WS.I

INTEGRATED APPROACH FOR PREVENTION THROUGH DESIGN IN NANOMATERIALS AND ADVANCED MATERIALS PRODUCTION PROCESSES

17 September

WORKSHOP COMMITTEE: 

Fabio BOCCUNI, INAIL

WS.II

ADVANCED APPROACHES FOR NANOMATERIAL CHARACTERIZATION, SAFETY AND BIOMEDICAL APPLICATIONS

16 September

WS.III

FROM LOW TO HIGH TRL: TECHNOLOGICAL CHALLENGES AND SYSTEM EVOLUTION ACROSS RESEARCH AND INDUSTRY

16 - 17 September

This two-day workshop will explore the revolutionary role of technological challenges and system evolution, mandatory to connect the worlds of research and industry, which until now have been very distant.
The transition from low to high Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs) represents one of the most critical and complex phases in the lifecycle of technological innovation. While early-stage research (TRL 1–3) is typically driven by scientific exploration and proof-of-concept validation, the progression toward industrial deployment (TRL 7–9) requires profound transformations in system architecture, design methodology, validation protocols, and stakeholder engagement. This workshop aims to promote a multidisciplinary dialogue on the technical, systemic, and organizational challenges that emerge during this transition, with particular focus on the fields of energy systems, electronics, sensing technologies, and biomedical applications.
The transition from laboratory prototypes to scalable, market-ready solutions requires much more than incremental technical refinement. Design choices that are acceptable in early experiment stages often prove inadequate when confronted with integration constraints, manufacturability requirements, cost optimization, safety standards and regulatory compliance. Furthermore, system-level considerations, including interoperability, reliability in real operating conditions, life cycle assessments, and sustainability, often reshape the original technological vision. The workshop will therefore examine how technological artefacts evolve not only in terms of performance metrics, but also in terms of architecture, materials, validation strategies, and risk management approaches.
A key focus will be on challenges related to scalability and system integration technologies. Those who demonstrate promising capabilities on a small scale may encounter unexpected limitations when integrated into complex infrastructures or subjected to industrial manufacturing processes. Through a comparison of different sectors, the workshop will seek to identify recurring patterns of bottlenecks and systemic constraints that characterize TRL-progression across all sectors. Another key aspect concerns regulatory and standardization frameworks. As technologies approach higher levels of technological maturity, compliance with safety standards, certification procedures and quality management systems become a central factor in design evolution. Understanding how regulatory pathways interact with innovation timelines is essential to avoid delays, redesign cycles, or misalignments between research outcomes and industrial expectations.
The workshop will encourage discussion on strategies to integrate regulatory foresight and system-level thinking from the early stages of research.
Ultimately, the workshop aims to contribute to a more structured understanding of how innovation in research can be effectively aligned with the requirements of real systems and the needs of society. By promoting knowledge exchange between different sectors and systemic awareness, the initiative aspires to accelerate the path from scientific discovery to robust, reliable and high-impact technological diffusion.

WS.IV

TECHNOLOGIES FOR ENERGY TRANSITION

16 - 17 - 18 September

WORKSHOP COMMITTEE

Margherita MORENO, ENEA
Raffaele LIBERATORE, ENEA
Martina CALIANO, ENEA
Maria Luisa GRILLI, ENEA
Nicola LISI, ENEA
Umberto Pasqual LAVERDURA, ENEA
Daniele Mirabile GATTIA, ENEA

The progressive deterioration of environmental conditions at both local and global scales is largely driven by anthropogenic activities, with greenhouse gas emissions—particularly CO₂—representing a major contributor to climate change. The energy sector, encompassing both production and consumption, remains a key source of these emissions, and the continuous growth in global energy demand further exacerbates the challenge.
The transition toward low-carbon and sustainable energy systems is therefore imperative. This transition requires not only the development of high-performance technologies, but also their economic viability, scalability, and integration within existing infrastructures. In this framework, advanced energy solutions—ranging from nuclear fusion and artificial photosynthesis to next-generation electrochemical systems—are being intensively investigated, often leveraging insights from natural processes.
Recent progress in nanostructured materials, functional interfaces, and multiscale computational modelling is enabling significant improvements in energy conversion, storage, and transport processes. Nevertheless, critical challenges remain, including the limited transferability of laboratory-scale results to industrial applications (the so-called “valley of death”) and the need for cost-effective manufacturing routes.
Furthermore, the intrinsic intermittency of renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind, imposes stringent requirements on the development of efficient, flexible, and scalable energy storage technologies. Solutions spanning multiple temporal and spatial scales—ranging from electrochemical and thermochemical storage to hydrogen-based systems—are essential to ensure grid stability and reliability.
This workshop is framed within ENEA’s activities in the context of the “Ricerca di Sistema Elettrico” programmes, funded by the Italian Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security (MASE) and managed by CSEA. It aims to provide a multidisciplinary forum to present and discuss recent advances in energy technologies for the transition. Particular emphasis will be placed on advanced materials and processes for energy storage, hydrogen production and utilization, modelling-driven design, and the integration of renewable energy sources into resilient and sustainable energy systems.

The activity is funded by the Program Agreements between ENEA and the Italian Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security (MASE), Project 1.2 “Technologies for electrochemical and thermal storage” (PTR 2025-2027, CUP I53C24003300001); Project 2.3 “Evoluzione e pianificazione delle reti elettriche” (PTR 2025-2027, CUP I53C24003310001); Project 1.6 “Efficienza energetica dei prodotti e dei processi industriali”  (PTR 2025-2027, CUP CUP I53C24003340001)

WS.V

NEXT-GENERATION FUNCTIONAL SEMICONDUCTORS FOR ENERGY AND ELECTRONICS: FROM PEROVSKITES TO ORGANIC DEVICES

16 September

WORKSHOP COMMITTEE

Massimo BERSANI, FBK
Mahmut KUS, Konya Technical University

This symposium focuses on recent advances in next-generation semiconductor technologies, spanning hybrid, organic, and perovskite-based systems for energy and electronic applications. Rapid progress in materials design, interface engineering, and scalable fabrication has enabled significant improvements in device performance, stability, and manufacturability.
The session aims to bring together researchers working on perovskite solar cells, organic field-effect transistors (OFETs), organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs), and hybrid semiconductor platforms. Particular emphasis will be placed on functional materials, interfacial engineering strategies, defect passivation approaches, and novel architectures that enhance efficiency, operational stability, and large-area scalability.

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:
- Advanced functional materials (e.g., polymers, 2D materials, clays, polyoxometalates)
- Interface engineering and charge transport layers
- stability enhancement and degradation mechanisms
- Scalable and printable semiconductor technologies
- Emerging device architectures (flexible, wearable, large-area systems)
- AI-assisted materials discovery and device optimization
- Sustainable and environmentally friendly semiconductor approaches

This symposium aims to foster interdisciplinary collaboration and provide insights into bridging the gap between laboratory-scale innovation and industrial-scale implementation.

WS.VI

ADVANCED IONIZING RADIATION TECHNOLOGIES FOR LIFE SCIENCES, MATERIALS ENGINEERING, AND SPACE EXPLORATION

17 September

WORKSHOP COMMITTEE

Rocco CARCIONE, ENEA
Alessia CEMMI, ENEA
Jessica SCIFO, ENEA

This mini-workshop, organized into two 90-minute sessions, explores the expanding multidisciplinary impact and technical advantages of ionizing radiation technologies (gamma rays, X-rays, electrons, and protons). The event aims to provide a multidisciplinary forum to discuss recent innovations in cultural heritage and agro-food preservation, material testing for space exploration (including ISRU processes), and polymer modification/functionalization. Particular emphasis will also be placed on the development of advanced dosimetric systems, such as tissue-equivalent dosimeters, and the engineering of innovative radiation shielding materials for both medical and aerospace applications.

WS.VII

REMEMBERING LUIGI NICOLAIS, HIS IMPACT IN THE SCIENTIFIC WORLD AND HIS LEGACY

17 September

WORKSHOP COMMITTEE: 

in definition

WS.VIII

CARBON CAPTURE, UTILISATION AND STORAGE:
OPPORTUNITIES, CHALLENGES AND PATHWAYS TO NET ZERO

17 September

WORKSHOP COMMITTEE: 

Michela ALFE, CNR-STEMS
Valentina GARGIULO, CNR-STEMS

WS.IX

CIRCULAR ASPHALT: SCIENCE, SUSTAINABILITY, INNOVATION

18 September

WORKSHOP COMMITTEE

Michela ALFE, CNR-STEMS
Valentina GARGIULO, CNR-STEMS
Pietro CALANDRA, CNR-ISMN
Cesare OLIVIERO ROSSI, University of Calabria

Addressing environmental challenges requires innovative approaches that connect fundamental science with practical applications in sustainable development. The workshop will highlight the role of advanced material characterization and rheological analysis in developing more sustainable asphalt technologies and will discuss the broader implications of integrating waste valorization strategies into road construction and maintenance practices. Bringing together expertise from chemistry, physics, and engineering, the workshop demonstrates how waste valorization can contribute to the production of valuable resources suited for extending pavement service life, improving road safety, reducing maintenance needs, and decreasing the amount of waste sent to landfills.

WS.X

ADVANCED TECHNOLOGIES FOR CULTURAL HERITAGE: FROM CHARACTERIZATION TO SUSTAINABLE CONSERVATION STRATEGIES

14 - 18 September

WORKSHOP COMMITTEE

in definition

This workshop brings together different perspectives across conservation science, materials science, chemistry, physics, archaeology, microbiology and nanotechnology, addressing the entire pathway from the characterization and interpretation of heritage materials to the assessment of their degradation and the development of innovative conservation solutions.
Particular attention will be devoted to advanced and non-invasive analytical approaches for investigating the composition, structure, manufacture and alteration of archaeological, artistic and architectural materials, together with emerging diagnostic methodologies for assessing their interaction with the surrounding environment. At the same time, the workshop will explore the growing contribution of nanotechnology and advanced materials to conservation, including functional and self-cleaning coatings, nanocomposites, hydrogels, photocatalytic systems, sustainable materials and other tailored solutions for protection, cleaning and consolidation.
Through contributions spanning archaeological artefacts, metals, ceramics, historical building materials and other complex heritage systems, the workshop aims to highlight how the integration of advanced characterization, innovative materials and sustainable approaches can generate new knowledge while supporting more informed conservation decisions. The activities and expertise of HERITAGE-Lab (Sapienza University of Rome) and CHross Lab (CNR-DSCTM) further illustrate the value of interdisciplinary networks and shared research infrastructures in bridging fundamental research, technological innovation and practical conservation requirement.