We conduct applied research in the green and blue sciences and sustainability related disciplines with a great environmental, economic and social impact on the world. We mainly focus on renewable energy, energy storage, new sustainable materials, sustainable production systems, sustainable use of natural resources, circular economy, environmental and climate change impacts, bio-economy, blue growth and food quality. The main domains of our research are:
ENERGY- clean energy, generation of energy from renewable resources, smart grids and novel energy storage technologies
Renewable energy systems such as geothermal, thermal and concentrated solar power, PV, biomass to energy systems; hydrogen and fuel cells; carbon capture and storage;
Nuclear facilities design and safety, transport and waste disposal of radioactive materials;
Battery (Lithium Ion Batteries) and Electric Vehicles.
GREEN CHEMISTRY AND BIO-MATERIALS – renewable and sustainable polymers, nanocomposites and bio-based materials
Composite materials for energy-intensive industries;
Design of high-performance bio-based materials;
Biodegradable/recyclable-by-design innovative materials;
SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTION AND RURAL AREAS – food quality, nutraceuticals, food safety, food systems, design of innovative processes and products in animal production and in multifunctional farms, dynamics and structural changes in rural areas, social agriculture
Studies on small farmers' individual and collective strategies;
Socio-economic impact of sustainable agriculture;
Self-sufficient integrated Multi-Trophic AquaPonic systems for improving food production sustainability and brackish water use and recycling;
Multifunctional agriculture, social agriculture, rural development.
BLUE GROWTH – ecology of marine environment, assessment of pollution effects, resilience of the marine ecosystems, climate change effects and human impact on marine biodiversity, environmental monitoring and remediation
Climate change effects in the marine environment;
Evaluation of climate change effects and human impact on marine biodiversity;
Ecology of marine coastal habitats;
Methodologies for environmental monitoring and remediation resulting from the dispersion of plastic material in marine and lake environments.
Flagship projects
Funding programme: H2020 - Fighting and adapting to climate change
The project aims to provide socially and economically viable actions and strategies in support of nature-based solutions for climate change adaptation and mitigation.
The consortium cooperates to develop solutions aimed at safeguarding future biodiversity and ecosystem functions to maximise natural capital and its delivery of services from marine and transitional ecosystems.
Funding programme: H2020 - Sustainable, resource-efficient and low-carbon technologies in energy-intensive process industries
The project has the potential to revolutionise energy-intensive industries planning their full shift to renewable sources by introducing an innovative microwave-based production process for Ceramic Matrix Composites.
Via a systemic and multidisciplinary approach, the CEM-WAVE project tests and demonstrates possibilities to reduce the production costs of ceramic matrix composites and establish new supply and value chains in the composites materials and manufacturing economy.