rated 96.8/100 and awarded over €217,000 for the 2026–2028 two-year period, the project will be carried out in collaboration with the prestigious and historic Delft University of Technology (Netherlands). At Poliba, studies and scale models will be developed at the Coastal Engineering Laboratory (LIC), the largest of its kind in Italy. The research will involve Poliba professors Alessandra Saponieri, Leonardo Damiani and Michele Mossa.

The project. PRO-ARMOUR – “AI-driven probabilistic method for response-based design of rock armour slopes” – is dedicated to developing new tools for designing breakwaters and rubble-mound dams made of natural rock. Moving beyond an exclusively deterministic and predictable approach, the project aims to assess the response of individual armour stones to wave action and the consequent probability of reaching different damage conditions. The challenge is not simply to build larger structures, but to better understand how they respond to waves and design them to the level of safety actually required, limiting overdesign, costs and environmental impact.

Artificial intelligence and probabilistic design. The new design method will be based on a probabilistic approach that accounts for the natural variability of waves, water levels, rock properties and hydrodynamic forces, as well as the associated uncertainties. Artificial intelligence will be used to make simulations more efficient through data-driven models informed by the physics of the phenomenon, combining computational efficiency with interpretability. The goal is to develop tools capable of quantifying the risk of instability and supporting more informed design choices, including under future climate scenarios.

The experimental work. A central part of PRO-ARMOUR will be carried out at the Coastal Engineering Laboratory (LIC) of the Polytechnic University of Bari, where three-dimensional tests will be conducted on scale models of rubble-mound structures under shallow-water conditions. Sensors, optical systems, video tracking and 3D surveys will make it possible to observe the movement of armour-layer elements and the onset of damage, generating a new, high-resolution experimental dataset for model calibration and validation. International collaboration will thus also involve experimental activities conducted in Apulia and the enhancement of the Polytechnic University of Bari’s research infrastructure.

The results. The ultimate goal is to translate the research into a practical, applicable tool: open-access Python software for assessing the risk of armour layer instability and comparing different design solutions. More risk-aware design can help reduce the consumption of stone material, costs and CO₂, while also improving structures’ ability to adapt to future climate scenarios.

Who is the winner. Giulio Scaravaglione, 30, from Bari, is a hydraulic civil engineer and researcher in the field of coastal and maritime engineering. He graduated with honours in Civil Engineering, specialising in Hydraulics, from the Polytechnic University of Bari, and subsequently earned a PhD in “Environmental, Territorial and Building Risk and Development” at the same university. His research focuses in particular on the design of coastal and port defence structures, physical experimentation, modelling coastal processes and wave–structure interactions, and developing probabilistic methods for risk assessment. Alongside his studies at the Polytechnic University of Bari, Scaravaglione has undertaken several research placements abroad: at Imperial College London (UK); at the Coastal and Hydraulics Laboratory of the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center in Vicksburg, United States; and at Delft University of Technology (NL).

Press release.

Scale model of a barrier built in the LIC Laboratory at Poliba

Wave simulation in the LIC Laboratory at Poliba. Scale model

Scaravaglione, second from the right, with Poliba lecturers Damiani, Saponieri and Mossa_

Experiences, good practices and operational guidelines for road infrastructure in the regions of Southern Italy

The P.A.C.T. Project At Poliba, Provinces working together to foster the growth of their territories

Experiences, good practices and operational guidelines for road infrastructure in the regions of Southern Italy

A total of 29 Provinces in Southern Italy are involved in the PACT project, representing the seven beneficiary regions: Basilicata, Campania, Calabria, Molise, Puglia, Sardinia and Sicily. The Polytechnic University of Bari, the scientific partner for interventions on road infrastructure, will present the final report of the survey conducted across all the Provinces

Bari, 5 October 2026 – The P.A.C.T. Project is bringing the Provinces of Southern Italy to the Polytechnic University of Bari. It will do so on Thursday, 8 October, at 10:00 a.m., with the workshop “Provincial road infrastructure: experiences, good practices and operational guidelines.”

The initiative, organised by the Union of Italian Provinces (UPI) in collaboration with the Polytechnic University of Bari, aims to promote the project “P.A.C.T. (Provinces Working Together to Foster the Growth of Their Territories), funded by the Complementary Cohesion Action Programme to the 2014–2020 PON “Governance and Institutional Capacity” ERDF-ESF, which will conclude at the end of 2026, with a total duration of 12 months.

The specific objectives of the Project are: strengthening the role of the Single Contracting Authority in the Provinces involved; supporting the Provinces in revitalising investment, with particular regard to the design, management and implementation of road projects; and assisting the Provinces in carrying out their strategic planning role in support of the local area. These objectives involve 29 Provinces located in 7 regions of southern Italy: Basilicata, Calabria, Campania, Molise, Puglia, Sardinia and Sicily.

The meeting, to be held in the “Attilio Alto” Main Hall at Poliba (university campus), will bring together road network representatives and technical directors from the 29 Provinces in Southern Italy involved in the project, representing the seven regions benefiting from the 2021–2027 National Programme for Capacity for Cohesion.

In the four working sessions scheduled, the Polytechnic University of Bari, scientific partner for the Road Infrastructure Action Line, will present the final report of the survey conducted across the 29 Provinces. This will cover the condition of road networks, organisational capacity, and management and maintenance models. These findings will be complemented by a dedicated analysis of OpenBDAP data for the 2020–2024 period. The data for this period are particularly important because they capture public spending and investment during the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent recovery phase linked to the implementation of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR).

Considerable space will be devoted to local experiences. An open discussion session with provincial representatives will address practical issues: investment planning using PNRR funds, cohesion policies and ordinary resources; the status of the road cadastre and prospects for digital innovation; and relations with the MIT, the Single ZES and the Regions in securing funding for projects.

The concluding round table will present the tools made available to the Provinces: the Specialist Support Unit and the tool for prioritising road works according to technical and functional, territorial, planning and financial criteria.

Program. The opening institutional session will include at 10:00 a.m., greetings from the Rector of the Polytechnic University of Bari, Umberto Fratino; the Puglia Region’s Councillor for Infrastructure and Mobility, Raffaele Piemontese; and the President of UPI Puglia and the Province of Taranto, Gianfranco Palmisano.

Four sessions are scheduled. The first, 10:30 a.m. , features two presentations: “The Polytechnic University of Bari in the P.A.C.T. Project”; Michele Ottomanelli, Poliba e “The P.A.C.T. Project and the Road Action Line: objectives and approach”; Andrea Pacella, Head of the Projects Area, Union of Italian Provinces. The other three sessions will follow.

Press release.

The proceedings will also be accessible via streaming by connecting to seguente link

The Realities We Want. The Global Future on Display in Bari: Research and Applications

ISMAR 2026. With contributions from Poliba, mixed and augmented reality from 5 to 9 October

The Realities We Want. The Global Future on Display in Bari: Research and Applications

More than 650 experts and researchers from universities, research centres and industries around the world are expected to attend. The organisation also involves more than 900 people in the scientific paper review process.

Bari, 2 October 2026 – The combined effects of immersive technologies, artificial intelligence and sensors, multiplied by their rapid development, are bringing the future—with all its countless possibilities—within reach in our time, ready to be put into practice. One example? The success of Smartglasses: intelligent, connected glasses that are set to succeed ordinary smartphones and can integrate miniature screens, minicomputers and other sensors capable of analysing the wearer’s surroundings.

Smartglasses free the user’s hands and can automatically display useful information when needed, even overlaying it on the real world. One application? Road navigation and safety: there will no longer be any need to look away while driving. Other examples and applications of this technology span very different fields, such as industry, museums, exhibitions, medical wellness, sport and video games. Other highly multidisciplinary applications range from applied sciences such as engineering and computer science to the humanities, including cognitive ergonomics, psychology and interaction design.

One catalyst behind these rapid changes is the global scientific community working in the IEEE field of (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, 500 mila aderenti, 160 Paesi), mixed and augmented reality, the world’s largest technical professional organisation.

Amid this technological ferment, with wide-ranging implications that also raise ethical questions, IEEE will bring the 25th IEEE International Symposium on Mixed and Augmented Reality, known as ISMAR 2026, to Bari for a week, from 5 to 9 October. It is one of the world’s most prestigious scientific events in this field.

More than 650 researchers, students, professionals and innovators from universities, research centres and industries around the world are expected to attend. The organisation also involves more than 900 people in the scientific paper review process, 70 chairs and 50 international student volunteers.

ISMAR 2026 was organised by an international committee coordinated by the Department of Mechanics, Mathematics and Management (DMMM) at the Polytechnic University of Bari (Poliba scientific contacts: Profs. Antonio Emmanuele Uva and Michele Fiorentino). It is sponsored by the Polytechnic University of Bari and the Municipality of Bari, with support from leading industrial and research organisations: Google, MTM Project, Khronos Group, HIT Lab and the University of Canterbury (New Zealand).

The Polytechnic University of Bari is particularly closely involved in research in this field, with a large group, “Vr3Group”, comprising more than 26 faculty members and researchers from the Department of Mechanics, Mathematics and Management (coordinator: Prof. Uva), which has built a solid international reputation over three decades,

The programme for the event in Puglia, available on the website (www.ieeeismar.net/2026), is packed and varied: the first two days (5–6 October) are introductory and dedicated to tutorials, thematic workshops and activities for young researchers.

The official opening ceremony is scheduled for 7 October at 9:00 a.m. The organisers will open proceedings and announce the best contributions among the 345 scientific papers already selected through a rigorous peer-review process. The schedule includes three days of parallel sessions on topics such as perception, tracking and 3D reconstruction of environments, intelligent and adaptive interfaces, accessibility, privacy, collaboration, well-being, education and social impact. Each day will include poster and demo presentations, as well as a talk.

All activities will take place in Bari, at the conference centre of the Nicolaus Hotel.

Press release.

Smart glasses used in teaching at the Polytechnic University of Bari help students understand concepts

Mixed reality in industry: smart glasses help workers interact with machinery and solve problems

An upcoming mixed reality application. Smart glasses help people buy healthy, suitable foods

A mixed reality concept for road construction sites: smart glasses help workers communicate with one another

Poliba Corse, 3rd place nationally in Class 3, for its project dedicated to the new electric single-seater

Formula SAE Italy. 21st edition, "Riccardo Paletti" racetrack, Varano de' Melegari, Parma

Poliba Corse, 3rd place nationally in Class 3, for its project dedicated to the new electric single-seater

The static events covered: Business Plan Presentation; Engineering Design Event; Cost and Manufacturing Event. The team included 17 students from various specializations in Poliba degree programs.

Bari, 30 September 2026 – The Poliba Corse team distinguished itself with an outstanding 3rd place at the 21st edition of Formula SAE Italy, held at the "Riccardo Paletti" racetrack in Varano de' Melegari, in the province of Parma (2-6 September).

Around 1,600 university students from 13 nations around the world took part in the Formula SAE competition. The aim of the event is to give students the opportunity to compete on a global scale in a competition that enables them to put into practice what they have learned during their studies.

Each team had the opportunity to design, build, test and promote its own prototype, complete with a business plan and a detailed cost analysis.

The Poliba Corse team consisted of 17 students from various degree programmes: Mechanical Engineering, Management Engineering, Aerospace Systems, Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Electronics, Internet Technologies, Automation and Robotics, coordinated by Professor Leonardo Soria of the DMMM Department, and competed in the "Class 3" category, in the static event, which is open to projects for single-seater cars intended for production.

The design competition, in which the team was awarded third place, concerned the design of an electric single-seater car called “PC One” (PC stands for Poliba Corse). The future car prototype will replace the “PC7-Finale”, the team's last single-seater powered by an internal combustion engine.

The static events included. Business Plan Presentation: a 10-minute presentation of the single-seater, which was awarded a score by the judges (52.273 points out of 75) based on criteria such as the feasibility of the concept and the quality of the presentation. Engineering Design Event: the team presented its design choices (124 points out of 150). Cost and Manufacturing Event: presentation of a detailed report on all costs associated with the materials used, the manufacturing processes and the assembly of the prototype (60.968 points out of 100).

In the second part of the event, called “Cost Understanding”, the Poliba team answered questions about hypothetical scenarios proposed by the judges.

With an overall score of 237.241 points, POLIBA CORSE ranked third overall in Class 3. The team had not reached the podium since 2010.

This result represents a crucial starting point for the new season, in which the team plans to build a new electric car and compete in races next summer, in 2027.

The Poliba Corse 2026 team. Gianluca Franco, Team Leader; Alessandro Colonna, Mechanical CTO; Ferdinando Dargenio, Electrical CTO; Mattia Volturno, Aerodynamics Division Leader; Alessandro Dongiovanni, Aerodynamics Division; Francesco Palumbo, Vehicle Dynamics Division Leader; Gianluca Gioia, Drivetrain Division; Cristiano De Pasquale, Cooling System Division Leader; Gerardo Silba, Cooling System Division; Michele Carella, Chassis Division; Michele Monteriso, Chassis Division; Giovanni Cisternino, E-Powertrain Co-Division Leader; Federico Marvulli, E-Powertrain Co-Division Leader; Marco Maraglino, Electronics & Software Division Leader; Claudio D'Ambrosio, Electronics & Software Division; Michele Del Nobile, Business Division; Giuseppe Palmitessa, Cost Management Division. Prof. Leonardo Soria, Faculty Advisor.

Press release.

Nicola Linsalata, Poliba official, appointed President of the Network of Guidance Professionals of Italian Universities

ROUI. University guidance. Five-year term

Nicola Linsalata, Poliba official, appointed President of the Network of Guidance Professionals of Italian Universities

Bari, 28 September 2026 - Dr Nicola Linsalata, an official and head of Poliba’s Guidance and Internships Office, has been appointed President of ROUI, the Network of Guidance Professionals of Italian Universities, at the “Guiding the Guides” conference held in Trieste. His five-year term will see him tasked with consolidating and developing the strategic role of guidance within the national university system.

ROUI is the national network established to promote the professionalism of university guidance and help build an increasingly qualified, stable and integrated guidance system.

Its establishment stems from the experience gained by Italian universities through activities related to the PNRR and the development of guidance policies, as well as the strengthening of ties between universities and schools, local communities, institutions and the world of work.

The Network aims to promote the role of university guidance professionals and contribute to defining a national guidance system capable of ensuring continuity, quality and professionalism.

ROUI has also recently launched its own dedicated website, www.roui.it.

“Guidance – according to the newly appointed President, Linsalata – means accompanying a person through an ongoing process of shaping their future, helping them envision possibilities, recognise opportunities and make informed choices. It is an extraordinary responsibility and, for this very reason, requires expertise, professionalism, continuity and collaboration.”

Press release.

CAVES Project, a new methodology for studying and analyzing underground karst formations to determine their geometry, geotechnical properties, evolution, and age

Geology. Focus on the underground karst landscape of the south-eastern Apulian Murgia

CAVES Project, a new methodology for studying and analyzing underground karst formations to determine their geometry, geotechnical properties, evolution, and age

Best practices, better knowledge of the sites and their evolution. Eleven caves in Castellana, Ostuni, Putignano, Martina, and Polignano a Mare were monitored. The project was funded by the University of Bari and carried out by the Polytechnic University of Bari, in association with Mer.Mec. Engineering

Bari, 24 September 2026 – The CAVES Project, “Assessment of karst environments through the application of isotopic and geomorphological methods,” has contributed to a better scientific understanding of karst environments, such as the caves found in the south-eastern Apulian Murgia area. The project, funded by the University of Bari with €440,000, was carried out by the Polytechnic University of Bari, in association with Mer.Mec. Engineering, during 2025. Scientific coordinator, Professor and geologist Alessandro Reina, Department of Civil, Environmental, Territorial, Building and Chemical Engineering (DICATECh).

The results were presented to the public on 11 September in Putignano, at the Grotta del Trullo. In attendance, alongside Professor Reina, were the Director of the Dicatech Department, Leonardo Damiani; the Director of UniBa’s Department of Earth and Geo-Environmental Sciences, Giuseppe Mastronuzzi; the President of the Apulian Speleological Federation, Aurelio Marangella; Doriana Mastrangelo, representing the National Council of Geologists; the Mayor of Putignano, Michele Vibnella; and the Mayor of Castellana Grotte, Domenico Ciliberti.

The project set out to focus on the underground karst landscape in this part of Apulia. In particular, it aimed to develop a methodology and best practices for studying and analyzing underground karst formations in order to determine their geometry, geology, geotechnical properties, evolution, and age.

Sites. The caves studied and examined in depth for scientific purposes were: La Grave (Castellana Grotte); Grotta del Cuoco (Martina Franca); Grotta San Luca, Grotta Sicarico, Grotta Romanazzi, Grotta La Doganiera (Monopoli); Grotta Monte San Magno, Grotta Zaccaria, Grotta Trappeto de Lo Borronuto, Grotta delle Volpi (Ostuni); Grotta Santa Barbara (Polignano a Mare); Grotta del Trullo (Putignano).

They were selected because of their differing morphological characteristics and their perpendicular positions in relation to the coastline.

The interview. Poliba Chronicle interviewed the project’s scientific coordinator.

Professor Reina, what were the most important results achieved by the CAVES Project?

“Certainly, the improved representation of the caves’ internal morphology compared with those recorded in the Apulia Region’s Cave Registry. Modern SLAM LiDAR technology was used for the first time to survey the caves. These laser surveys provided useful information and more accurate data on the size, geometry, and morphology of the caves, including in comparison with surveys carried out in the past using conventional methods and recorded in the Apulia Region’s Cave Registry. For the first time, it was possible to reconstruct the morphological development of the caves studied in 3D, making it possible to analyze the evolution of the Murgia karst system in greater detail.

Caves. Are the results consistent across all the sites studied, or did specific characteristics emerge?

Every cave has its own distinctive features, such as the size of its chambers, its formations, and so on… but these are what underpin its uniqueness and beauty. In all cases, the growth rates of thestalagmites were calculated, with values ranging from 1–3 mm every 1,000 years. The stability of the caves was assessed, and they were all found to be in static equilibrium. All the caves, in fact, contain rock masses in equilibrium and show no potential for collapse. Geological, geomorphological, geomechanical and geostructural surveys made it possible to begin a process aimed at ensuring the safety of the karst sites. These findings can be used for planning and engineering design purposes.

Do the investigations carried out and the results obtained provide a more detailed understanding of the territorial characteristics of the south-eastern Murgia? What kind?

The technical and scientific benefits are primarily for those involved in territorial management, safety and planning, such as public administrators and professionals, who can gain a precise understanding of the location, size and depth of the cavities studied.

The observed climate variability provides us with important information about how quickly the climate can change state, the mechanisms that drive these changes, and the leads, lags and synchrony that occur in different climate zones.

History. What role have sea-level fluctuations played in Puglia’s geological history?

The importance of this research lies in its contribution to the study of climate change over the last 150,000 years, through the analysis of carbon isotopes, which indicate the presence of vegetation, and oxygen isotopes, which indicate temperature variations. Puglia’s palaeogeography in the Pleistocene was strongly influenced by fluctuations in sea level, which altered coastlines and coastal environments, transforming them from lagoons into marshes and vice versa. Sea-level fluctuations were the main factor in the geological and environmental evolution of the coastal area, as well as in the spread and development of karst features in Puglia.

What scientific prospects does the work carried out point to?

The project The research did not set out to be exhaustive, but it contributes to identifying what could become best practices in the study of Apulia’s karst cavities, also in light of the willingness expressed by the Apulia Region to put it forward for UNESCO recognition.”

Il Progetto Caves It was funded by the University of Bari “Aldo Moro” with €440,000 as part of “Historical Landscapes, Traditions and Cultural Identities”, under the MUR PNRR – M4C2 – Inv. 1.3 – “Cascade Call for Proposals”, funded by the project entitled “CHANGES - Cultural Heritage Active Innovation for Sustainable Society”.

Period of implementation: 2025.

All research data have been collected and made publicly available: web.sit-puglia.it/caves. Credentials. Username: visitatore; Password: vSLC5gwr).

Press release.

Putignano. Grotta del Trullo, venue of the presentation.jpeg

The 2nd edition of the Summer School on Autonomous and Intelligent Systems has concluded at Poliba

DAUSY PhD. Following the first edition, the Winter School, held in January 2026

The 2nd edition of the Summer School on Autonomous and Intelligent Systems has concluded at Poliba

Five days of training and innovation for doctoral students. Topics addressed: automatic control, robotics, machine learning, optimisation, distributed systems and decision-making techniques. Participation by COMAU, ICAM, KUKA, MASMEC and PAL Robotics

Doctoral students and faculty members with the robots presented during the technology demonstrations

Bari, 21 September 2026 – The ongoing developments in the fields of automation, control systems, data science and artificial intelligence are expected to profoundly influence the role of engineering systems and our societies.

Autonomous systems are the main driver enabling technologies such as smart manufacturing, autonomous vehicles, drones and smart grids. These systems are capable of learning and independently performing decision-making tasks.

The national PhD programme in “Autonomous Systems” (DAUSY), coordinated by the Polytechnic University of Bari (contact person, Prof. Mariagrazia Dotoli), has focused primarily on the broad field of automation engineering and its numerous connections with theoretical and applied mechanics, optimisation, communication systems, information theory, machine learning, computer science, mathematics and signal processing. And much more. In order to provide high-level skills and rigorous research training to prepare students to become versatile professionals and competent researchers, the PhD programme organised the second edition of the DAuSy PhD Summer School on “Autonomous Systems”.

Following the first edition held in January as a Winter School, the initiative offered 25 doctoral students a five-day training programme (7–11 September) with national and European lecturers. The main topics addressed were automatic control, robotics, machine learning, optimisation, distributed systems and decision-making techniques.

A distinctive feature of the second edition was the strong participation of companies. COMAU, ICAM, KUKA, MASMEC and PAL Robotics delivered numerous presentations on developments in robotics and automation, addressing topics such as artificial intelligence applied to robotic systems, autonomous mobile robotics, modular software platforms, digitalisation and the sustainability of production processes. The companies also contributed outside the classroom. In fact, participants attended technological demonstrations by COMAU, KUKA and PAL Robotics, gaining first-hand insight into advanced robotic systems and engaging with the companies’ specialists. The School also organised a technical visit to MASMEC, offering the opportunity to learn about its industrial research activities, technologies and innovation processes.

The initiative received the sponsorship of the Italian Chapters of the IEEE Control Systems Society, the IEEE Robotics and Automation Society, and the IEEE Systems, Man, and Cybernetics Society.

The School was organized by the Scientific Committee: Mariagrazia Dotoli and Raffaele Carli (Polytechnic University of Bari), Alberto Cavallo (University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”), Laura Giarrè (University of Modena and Reggio Emilia), Federica Pascucci (Roma Tre University).

Press release.

Participants during the technical visit to the MASMEC production department

The coordinator of the DAuSy National PhD Programme, Mariagrazia Dotoli, during the opening session

The technology demonstration featuring PAL Robotics’ mobile manipulator robot

The technology demonstration featuring Comau’s robotic cell_

The technology demonstration featuring KUKA’s autonomous mobile robot_

377 internships at diplomatic missions. The third 2026 MAECI MUR CRUI call is now online

Master’s and single-cycle degree students. Applications may be submitted by 28 September

377 internships at diplomatic missions. The third 2026 MAECI MUR CRUI call is now online

The call concerns: diplomatic missions, consular offices and Italian Cultural Institutes of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation

Bari, 17 September 2026 - Applications are open until 5:00 p.m. on 28 September for Politecnico di Bari students enrolled in master’s and single-cycle degree programmes, who may apply on tirocinicrui.app for one of the 377 internships offered under the new MAECI MUR CRUI programme call.

The selected young people will be able to work with embassies (177 positions available), consulates (91), cultural institutes (64), diplomatic missions (44) and delegations (1). Geographically, the positions at the host institutions are distributed as follows: 185 in Europe, 90 in America, 61 in Asia, 27 in Africa and 14 in Oceania.

The internships, 22 of which will be carried out remotely, will begin on 11 January 2027, end on 9 April 2026 and may be extended by a further month, subject to an agreement between the parties.

The internship entitles participants to the recognition of at least 1 CFU for each month of activity and to reimbursement of expenses of at least 300 euros per month if carried out in person. The selection notice is open to all degree classes.

Following the amendment to the regulations governing access to the diplomatic career, theselection notice is open to all degree classes.

The third 2026 MAECI MUR CRUI call has been joined by 60 universities throughout Italy. In Puglia, in addition to Poliba, these include Uniba, LUM and Unisalento.

Poliba students interested in applying, or seeking further information, may contact the following email addresses: luciana.cicerone@poliba.it o nicola.linsalata@poliba.it

The full call is available at the following link: https://www.tirocinicrui.it/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Avviso_tirociniMAECI_07-09-2026-1.pdf

Press release.

Poliba, Prof. Silvano Vergura elected Vice-President of the European Federation for Non-Destructive Testing

2026-2030. Appointed in Verona on the occasion of the 2026 CND Conference

Poliba, Prof. Silvano Vergura elected Vice-President of the European Federation for Non-Destructive Testing

The federation promotes non-destructive testing of materials and systems, which are essential for ensuring safety and reliability for the benefit of industry, users and the community. Infrared thermography, widely used for energy efficiency in the renewable energy, photovoltaic and wind sectors

Verona. NDT Conference 2026. Vergura, fifth from the right

Bari, 16 September 2026 – Prof. Silvano Vergura, a Poliba lecturer in “Photovoltaic Systems and Plant Diagnostics” at the Department of Electrical and Information Engineering, has been elected Vice-President of the European Federation for Non-Destructive Testing for the 2026–2030 term. The election took place in Verona during the federation’s 2026 conference.

Founded in Copenhagen in 1998, the Federation brings together the activities of the 27 individual European national associations working in the field of non-destructive testing (NDT). In Italy, the Italian Association for Non-Destructive Testing, AIPnD, founded in 1979, serves as a reference point for experts in the sector involved in non-destructive testing, inspections and quality control.

What are they? Diagnostics and Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) make it possible to assess the condition of components and systems without damaging them or interrupting their operation through surface and volumetric inspections.

Surface inspections focus on identifying cracks, porosity or discontinuities that are exposed or located immediately below the surface. These include visual testing (VT), liquid penetrant testing (PT) and magnetic particle testing (MT).

Volumetric inspections penetrate into the body of the material to map internal and deep-seated defects such as inclusions or lack of fusion. The main techniques in this field are industrial radiography (RT) and ultrasonics (UT), which are essential for inspecting thick welds and castings.

Among the emerging NDT methods is infrared thermography (IRT), a non-contact technique that detects thermal radiation. In the civil sector, thermography is widely used for energy efficiency, the identification of thermal bridges, detached plaster and water infiltration. In the industrial sector, it enables predictive monitoring of electrical panels, mechanical bearings and furnace refractories, identifying overheating before failure occurs. Finally, it plays a crucial role in the renewable energy sector by optimising the energy yield of generation plants. In photovoltaic modules, it makes it possible to locate damaged cells and connection defects, often by conducting rapid surveys using drones over large solar farms. In wind turbine blades, dynamic thermographic analysis makes it possible to detect internal delamination of the composite material and structural cracks caused by mechanical fatigue.

Press release.

Thermography of the photovoltaic field. Infrared examination

The Polytechnic University of Bari and the University of Bari “Aldo Moro” visit CERN, Europe’s leading particle physics laboratory

Switzerland. 7-8 September, first joint institutional mission in Geneva

The Polytechnic University of Bari and the University of Bari “Aldo Moro” visit CERN, Europe’s leading particle physics laboratory

A delegation led by the rectors, Umberto Fratino and Roberto Bellotti, was received by CERN management, Europe’s leading particle physics laboratory. At the center of the meeting: research, innovation, quantum technologies, artificial intelligence, and the training of new generations of scientists

Bari, 11 September 2026 - For the first time, the Polytechnic University of Bari and the University of Bari “Aldo Moro” carried out a joint institutional mission at CERN in Geneva (CH), an international nuclear research organization and a global reference point for particle physics.

The delegation from the two universities, led by the rectors, Umberto Fratino and Roberto Bellotti, was received by the laboratory’s management, confirming the strategic value of a scientific collaboration that has linked Bari to CERN for over sixty years.

The relationship with the Geneva research center in fact has its roots in the activities of the Interuniversity Department of Physics, shared by the University and the Polytechnic University of Bari, and the Bari section of the National Institute for Nuclear Physics. Over the last decades, this collaboration has developed especially around the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), the largest particle accelerator ever built, and its main international experiments, involving a broad community of professors, researchers, doctoral candidates, female students and students.

For the University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, in addition to Rector Bellotti, the mission included the Uniba General Director, Ernesto Somma, the delegate for Scientific and Technological Research, Anna Colaleo, the director of the Department of Humanistic Research and Innovation, Elisabetta Todisco, and the director of the Research, Third Mission and Internationalization Directorate, Adriana Agrimi.

For the Polytechnic University of Bari, present were Rector Fratino, the deputy director of the Interuniversity Department of Physics, Gabriella Pugliese, and the delegate for Research, Giuseppe Eugenio Bruno.

Numerous topics were addressed during the meetings with CERN officials: from high-energy physics to developments in detectors for the CMS, ALICE, SND@LHC and n_TOF experiments, as well as the prospects offered by scientific computing infrastructures and CERN openlab activities. The discussion also focused on quantum technologies, medical physics and the production of radioisotopes for diagnostic and therapeutic applications in the ISOLDE and CERN-MEDICIS laboratories, in addition to the opportunities for innovation and technology transfer promoted through IdeaSquare. Considerable space was finally devoted to initiatives aimed at students, doctoral candidates and young researchers, with particular attention to training and research pathways to be carried out at CERN.

The visit also provided an opportunity to meet the young protagonists of Art & Science across Italy, the project that brings high school students closer to scientific culture through the language of art.

At Science Gateway, the delegation met the winners of the 2024-2026 edition of the program promoted by INFN, CERN, the University of Naples Federico II and the University of Bari “Aldo Moro”.

In the afternoon, the rectors also listened to presentations by some young researchers involved in the main international experiments. Antonio Palasciano illustrated the activities of the ALICE project, Felice Nenna those of CMS, Giulio Perfetto the contribution to the n_TOF experiment, and Giuliana Galati the research developed within SND@LHC, offering direct testimony of the role that the Bari scientific community continues to play in the major challenges of international research.

Press release Poliba-Uniba.

The rector, Fratino points to LHC, the largest particle accelerator ever built

student meeting

Interno CERN

Nadia Giuffrida is the new Director of the Studies and Research Center of the Italian Association for Traffic and Transport Engineering

2026-2029. A Poliba faculty member, she was appointed by the National Executive Board of AIIT

Nadia Giuffrida is the new Director of the Studies and Research Center of the Italian Association for Traffic and Transport Engineering

Bari, 10 September 2026 - The Executive Board of the Italian Association for Traffic and Transport Engineering (AIIT) has appointed Prof. Nadia Giuffrida, Associate Professor at the Polytechnic University of Bari, affiliated with the Transport sector at the Department of Civil, Environmental, Land, Building and Chemical Engineering (DICATECh), as Director of the Studies and Research Center. Prof. Giuffrida succeeds Michela Le Pira, a faculty member at the University of Catania.

For the next three-year period 2026-2029, Prof. Giuffrida will coordinate and oversee the Association’s scientific activities and thematic Working Groups and will coordinate the TIS Rome International Conference (Transport Infrastructure and Systems), one of the main events promoted by AIIT.

Nadia Giuffrida, from Sicily, earned her PhD in 2018 in Assessment and Mitigation of Urban and Territorial Risks at the University of Catania. She subsequently served as a postdoctoral researcher at the Spatial Dynamics Lab of University College Dublin. She has worked at the Polytechnic University of Bari in the Transport sector at DICATECh since 2022 and has been an Associate Professor since 2025. Her research focuses on transport planning and is documented by more than 70 scientific publications and by her participation, as a speaker, in numerous national and international conferences. A member of AIIT since 2015, she has served on the organizing and scientific committees of the TIS Rome international conferences in 2019, 2022 and 2024.

AIIT is a national technical-scientific association founded in 1952 that brings together representatives from academia, professional practice and institutions active in the fields of mobility, traffic, infrastructure and transport. Through research, training and outreach initiatives, it promotes dialogue among the sector’s different expertise and contributes to the development of more efficient, safe and sustainable transport systems.

The election of Prof. Giuffrida represents important recognition of her scientific and professional career and strengthens the presence of the Polytechnic University of Bari in the national and international debate on mobility, traffic and transport systems.

Press release.

INPHOMIR project, miniaturized optical systems for CubeSat nanosatellites, drones and autonomous vehicles

Fondazione Puglia. School of integrated photonic technologies for sensing and navigation

INPHOMIR project, miniaturized optical systems for CubeSat nanosatellites, drones and autonomous vehicles

Under way in Bari from 7 to 11 September. An initiative organized by Poliba. Scientific visits to Sitael SpA and at Grottaglie Airport Test Bed

8 September. The participants of the School visiting the Sitael SpA headquarters - Mola di Bari

Bari, 9 September 2026 – The “The Inphormir Training School” has been underway since Monday, 7 September and throughout the week until Friday, 11, in Bari, at the headquarters of the Fondazione Puglia (via Venezia, historic center). It is the School of the “Inphomir” project, dedicated to integrated photonic technologies for space and terrestrial sensing and navigation. Title of the 2026 Bari edition: “From Platforms to Applications”. The school is attended by PhD candidates, young researchers, master’s students and professionals.

The project as a whole is coordinated by the Italian company GEM Elettronica and includes prominent partners such as the Polytechnic University of Bari (with its Optoelectronics Laboratory), the Technical University of Munich, the Eindhoven University of Technology and other European institutions and companies.

The scientific week, organized by the Polytechnic University of Bari,in collaboration with BeWarrant – Tinexta Group. is an integral part of the research and innovation project, “Inphomir”, funded by the Horizon Europe programme through a Research and Innovation Action, with an EU contribution of 500 thousand euros.

Launched in 2023 and set to conclude in 2028, “Inphomir” aims to develop photonic integrated circuits (PICs) based on indium phosphide, a semiconductor material with exceptional electro-optical properties that is fundamental to electronics and photonics. The goal is to miniaturize complex optical systems so they can be installed on platforms where space and weight are at a minimum, such as nanosatellites (CubeSats), drones and autonomous vehicles. “This is not merely about miniaturizing existing instruments - adds Prof. Caterina Ciminelli of Poliba, Department of Electronics and Information, coordinator of theOptoelectronics Laboratory – but about developing the technologies needed to create more compact and efficient integrated sensors”. These are the themes of the School currently taking place in Bari.

At present, in fact, innovative and cutting-edge technologies such as nanosatellite-based space navigation and autonomous navigation are hindered precisely by the lack of devices with such characteristics.

At the core of the research project is photonics, which includes technologies that use light to transmit and process information and to perform measurements, and integrated photonics, which makes it possible to combine multiple optical functions on a single chip: to generate, guide, modulate, filter and detect light, depending on the platform used. This shifts the approach from systems made up of numerous separate components to circuits in which many of these functions are integrated. Applications range from telecommunications and data centres to environmental, industrial and biomedical sensing, as well as metrology and autonomous systems.

“The frontier of applied research is one of the most significant frontiers – continues Prof. Ciminelli. The difficulty does not lie simply in a lack of sensors, but in combining high performance, reduced size and compatibility with the requirements of the final application. Miniaturization is important both for equipping small drones and for reducing the bulk of the sensor systems on board nanosatellites. It is worth remembering that a device that works well in the laboratory is a starting point, not yet the end point”.

In this scientific field, Apulia offers a context in which university research, industrial expertise and testing infrastructure can interact directly. Examples include SITAEL, an Apulian company engaged in the design, development and production of small satellites, propulsion systems and equipment for space missions. The Grottaglie Airport Test Bed, managed by the Aerospace Technological District – DTA, is an infrastructure dedicated to research, experimentation and validation of unmanned aerial systems and autonomous flight technologies. Both are among the sites visited by participants (8 and 10 September), with the educational aim of showing the context in which the technologies discussed during the lectures could be used, making the link between device research and system requirements more concrete.

The Politecnico di Bari participates in INPHOMIR through the Optoelectronics Laboratory, which has expertise in the modelling, design and experimental characterisation of integrated photonic devices and circuits, including for space applications. The role of the Politecnico therefore combines design and experimental verification, in collaboration with the partners.

Among the institutions represented in Bari are, in addition to Poliba, Politecnico di Milano, IMEC–Ghent University, Eindhoven University of Technology, Technical University of Munich, Paul Scherrer Institut, C2N–CNRS/Université Paris-Saclay, University of Cyprus, Fondazione Bruno Kessler, Tyndall and INRiM, as well as companies active in photonic design and applications and in consultancy for EU project development, such as GEM Elettronica, Sigma Ingegneria, Leonardo and BeWarrant – Gruppo Tinexta. By next Friday, the programme will feature 26 presentations, including specialist lectures, keynote talks and presentations of European projects, alongside a poster session and two technical visits.

Press release.

On the left Caterina Cimitelli with Isella Vicini, BeWarrant – Tinexta Group

The participants of the Inphomir School in Bari

Prof. Caterina Ciminelli, Poliba, presentation of the works, day 1

Gold medal for Nicolò Ricco, a student at the Polytechnic University of Bari in Mechanical Engineering

Sports. The Italian University Team in Hungary at the World Canoe and Kayak Championships

Gold medal for Nicolò Ricco, a student at the Polytechnic University of Bari in Mechanical Engineering

In Szeged, in the SUP 3000 meters, with a time of 4:00.44, Nicolò wins the title of University World Champion. In the SUP Sprint 200 meters event, Ricco also wins silver: second place behind the Polish athlete Majdan

At the center, Nicolò Ricco, gold medalist

Bari, 2 September 2026 – Nicolò Ricco, a student at the Polytechnic University of Bari and a member of the university national team, wins the gold medal at the World Canoe and Kayak Championships held in Szeged, Hungary (17-20 August).

Nicolò, 19, from Bari, on the flat waters of Szeged, covered the 3000-meter distance in 4:00.44. Second place and silver for the Polish athlete Majdan (4:08.05), third and bronze for Hong Kong's Chan (4:39.46).

The young Poliba student did not stop at the top step of the podium and in the SUP Sprint 200 meters event won the silver medal with a time of 56.78 behind the Polish athlete Majdan (52.30).

“Poliba Chronicle” interviewed the newly crowned University World Champion, Nicolò Ricco, 19, from Bari, soon to be a second-year Mechanical Engineering student at Poliba, a professional athlete in the sports group of the Italian Air Force.

Gold and Silver Medal: satisfied with the result and performance?

Yes, I am very satisfied, both with the medals and, above all, with the performance. Winning the Gold and taking the Silver is certainly a great satisfaction, but what makes me happiest is knowing that I brought to the competition all the work done during training. Every race is different and there are always aspects to improve, but I believe I expressed an excellent level and this gives me even more motivation to keep working.

More generally, what was the experience like among so many university students from different parts of the world?

It was a truly wonderful experience, not only from a sporting point of view. Competing with so many university students from different backgrounds and paths was stimulating. In the end, what I like most about university sport is precisely this aspect: beyond competition, there is the opportunity to meet new people, share experiences, and represent one’s university. It is an environment that pushes you to give your best, while at the same time allowing you to experience sport in a very positive way.

You are a Mechanical Engineering student at the Polytechnic University of Bari. Was it difficult to combine training and study?

It is certainly not easy, especially because my sport requires a significant daily commitment. I train several hours a day and at the same time my academic path is very demanding. You have to be very organized and learn to manage your time well, trying not to neglect either study or sport. At times it is tiring, but I believe that this difficulty has taught me a great deal about discipline and managing commitments. These are two aspects that, in the end, also help each other.

Where do you train?

I train in Bari, on Pane e Pomodoro beach.

What will your next commitments be?

These results are certainly a starting point, not an endpoint. The goal is to keep growing and to compete increasingly at international level. The next commitments are the Senior World Championships and European Championships

The University World Canoe and Kayak Championships (FISU WUC Canoe Sports) are an international competition dedicated to student-athletes from universities around the world. The 2026 edition saw the participation of athletes from over 30 countries. The program included speed, distance, and men’s, women’s, and mixed relay events in Canoe Sprint, Distance, and Stand Up Paddle (SUP).

The Italian university team was made up of 17 student-athletes from 12 universities. The next edition of the University World Canoe and Kayak Championships will be held in 2028.

Here is the university representation from Italy that took part in the 2026 World Canoe and Kayak Championships in Hungary: Erika Ballarin, Universitas Mercatorum; Matteo Bazzano, University of Rome Foro Italico; Giulia Bentivoglio, University of Parma; Beatrice Candela, University of Milan-Bicocca; Sara Cravero, University of Turin; Eros Dalboni, University of Milan-Bicocca; Jacopo Dalla Rosa, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart; Enrico Laudati, Luiss Guido Carli; Alyssa Marchetto, Campus Telematic University; Virginia Maria Matarese, University of Turin; Cecilia Pampinella, Pegaso Telematic University; Giovanni Penasa, University of Pavia; Jacopo Pulcini, Pegaso Telematic University; Nicolò Vincenzo Ricco, Polytechnic University of Bari; Valerio Roscioli, Universitas Mercatorum; Francesca Vigorito, University of Turin; Angela Voltan, Ca' Foscari University of Venice.

Press release.

Ungheria Campionati Mondiali Universitari

Nicolò Ricco on the final stretch before crossing the finish line

The photonic chip that illuminates the cell

New technologies. The research was published in the international journal “Science Advances”

The photonic chip that illuminates the cell

It enables the observation of cellular details and dynamics that conventional optics cannot distinguish. It supports predictive assessments and actions. Experimental tests in Germany have confirmed the reliability and quality of the results. Possible applications: immunology, advanced diagnostics, biomedical microscopy. Francesco Dell’Olio, a Poliba professor, is one of the authors of the research. He says: “the result enhances a line of research related to integrated photonics developed at our university. We now want to activate collaborations with hospitals, IRCCS, universities and local centers, to apply the platform to concrete biological and pharmacological questions”

Bari, 1 August 2026 – Miniaturized technological processes of integrated photonics have enabled new advances in knowledge, which have been translated into applications. The technology that uses light instead of electricity has produced photonic chips capable of extending researchers’ view of the cellular world, enabling new insights.

The photonic chip, the heart of the innovation, is a miniaturized circuit that, instead of electric current, guides and controls light through very thin paths that function as microscopic roads for light: they can carry it, split it, combine it, filter it, or direct it toward specific points.

In the study, the photonic chip is used to illuminate cells selectively and obtain highly detailed images of their internal structures. The work demonstrates how it is possible to use a transparent photonic chip not only as a support for the biological sample, but also as a true device for advanced optical microscopy. This makes it possible to observe nanometric details that conventional optical microscopy cannot distinguish. The photonic chip thus proves to be an integrated optical platform capable of making analytical instruments more compact, precise, and potentially suitable for examining many cells.

“Science Advances”. All this is part of a scientific work entitled, “Photonic waveguide chip-based nanoscopy visualizes rearrangements of the cortical actin cytoskeleton in activated Jurkat T cells” published on 15 July in the international scientific journal “Science Advances”.

Authors of the article are a group of researchers from three university institutions: Bielefeld University (Germany) for the biological and experimental component; Aschaffenburg University of Applied Sciences (Germany), platform, development and production of transparent chips; Polytechnic University of Bari (Italy), research conception, methodological development of the photonic platform, and data management and validation. Coordinator and scientific director, on behalf of Poliba, is Professor Francesco Dell’Olio of the Department of Electrical and Information Engineering.

The experiment focused mainly on T lymphocytes, the white blood cells that fight infections and diseased cells. When a T lymphocyte is activated externally, it rapidly reorganizes its internal “scaffold”, made largely of actin filaments, to form the so-called immunological synapse, that is, the contact zone through which the cell recognizes and responds to a target. The innovation makes it possible to visualize this reorganization with very high resolution and over a wide field of view.

Applications. In the short term, the impact concerns biological and pharmacological research. In oncology, this technology may help improve immunotherapies. T lymphocytes, including CAR-T cells modified in the laboratory, can eliminate tumor cells by forming an “immunological synapse” with them, a contact zone in which the actin network reorganizes. Observing this process at the nanometric scale may make it possible to compare cells with different levels of effectiveness, understand why some are unable to attack the tumor, and assess the effect of drugs or new genetic modifications. The photonic chip could become a research tool for designing future, more targeted and effective immunotherapies.

The considerations. “For the Polytechnic University of Bari – says Prof. Francesco Dell’Olio - the news highlights a research line related to integrated photonics developed in the Department of Electrical and Information Engineering of our university. The publication represents a useful opportunity to underscore Poliba’s ability to contribute enabling technologies for the study of complex cellular processes, with possible future applications in immunology, advanced diagnostics, and biomedical microscopy. This result is a starting point. We want to activate collaborations with hospitals, IRCCS, universities, and local centers to apply the platform to concrete biological and pharmacological questions. It is not enough to see smaller structures: this capability must be transformed into information useful to those who study cells, drugs, and immune response”.

Press release.

An activated T cell observed with nanoscopy on a photonic chip_

Who is the Poliba author.

Francesco Dell’Olio is Associate Professor of Electronics at the Department of Electrical and Information Engineering of the Polytechnic University of Bari, where he coordinates the Micro Nano Sensor Group. His research activity concerns integrated photonics, silicon photonics, microsensors and nanosensors, biosensors, and embedded electronic systems. He is the author of numerous scientific publications and participates in national and international projects dedicated to the development of photonic devices and advanced sensors for biomedical, industrial, aerospace, and navigation applications. He also carries out editorial and scientific coordination activities in international journals and conferences, with attention to the industrial application of scientific research results. He founded two spin-off companies of the Polytechnic University of Bari: “Weatech” and “OptoEncase”.

Prof. Francesco Dell'Olio - Poliba

Steel: three Chinese researchers discover new properties: greater strength and ductility

Science. Two articles published in the prestigious international journal “Nature Materials”

Steel: three Chinese researchers discover new properties: greater strength and ductility

Matteo Villa, Politecnico di Bari, and Marcel Somers, Technical University of Denmark, contribute with a joint article in “Nature” and open the scientific debate

Prof. Marcel A.J. Somers - Technical University of Denmark

Bari, 28 July 2026 – In April of this year, a study by three Chinese researchers, Shuai Pan, Birbin He and Mingxin Huang, from the University of Hong Kong and the Southern University of Science and Technology in Shenzhen, entitled “Anisotropic lattice distortion makes ultra-strong martensitic steel ductile”, published on 16 April in “Nature Materials”, one of the world’s most prestigious scientific journals, demonstrated that even better properties can be obtained from steel with a new chemical-engineering method. The proposed method acts on the formation of martensite, a very hard and strong crystalline structure that forms in steels through very rapid cooling (quenching).

On the Chinese publication, at the invitation of “Nature Materials”, two scholars intervened: Professors Marcel Somers, of the Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Department of Civil and Mechanical Engineering, and Matteo Villa of the Politecnico di Bari, Department of Mechanics, Mathematics and Management.

In the article, “Lattice distortion activates deformation twinning in ultrastrong steel” published in “Nature Materials” on 24 June 2026, the two European professors expressed an opinion on the limits of the idea presented in April by the Chinese authors, as well as on the studies that should be undertaken in the future to go beyond them. This is a recognition of expertise at the highest level (the paper is published online on the journal’s page: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41563-026-02642-2 and is also accessible for reading at the following link: https://rdcu.be/fqap2).

Prof. Villa, what is the innovative strength of the Chinese research?

It has shown that the martensitic structure, the strongest that can be obtained in steels, is not only strong but can also be ductile. This was previously considered impossible because it violated the principle that high strength and ductility are mutually exclusive characteristics.

What does not convince you, or what still needs to be improved in research terms?

First and foremost, the fact that the above demonstration was obtained using steels containing significant fractions of cobalt and nickel. These are very expensive alloying elements and are in high demand for the green transition; therefore, it is not realistic to think of their large-scale use in steel production.

What needs to be investigated further?

The next objective is to study in depth the physics underlying the observed behavior, starting from the atomic scale, in order to be able to predict it by computer. This will make it possible to screen, with a click, a very large number of compositions in search of those that can be produced in large quantities for real-world uses.

This scientific advance places the Politecnico di Bari at the center of the international debate on the directions to be taken in fundamental research in order to develop, in the future, next-generation steels whose uses and potential are still entirely to be discovered.

History and characteristics. Steel, an iron-based alloy composed mainly of iron and carbon, is the second most widely used material in the world after concrete. Variation in the carbon percentage by weight, up to 2.1%, determines various types of steel. Beyond that, it becomes cast iron.

The high strength that characterizes it is obtained by heating steel to high temperatures (750-900 C°), followed by rapid cooling by immersion in water, oil, or compressed air. This process, known as quenching, was already described by Homer in the Odyssey. It makes it possible to form a very hard internal structure in the material, but one that is not very deformable and is easily prone to fracture if bent, called martensite, with a new distribution of atoms.

These empirical processes occupied the time and experience of masters-at-arms and blacksmiths for many centuries. Only in 1740 was modern steel produced.

Used in an increasingly versatile way, steel has been indispensable to technological innovation throughout the world. The rapid growth of the postwar automotive sector (the 1950s/1960s) fostered research, quality, and production.

The idea that martensite was the ideal structure for steel changed suddenly in the 1970s. It was discovered that by treating steel so that it retained at least in part the atomic structure present at high temperatures, an additional advantage was achieved: high deformability was combined with high strength. The discovery was revolutionary, especially for transportation.

Applications. Modern “engineered” steel is no longer just a strong material, but rather a material that, in the event of a car accident, deforms and absorbs a large amount of kinetic energy before breaking. Accidents that could have been fatal twenty years ago are often irrelevant today for the safety of passengers.

The authors, who are they. Marcel A.J. Somers, born in 1960, earned his doctorate at Delft University of Technology in 1989. Since 1997 he has been a full professor at the Technical University of Denmark, where he leads the Materials and Surface Engineering group. He is the author of more than 360 scientific publications, co-inventor of about 20 patents, and co-founder of two specialized companies. He has received numerous international awards, including prestigious medals, and was knighted by the Queen of Denmark in 2022.

Matteo Villa, born in 1985, earned his doctorate at the Technical University of Denmark in 2014 and, after a decade of academic experience, in 2024 was appointed associate professor of Metallurgy at the Polytechnic University of Bari. Author of more than 70 scientific publications and co-inventor of 1 patent, his research activity focuses on the study of the physics of metals. His work enjoys international recognition, particularly for scientific contributions dedicated to understanding martensitic transformations in steel.

Press release.

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Press Releases 2026

The results of the agreement between the Public Prosecutor’s Office of Trani, the Apulia Region and the Polytechnic University of Bari presented at Poliba

Building the Future of Skills and Innovation

A New Model. Implementing the Regional Sustainable Development Strategy

The Water That Comes Unexpectedly. Bari’s Historic Floods

Inauguration of the Confucius Institute of Bari

Erosion: protecting our changing coastlines

Experiences, good practices and operational guidelines for road infrastructure in the regions of Southern Italy

The Realities We Want. The Global Future on Display in Bari: Research and Applications

Poliba Corse, 3rd place nationally in Class 3, for its project dedicated to the new electric single-seater

Nicola Linsalata, Poliba official, appointed President of the Network of Guidance Professionals of Italian Universities

CAVES Project, a new methodology for studying and analyzing underground karst formations to determine their geometry, geotechnical properties, evolution, and age

The 2nd edition of the Summer School on Autonomous and Intelligent Systems has concluded at Poliba

377 internships at diplomatic missions. The third 2026 MAECI MUR CRUI call is now online

Poliba, Prof. Silvano Vergura elected Vice-President of the European Federation for Non-Destructive Testing

The Polytechnic University of Bari and the University of Bari “Aldo Moro” visit CERN, Europe’s leading particle physics laboratory

Nadia Giuffrida is the new Director of the Studies and Research Center of the Italian Association for Traffic and Transport Engineering

INPHOMIR project, miniaturized optical systems for CubeSat nanosatellites, drones and autonomous vehicles

Gold medal for Nicolò Ricco, a student at the Polytechnic University of Bari in Mechanical Engineering

Sports. The Italian University Team in Hungary at the World Canoe and Kayak Championships

The photonic chip that illuminates the cell

Steel: three Chinese researchers discover new properties: greater strength and ductility

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