@FRONTIERS – PNRR: a strategic lever for sustainable development and science diplomacy
“@FRONTIERS is the answer to the need for innovation for the future” with this phrase the Rector of the Università Mediterranea di Reggio Calabria, Giuseppe Zimbalatti, opened the day.
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March 30, 2026, was a particularly important institutional day for the Università Mediterranea di Reggio Calabria, which presented the results of @Frontiers, a complex 42-month research program developed within the PNRR (National Research Council), based on advanced projects, investments, and, above all, the crucial contribution of young researchers.
The event saw the Quistelli Aula Magna packed and attended by academics, regional and local authorities, representatives of ministerial bodies, the Senate, and trade and business associations, demonstrating the strategic importance of the event on the national scene.
Numbers of PNRR projects involving the Università Mediterranea di Reggio Calabria
122 million euros of total investment between public and private resources for the Tech4You project with
19 partners and 850 professors and researchers involved in 55 research projects; 400 new researchers and PhD students were hired. In addition, €320 million was invested by the National Agritech Center with 50 partners, Most with €320 million and 52 partners, and Restart with €119 million and 25 partners.
UNIRC, as a partner of the 4 projects (Tech4You, Restart, MOST and Agritech) – has been the beneficiary of approximately 40 million euros, an expression of a solid project cohesion and the ability to attract new resources to ensure continuity of the activities started.
The University of Reggio Calabria played a key role in the Tech4you project, whose results demonstrated the effectiveness of the research and innovation ecosystem model: physical prototypes, software platforms, and advanced skills ready to be transferred to the manufacturing system. In a global context marked by rapidly evolving technologies—from artificial intelligence to robotics—it became clear that the quality of human capital is the key competitive factor, especially in the face of the challenges posed by climate change.
The work of the Università Mediterranea di Reggio Calabria, led by Rector Giuseppe Zimbalatti, is fully aligned with the objectives of the 2030 Agenda, promoting sustainable, inclusive, and ethically oriented development.
@Frontiers: Enabling Technologies and the Climate Challenge.
In this context, the contribution of universities has stood out, consolidating their role within research programs through high-profile scientific expertise, strengthening the academic network in Southern Italy and contributing significantly to the quality and impact of projects.
The day focused on structured dialogue between research and the production system, involving over 50 companies. The PNRR has proven to be an enabling tool for technology transfer and for strengthening the competitiveness of the entire country's economic fabric.
In this context, the initiative represented a qualified moment of institutional and scientific discussion, aimed at illustrating the most recent innovations developed in the fields of digital transition applied to agriculture, environmental monitoring, sustainable management of natural resources and food supply chains, and transport, all mediated by advanced telecommunications.
From this perspective, @Frontiers fully embodied the "look beyond": a vision capable of combining research, innovation, and institutional responsibility, projecting the university system toward future challenges.
Event contents
The two institutional sessions were introduced, one by the Vice-Rector for Major Projects, Mariateresa Russo, and the second by the President of the CNR and spokesperson for the network of Italian UNESCO Chairs, Andrea Lenzi.
This was followed by presentations on the results of the main PNRR programs, with Maurizio Muzzupappa for Tech4You, Nicola Blefari Melazzi, Antonella Molinaro for Restart, Giuseppe Musolino and Claudia Campolo for MOST.
An international focus was dedicated to scientific diplomacy and climate change in the Mediterranean, with contributions from Francesco Corvaro, Grammenos Mastrojeni, Filippo Maria Soccodato, Luca Baione, Gianni Chianetta, Stefano Lo Savio, and Massimo Riccardo, who addressed the issues of international cooperation and sustainable development.
The closing remarks were delivered by Fabrizio Cobis, Director of the Ministry of University and Research, who outlined the future prospects of the PNRR and its new paradigm based on innovation, research valorization, and technology transfer.
In the afternoon, @Frontiers – Open Lab dedicated a space to the agri-food sector, with application demonstrations and advanced technologies developed within the Agritech program, including the presentation of the innovative MANTRA prototype designed by Professor Mariateresa Russo. MANTRA integrates different technologies through a single management system for studying food quality markers and also creating functional products such as antioxidants or cholesterol-lowering products. Simone Guzzi, CEO of Shimadzu Italia, was present, along with the project partner who developed the management system.
A commitment to the new generations
" Young people, seen as the new generations of research, represent the main strategic resource of the university system: highly qualified human capital that fuels a future in which the PNRR has emerged as a concrete lever capable of generating innovation, development, and competitiveness, contributing to the fight against talent drain" and as the starting point of a new path codified in the National Research Program (PNR) 2021-2027. It is the strategic tool of the MUR that guides research policies in Italy, concentrating resources on priority areas for competitiveness and sustainable development, aligned with Horizon Europe " declared the Vice-Rector of the Università Mediterranea di Reggio Calabria, Mariateresa Russo.
The university system, and in particular the network of participating universities—with the significant contribution of the Università Mediterranea di Reggio Calabriaa—has confirmed its central role in building a growth model based on knowledge, innovation, and sustainability.
@Frontiers has left a clear and shared vision: the Università Mediterranea has demonstrated its ability to generate concrete opportunities for a future consistent with the objectives of the 2030 Agenda and the Pact for the Future.
A future where development isn't just about technological progress, but about collective responsibility; where no one is left behind and innovation is combined with ethics, sustainability, and social cohesion, for the benefit of the entire community .