Press releases  

‘Green’, energy-independent sensors as small as a coin have been developed for wireless networks and real-time monitoring. These are the results of the MetaVEH (Metamaterial Enabled Vibration Energy Harvesting) project, which has just ended, following funding of €4 million under the Horizon 2020 ‘Pillar 1 – Excellent Science’ call to reduce CO₂ emissions. The research was conducted by a consortium consisting of three universities — Imperial College London, the Politecnico di Milano and ZHAW Zürich as lead institute — together with Multiwave Technologies and STMicroelectronics.

The initial idea was simple: to exploit the movement of vehicles on structures such as bridges and motorways, feeding the harvested energy into sensors used to monitor those same structures. The sensors are now widely used but often difficult (or impossible) to reach for battery replacement, as they are situated in inconvenient places, perhaps at the top of an antenna or on the girders of a viaduct. The real challenge lays in creating a small device and solving the issue of the power needed by the sensors for both operation and data transmission, thus limiting battery waste and the environmental impacts of dead battery disposal.

The prototype developed by MetaVEH after nearly five years of studies is based on the concept of ‘energy harvesting’, that is, using the vibrational energy available in the environment and relying on piezoelectric materials to convert mechanical energy into electrical energy. The most effective piezoelectric materials currently used in existing sensors, however, contain lead, an environmentally toxic element. Instead, the project focused on developing and testing ‘green’ piezoelectric materials free of rare earths, using a standard, readily available element: aluminium nitride.

At the same time, technology was developed to produce mechanical metamaterials — materials specially ‘engineered’ for certain properties and reactions — that can manipulate the propagation of elastic waves, greatly amplifying the performance of energy harvesters. The resulting metamaterials, manufactured using innovative 3D printing techniques, have particular mechanical properties due to which they can ‘catch’ the wave passing through them, forcing it to concentrate on the piezoelectric material, a phenomenon known as ‘rainbow trapping’. The technology developed for engineering the metamaterials was patented by Imperial College London and the Politecnico di Milano. This allowed the energy harvesters to be prototyped on various scales, down to the MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems) scale. The device has a total length of 300 microns, i.e. less than half a millimetre, and it all fits within a 1-cent coin. 

‘In MetaVEH we have shown that vibration harvesters can move from concept to a complete autonomous sensing platform – says Andrea Colombi, professor at ZHAW Zürich and MetaVEH coordinator – By coupling advanced metamaterial structures with nonlinear energy management and wireless transmission, we demonstrated that sensors can operate without batteries and still deliver reliable data, even in environments where replacing batteries is difficult or impossible. This opens the door to sustainable monitoring solutions for infrastructures and the Internet of Things’.

‘MetaVEH has also been a rich mathematical challenge, where we tackled the complexity of nonlinearity, metamaterial modelling and multiphysics coupling – says professor Richard Craster, Dean of the Faculty of Natural Sciences at Imperial College London – These advances in theory and simulation have been essential to guide the prototypes and demonstrate their potential in real applications’.

‘We are dealing with a wide range of structural mechanics, especially for this type of sensor,’ says Raffaele Ardito, professor at DICA – Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering of the Politecnico di Milano. ‘With colleagues in the university’s Department of Mechanical Engineering, we have worked hard to find a ‘green’ alternative. At the end of the project, we now have a prototype for a microscale energy harvester based on a piezoelectric material without lead or rare earths, and therefore neutral with respect to ethical and environmental sustainability’. 

This device holds a strong potential for practical applications, namely in two domains: as high-quality resonators for 6G telecommunications and as autonomous sensors for structural health and environmental hazard monitoring. By harvesting energy from ambient vibrations, such devices can be deployed in inaccessible locations, becoming active only when needed and transmitting real-time data to safeguard infrastructures. For example, they could provide early warnings of earthquake-induced motions, terrain instabilities, or fatigue damage in critical structures such as bridges and tunnels.

For the project, STMicroelectronics has created micrometer-scale prototypes by integrating lead-free piezoelectric materials directly into the MEMS manufacturing process. This innovation has improved conversion efficiency of mechanical energy into electrical energy and has paved the way for new applications, potentially useful in the fields of 6G communications and Internet of Things (IoT). Furthermore, the MetaVEH project was selected within the EU Innovation Radar Platform initiatives for its high innovative content.

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Horacio Pagani, founder and Chief Designer of Pagani Automobili, yesterday was awarded a Honorary Master's Degree in Design & Engineering by the Politecnico di Milano. This was in recognition of the immense contribution that the Italian-Argentine entrepreneur has made to the automotive industry through his creative genius: a talent that led him to design and build a Formula 2 car for the official Renault Argentina team, to then move to Italy to work at Lamborghini, and finally to start his own hypercar company, Pagani Automobili, introducing huge innovations into sports car design. 

After greetings from the Rector Donatella Sciuto and a tribute by Giorgio Colombo, Professor of Engineering Drawing and Methods at the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Horacio Pagani gave a keynote address. 

The ceremony concluded with the official proclamation, prior to which Professor Francesco Zurlo, Dean of the School of Design, explained the reasons for awarding the degree:

"The Honorary Degree in Design & Engineering awarded to Horacio Pagani is in recognition of a creative professional career that exemplifies the synthesis between art, science and technology — the three founding principles of the culture at the Politecnico. The reasons for this award lie in Pagani's extraordinary ability to blend technological innovation with experimentation with materials and forms, following the great Italian tradition of sports car design. His work embodies a vision in which the design concept is combined with flawless engineering, producing cars that are both objects with considerable technical content and contemporary works of art.

Right from the start, Horacio Pagani has pursued the idea of design as total expression, where every component – from the shape of the bodywork to the structure in composite materials, from the interior to the mechanics – helps to create a cohesive aesthetic and sensory experience. The pioneering use of carbon fibre, the relentless search into innovative techniques and materials and the consistent attention to detail have made his cars a global reference point for quality, performance and beauty.

He seeks in his creations to combine the beauty of original and highly customised works with state-of-the-art technology, adopting a harmonious and recognisable approach in his attention to detail. 

In his ability to combine artistic vision with technical rigour, Horacio Pagani represents a proper contemporary example of the Renaissance craftsman, bringing the Italian tradition of "mastery" into the modern world, while also adding a global dimension.

With this award, the Politecnico di Milano wants to celebrate someone who embodies the essential values of the culture of design: creativity, skill, innovation and passion. His career shows how the interaction between design and engineering can create works that combine functionality and beauty, technique and poetry, technology and humanity — values that have always inspired the mission of our University in education and research."

HYPERCAR ON SHOW: The Forms of Air – from Leonardo da Vinci to Pagani Utopia

To accompany the award of the degree, the Politecnico di Milano is staging an exhibition at its Bovisa campus :"The Forms of Air – From Leonardo da Vinci to Pagani Utopia", collated by Pagani Automobili. The exhibition pathway relates Leonardo's thinking to Pagani's engineering and design: from research on aerodynamics to the beauty that comes from function, the exhibition explains how the luxury sports cars known as hypercars were developed by combining art, science and Italian techniques of manufacturing.

There are three cars on display in the B2 building (via Durando 10) until 12 December 2025, available to view at the following times: Monday to Saturday, 7:30 a.m. to 8:45 p.m. 

Here are the technical data sheets for the cars on display:

ZONDA ROADSTER F – 2006

The name Zonda references the wind that blows fiercely across the Argentine Andes, and so relates to the origins of the company founder Horacio Pagani and the natural force that inspires his philosophy. The letter F is a tribute to the legendary Juan Manuel Fangio, the "Master" who encouraged Pagani in his dream of building a car that could combine beauty and technology. 
The vehicle is as light as its Coupé counterpart: with the redesign of the frame and the use of new triaxial carbon fibre fabrics, the Zonda Roadster F has an overall weight of just 1,230 kg. The experience of open-air driving has no bounds: new aerodynamic research and better flexural and torsional rigidity allow one to travel at full speed in complete safety and comfort. This was achieved by developing special reinforcements for the area of the sills and tank, designing roll bars that also perform a structural function in the frame, and the use of three-way high modulus carbon fibre composites. Under the carbon fibre monocoque frame throbs a 7.3-litre aspirated Mercedes-AMG V12 engine, able to produce 650 hp and 780 Nm of torque, combined with a 6-speed manual gearbox plus reverse. There are only twenty-five examples of this model, each made with the meticulous craftsmanship of Atelier Pagani. 

HUAYRA ROADSTER – 2017

The Huayra Roadster was unveiled in 2017: a car where every mechanical component is proudly on display, celebrating the care taken over each individual detail. "Everything had to be unique, like a car made from a block of Carrara marble." The name Huayra comes from Huayra Tata, the Andean deity of the wind, a symbol of strength, freedom and movement. Like the wind that sculpts the forms of nature, Huayra embodies the relationship between energy and lightness, the core of the Pagani philosophy that unites Art and Science.
The whole design project has a special place in the hearts of all the Pagani team, as it represents the first example of a roadster that is lighter than its coupé counterpart. This special model combines the sleek, sinuous features of the Huayra Roadster and sophisticated aerodynamics, with a splitter and rear diffuser to manage engine performance more effectively. The twin-turbocharged Mercedes-AMG V12 6.0L engine is able to produce 764 hp and 1000 Nm of torque at 2,400 rpm. The frame consists of a central monocoque in Carbo-Titanium HP62 G2 and Carbo-Triax HP62, with front and rear sub-assemblies in chrome-molybdenum steel.

UTOPIA – 2022

Pagani, Act III. Utopia is based on three concepts: simplicity, lightness and driving pleasure. This is a hypercar, whose sinuous contours transcend time, combining inspiration from the fifties and sixties with the distinctive stamp of Pagani's personality. The classic four exhausts are included, and the carbon monocoque frame: further improved to make it even stronger and lighter with the use of new composite materials such as Carbo-Titanium HP62-G2 and Carbo-Triax HP62. The design is extraordinarily efficient, without the need for any external appendages. The superior handling and stability has been achieved through aerodynamic research and sophisticated technology, including active aerodynamics systems, electronically controlled shock absorbers and double wishbone suspension made from aerospace-grade aluminium alloy. The Utopia is therefore not afraid to go against the grain: the interior - for example - adds the appeal of an analogue instrument panel. You can also buck the trend by choosing to drive with a seven-speed manual gearbox, or opt for lightness with a twin-turbo V12 engine constructed by AMG on the instructions of Pagani. Production of the Utopia Coupé has been limited to ninety-nine examples.

HORACIO PAGANI – BIOGRAPHY

Horacio Pagani is the founder and Chief Designer of Pagani Automobili. After heading the Composites Division at Lamborghini, he began designing his own car in 1988, including some highly innovative features. The result of this idea was presented at the Geneva Motor Show in 1999 under the name of Zonda. The reception was immediate and overwhelming, ushering in the era of the hypercar. The Zonda has evolved into many versions over the years, each with increasingly sophisticated technical solutions. It is now considered an icon among sports cars, one of the best loved and most desirable vehicles for admirers and collectors around the world.

In 2011, Pagani brought out the Huayra, a hypercar that set a new standard in the automotive industry. It was a pioneer of new technologies such as active aerodynamics, which can change the behaviour of a vehicle in real time, and for the use of advanced composite materials to ensure exceptional strength and lightness. In 2012, the Huayra won the three most important awards in the sector such as Car of the Year, strengthening Horacio Pagani's reputation as a visionary in the automotive world.

His subsequent projects have further consolidated this status, confirming that Pagani models are among the most advanced and desirable hypercars in the world. For over forty years, he has been in relentless pursuit of excellence, making continuous investments in research and development. In 2022, he won the prestigious Compasso d 'Oro, bestowed by ADI – the Association for Industrial Design, in the "Design for mobility" category: an award for successfully combining form and function, which is central to his philosophy of design. In 2024, the GIOYA institute in Malta awarded Horacio Pagani an Honorary Degree in International Business & Entrepreneurship.

The third stage in a creative journey that aims to combine sophisticated technology with timeless design has come to fruition in the presentation of the Utopia project. In addition to hypercars, Pagani has also turned to new horizons with Pagani Arte, a division dedicated to interior design, where expert craftsmanship and high-tech solutions are applied to living spaces and to objects with a special character.

Milan, 15 October 2025 - Behind a steak served in China there is often a soybean cultivation in Brazil. The study published today in Nature Food, authored by Camilla Govoni and Maria Cristina Rulli of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Politecnico di Milano, together with La Zhuo of Northwest Agriculture & Forestry University (China), the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Dirce Lobo Marchioni of the Universidade de São Paulo (Brazil) presents a snapshot of an increasingly interconnected and fragile food system.

The research shows that China’s growing demand for meat and other animal proteins considerably depends on Brazilian agricultural resources, with direct effects on land use, water resources and deforestation.

Between 2004 and 2020, soybean imported to China rose from 6 million to 60 million tons, recording a peak at 68 million in 2018, marking a more than ten-fold increase. In 2020 this required 17.8 million hectares of land, an area the size of Uruguay, and over 86 km³ of rainwater, in addition to 0.29 km³ of irrigation water.

These soybeans – largely intended for feeding pigs, poultry and farmed fish – support almost a third of the animal protein consumed in China, accounting for 29% of animal protein and 10% of the total protein content of the national diet. 

«Understanding that a significant part of the nutritional intake of a population of over a billion depends on agricultural resources located on the other side of the world prompts us to question the future of our food systems,” says Camilla Govoni, lead author of the study and researcher in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the Politecnico di Milano. «If we want to make these food systems resilient, we need to focus not only on the protein supply, but also on their sustainable and equitable distribution, reducing pressure on ecosystems while safeguarding global food security».

The work, carried out in partnership with La Zhuo and Dirce Lobo Marchioni, focuses on water resources, and on the environmental impact of agricultural expansion. 

«Brazil is historically a country with few critical water issues, but deforestation, land use changes, agricultural over-exploitation and climate change could induce pressure, leading to stress and water scarcity,» points out Maria Cristina Rulli, professor of Hydrology and Water and Food Security at the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Politecnico di Milano. «Agricultural expansion linked to soya does not only impact land-related ecosystems. It also involves a global redistribution of water resources in the form of virtually exported water».

Although the Moratorium on Soya has limited direct deforestation, indirect soil conversion remains, especially in the Cerrado savannahs and brownfield pastures.

The study is also an example of a multidisciplinary approach converging expertise in hydrology, environmental sciences and human nutrition. «Only the integration of different skills and collaboration with colleagues from Brazil and China allowed us to fully grasp the complexity of the problem,» added the authors.

In conclusion, the results highlight the importance of global governance strategies to reduce the environmental impact of protein production and international trade. As Camilla Govoni concludes, «agricultural and food choices can no longer be considered only at the local or national level. They are part of a global balance that invisibly binds countries, ecosystems and populations. Governing this balance responsibly is the actual challenge to ensure a resilient and sustainable food system.»

The 2025 Employment Survey shows rapid hiring rates: 94% find a job within six months, 90% have a job related to their studies and salaries grow by +55% in four years

Milan, 14 October 2025 – 97% of Italian graduates with a Master’s Degree from Politecnico di Milano are hired within one year of graduation and almost half are already hired upon graduation. After five years, the employment rate reaches 99%, with 90% of graduates being permanently employed (+38% in the last four years).

These are the main findings of the 2025 Employment Survey conducted by the University's Career Service, which involved over 7,000 Italian and international graduates.

One year after graduation, the figures speak for themselves: 94% of graduates find a job within six months, 82% work in the private sector and 90% have a job related to their studies. Their average salary is € 1,944 net per month, with higher peaks in technology and innovation sectors. 88% of graduates are satisfied with their education and 83% would choose the Politecnico again.

Five years after graduation, professional growth is evident: 99% of graduates are employed under a stable contract (90% on a permanent basis) and have an average salary of € 2,404 net per month, this representing a 55% increase compared to the salary declared by the same graduates four years earlier. 86% would choose the Politecnico again and 87% have a job related to their degree.

Employment rates remain high also for Bachelor’s graduates: 94% within one year of graduation and 97% within five years.

A particularly significant figure concerns international graduates: 61% choose to stay in Italy within one year of graduation. This confirms the attractiveness of the Politecnico and the Italian production system's ability to retain talent from all over the world.

"Two figures should be underlined. The first is the significant increase in the number of foreigners choosing to pursue a career in Italy. We thus need to ensure that this figure does not decrease after a few years. The handover between university and business is essential: attracting and retaining are two sides of the same coin.- commented the Rector of the Politecnico di Milano, Donatella Sciuto - The second figure is the growth in salaries, which have increased by 55% over the last four years. An important increase that testifies to the fact that technical-scientific expertise is a secure investment for the future and that the increase in STEM graduates is reflected in employment demand." 

Methodological note

The 2025 occupational survey was coordinated by the Career Service of the Politecnico di Milano, which supports and prepares students for entry into the job market by cultivating contacts with leading national and international companies.  7100 graduates were interviewed in 2025. Within one year of graduation, the following graduates responded: 56% of Italian graduates with a Master’s Degree, 40% of international graduates with a Master’s Degree, 59% of Bachelor’s graduates not continuing their studies at the Politecnico. Within five years of graduation, the following graduates responded: 48% of Italian graduates with a Master’s Degree, 24% of international graduates with a Master’s Degree, 50% of Bachelor’s graduates not continuing their studies at the Politecnico. The survey was carried out at the beginning of 2025 using an integrated CAWI: online and CATI: telephone interviewing method in collaboration with the University Studies Service and the Alumni Office of the Politecnico di Milano. Graduates were invited to answer a multiple-choice questionnaire of around 20 questions.

Improving living conditions for Parkinson's patients, and diagnoses for patients suffering from inflammatory processes. The medical field is the common factor in these Politecnico di Milano research projects, which have been awarded two ERC (European Research Council) Starting Grants with a funding of 1.5 million each, for a duration of five years. The prestigious awards were won by researchers Emanuele Riva from the Department of Mechanical Engineering with the LUMEN project and Claudio Conci from the Department of Chemistry, Materials, and Chemical Engineering “Giulio Natta” with the ALFRED project. A total of 55 Italian researchers are among the 478 selected by the European Research Council for 2025, with a total of 761 million EUR going to support the proposed ideas. 

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A potentially life-saving device has been developed for new mothers in high-risk settings. This low-cost medical device to stop postpartum haemorrhages is the result of the BAMBI (Balloon Against Maternal BleedIng) project conducted by a multidisciplinary research team at the Politecnico di Milano. It is now ready for the final phase of testing, namely clinical trials on patients.

The project’s idea was put forward by Alberto Zanini, a gynaecologist and former head of the Obstetrics and Gynaecology Unit at the ‘Sacra Famiglia’ Hospital in Erba. During his volunteer work as a doctor in various African and South-East Asian countries with a high maternal mortality rate, he saw first-hand how serious and widespread the problem is. He therefore contacted the Politecnico di Milano to put his intuition into practice. A multidisciplinary team of professors and researchers from the ‘Giulio Natta’ Department of Chemistry, Materials and Chemical Engineering, the Department of Mechanics, and the Design Department (which was involved in the initial phase only) worked on the project.

‘With BAMBI, we want to show that it is possible to combine technological innovation with a social impact. Our goal is to offer a concrete, affordable and safe solution to stop postpartum haemorrhaging. We aim to make this device available wherever it is needed, even in the most vulnerable situations by using an essential, accessibility-oriented engineering approach and a “social” patent: in fact, all the researchers involved decided to waive any rights to the patent, in order for it to have the most possible widespread availability,’ explains Maria Laura Costantino, scientific coordinator of the BAMBI project and a Professor in the Department of Chemistry, Materials and Chemical Engineering.

‘The multidisciplinary approach we took when designing the device made it possible to identify and experimentally test all the requirements needed to develop an effective and affordable solution,’ says Serena Graziosi, a Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering.

BAMBI is an effective engineering solution that is simple and quick to apply, but most importantly, it is affordable. The prototype of the BAMBI device consists of a kit with components that are available in low-resource contexts, integrated with an innovative patented connector that guarantees the safety and assembly of the system, making it easy to use and mechanically efficient. The kit includes a rectal probe, probe cover and bag of saline solution fitted with a clamp. In the event of a uterine haemorrhage following delivery, the probe is inserted and positioned in the uterus. The probe cover, which is attached to the probe via the connector, is inflated with saline solution, turning it into a balloon that stops blood loss directly from the inside. 

The experimental campaign for functional testing and usability analysis involving medical and nonmedical personnel showed that BAMBI is effective in terms of both procedural correctness and assembly time, even when used by non-expert personnel. This is an essential aspect. In areas afflicted by insufficient means and weak health facilities, it may be not only complicated, but sometimes even impossible to find specialised personnel. However, with BAMBI’s intuitive operation (printed and video instructions are included in the kit), anyone can operate it safely, saving lives.

BAMBI is now ready for the shift from the laboratory to production through a call for patent development programmes using funding for proof of concept projects as part of MUSA – Spoke 3 ‘Deep Tech: Entrepreneurship & Technology Transfer’, based on resources from the NRRP. The goal is to manufacture the connector, the key element of the kit, using injection moulding, so it can be mass produced at low cost (estimated at about $5). This will allow the device to be disseminated as widely as possible around the world, especially in resource-poor settings. 

The project was already awarded by the Politecnico di Milano a Switch 2 Product grant in 2019 and a Polisocial Award in 2020. The research progress has also been documented through publications in scientific journals, including Scientific Reports, a journal in the Nature portfolio. 

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Artificial intelligence is now part of our daily lives, with the subsequent pressing need for larger, more complex models. However, the demand for ever-increasing power and computing capacity is rising faster than the performance traditional computers can provide. 

To overcome these limitations, research is moving towards innovative technologies such as physical neural networks, analogue circuits that directly exploit the laws of physics (properties of light beams, quantum phenomena) to process information. Their potential is at the heart of the study published by the prestigious journal Nature. It is the outcome of collaboration between several international institutes, including the Politecnico di Milano, the École Polytechnique Fédérale in Lausanne, Stanford University, the University of Cambridge, and the Max Planck Institute. 

The article entitled “Training of Physical Neural Networks” discusses the steps of research on training physical neural networks, carried out with the collaboration of Francesco Morichetti, professor at DEIB – Department of Electronics, Information and Bioengineering, and head of the university’s Photonic Devices Lab. 

Politecnico di Milano contributed to this study by developing photonic chips for the creation of neural networks, exploiting integrated photonic technologies. Mathematical operations, such as sums and multiplications, can now be performed through light interference mechanisms on silicon microchips barely a few square millimetres in size. 

“By eliminating the operations required for the digitisation of information, our photonic chips allow calculations to be carried out with a significant reduction in both energy consumption and processing time,” says Francesco Morichetti. A step forward to make artificial intelligence (which relies on extremely energy-intensive data centres) more sustainable.

The study published in Nature addresses the theme of training, precisely the phase in which the network learns to perform certain tasks. «With our research within the Department of Electronics, Information and Bioengineering, we have helped develop an “in-situ” training technique for photonic neural networks, i.e. without going through digital models. The procedure is carried out entirely using light signals. Hence, network training will not only be faster, but also more robust and efficient», adds Morichetti.

The use of photonic chips will allow the development of more sophisticated models for artificial intelligence, or devices capable of processing real-time data directly on site – such as autonomous cars or intelligent sensors integrated into portable devices – without requiring remote processing.

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The Politecnico di Milano backs a discovery published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society
 

Milan, 31 July 2025  – A research team at the Politecnico di Milano has developed an innovative single-atom catalyst capable of selectively adapting its chemical activity. This is a crucial step forward in sustainable chemistry and the design of more efficient and programmable industrial processes.

The study was published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, one of the world’s most authoritative scientific journals in chemistry.

This achievement is a breakthrough in the field of single-atom catalysts. For the first time, scientists have demonstrated the possibility of designing a material that can selectively change its catalytic function depending on the chemical environment. It involves a sort of 'molecular switch' that allows complex reactions to be performed more cleanly and efficiently, using less energy than conventional processes.

The research focuses on a palladium-based catalyst in atomic form encapsulated in a specially designed organic structure. This structure allows the material to ‘switch’ between two key reactions in organic chemistry — bioreaction and carbon-carbon coupling — simply by varying the reaction conditions.

‘We have created a system that can modulate catalytic reactivity in a controlled manner, paving the way for more intelligent, selective and sustainable chemical transformations,’ explains Gianvito Vilé, lecturer in the ‘Giulio Natta’ Department of Chemistry, Materials and Chemical Engineering at the Politecnico di Milano and coordinator of the study.

In addition to its reaction flexibility, the new catalyst stands out for its stability, recyclability and reduced environmental impact. The ‘green’ analyses conducted by the team show a significant decrease in waste and hazardous reagents.

The study results from an international collaboration with the University of Milan-Bicocca, the University of Ostrava (Czech Republic), the University of Graz (Austria) and Kunsan National University (South Korea).

The study: An Adaptive Palladium Single-Atom Catalyst Enabling Reactivity Switching between Borylation and C-C Coupling
Vitthal B. Saptal, Clara Saetta, Adriana Laufenböck, Martin Sterrer, Ik Seon Kwon, Andrea Lucotti, Matteo Tommasini, Ondřej Tomanec, Aristides Bakandritsos, Giovanni Di Liberto, Gianfranco Pacchioni, and Gianvito Vilé
Journal of the American Chemical Society 2025 147 (22), 18524-18540, DOI: 10.1021/jacs.4c17943

Image: "Single-atom catalyst for sustainable chemical synthesis applications, featuring intelligent and reconfigurable behaviour"

Real-time monitoring, digital twins and participatory research: unique infrastructure for designing buildings based on health, comfort and the environment.

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A Politecnico di Milano Study Published in Research Policy

Milan, 16 July 2025– After Brexit, London slowed down investments in Europe. While Europe continues to focus on the United Kingdom. A recent study in Research Policy, co-authored by Vincenzo Butticè, Annalisa Croce and Andrea Odille Bosio from the Department of Management, Economics and Industrial Engineering at Politecnico di Milano, and Simone Signore and Andrea Crisanti of the European Investment Fund (EIF) shows these findings.

The research examined more than a decade of venture capital (VC) investments in the UK and EU, distinguishing between pre-announcement, the uncertainty period (2016 referendum to formal exit), and post-Brexit stages. The result was an asymmetric response from investors on the two sides.

Politecnico di Milano’s Business Data Analytics Professor Vincenzo Butticè said: “UK investors reacted immediately, cutting back investments in Europe after the Brexit announcement. European investors, instead, waited for greater clarity before changing their behaviour. This supports the idea that Brexit raised uncertainty in the market for financing innovative entrepreneurship.”

According to the analysis, after the 2016 referendum, UK funds drastically reduced their operations in continental Europe, maintaining a cautious approach and focusing on the domestic market. EU investors waited until after Brexit's official implementation in 2020 before significantly boosting investments in British startups.

A possible explanation is that EU investment growth in the UK may stem from weaker fundraising by British funds, coupled with new partnership strategies between UK and EU investors to navigate post-Brexit barriers, as indicated by the analysis of syndicated investment data from funds in both regions.

The study provides a novel perspective on the reshaping of innovation-driven capital flows across Europe and their lasting implications for the startup ecosystem. Italy, with its modest VC share, can use Brexit as an opportunity to strengthen its foothold in Europe’s investment market.

The Study: Andrea Odille Bosio, Vincenzo Butticè, Andrea Crisanti, Annalisa Croce, Simone Signore, How Brexit reshaped venture capitals market: An analysis of UK and EU investments, Research Policy, Volume 54, Issue 8, 2025,105289, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.respol.2025.105289 (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048733325001180 ).

Results from Politecnico di Milano’s EOS research project published in The European Physical Journal Plus.

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The experimental phase of the WatchEDGE project under the RESTART programme has begun. Wild boar, fallow deer and wolves were placed under observation at the San Rossore Park (Pisa) for the use case focused on monitoring wildlife by combining artificial intelligence, next-generation sensors and innovative connectivity solutions.

The aim is to equip companies and workers in rural areas — from farmers to national park managers — with tools to control phenomena ranging from forest fires to plant pests. In fact, WatchEDGE is developing a technology infrastructure capable of supporting surveillance applications based on AI image processing to create an efficient and sustainable system with potential uses in agriculture, forestry and environmental protection. In particular, the management of wild animals is a growing need, especially in rural areas, where they tend to damage agriculture and spread diseases among livestock. They can also damage the environment. For example, overabundant fallow deer can slow down or even halt the regeneration of the flora they need for food.

The project focuses on integrating processing, storage and communication to create intelligent networks capable of processing data in real time as it travels over the network. CLIK HERE FOR THE PHOTOGALLERY 

Can agriculture and solar energy work together instead of competing? A study led by Maddalena Curioni, Nikolas Galli, Giampaolo Manzolini and Maria Cristina Rulli, researchers in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and the Department of Energy at the Politecnico di Milano, sheds new light on the potential of agrivoltaics. Published in the prestigious journal Earth’s Future, the paper analyses how the coexistence of photovoltaic panels and agricultural crops can help solve the global conflict over land use.

A study by Télécom Paris and the Politecnico di Milano in Light: Science & Applications

A new method based on optical interferometry, to monitor structural damage to buildings hit by earthquakes in real time. This is the outcome of the Foresight research project, led by the Politecnico di Milano and carried out together with INRiM – the National Metrology Institute of Italy and INGV – the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology.

The researchers want to exploit the fibre optic systems already in homes to provide an Internet connection, and use them to check the condition of buildings after an earthquake – especially in the period immediately following the first shocks. 

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6th worldwide in Design, 7th in Architecture and 21st in Engineering. Ranked as Italy’s top university. The university’s strong performance across multiple disciplines highlights its interdisciplinary approach and the high regard for its graduates, who are increasingly sought after by Italian and international employers.

Two studies published in Nature Communications analyze the impact of the DART mission on Dimorphos, revealing new strategies to improve asteroid deflection effectiveness through the study of ejecta.

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The Spectra-BREAST research project, which aims to improve breast-conserving surgery for breast cancer treatment, has officially started. Funded by the European Innovation Council under the Pathfinder Open 2024 programme for a total of €3 million, the four-year project involves a consortium of six top institutions with the goal of developing a tool to provide surgeons with real-time information on the presence of residual tumour cells during resection, thereby reducing the risk of recurrence and the need for repeat operations.

The project on “Flexible Ammonia Synthesis Technology for Energy StoRage (FASTER), a collaborative venture between leading European universities and companies, was officially launched at the beginning of January. With a budget of €3 million funded by the European Union, this initiative will develop an innovative and sustainable method for storing green energy with the critical goal of: contributing to a cleaner future and strengthening Europe's energy security.