COMP-R

Climate change, scarcity of critical resources, food crises, health emergencies, and ecosystem functionality loss are closely interconnected emergencies, whose solution requires new scientific and methodological approaches. The impact of human activities on the ecosystem is now such that it is not enough to preserve resources and the environment to prevent further degradation, but concrete actions are needed to ensure their regeneration. The new departmental development program aims to provide new chemical and biological tools and processes for the regeneration of natural resources and productive activities, in line with the objectives of the PNRR. It represents the natural development of COMP-HUB, the laboratory born in the previous edition of the Departments of Excellence to address the themes of complexity at the interface between Chemistry and Biology.

The COMP-R project (The complexity challenge for sustainable development: towards Regeneration) will provide the skills, infrastructure, and synergies necessary to carry out frontier research activities to address the challenge of regenerating resources and environments. The goal of COMP-R is to produce enabling tools and knowledge for an effective ecological transition, while also training highly qualified professional figures.

The 5 action lines of COMP-R concern:

1. the development of sustainable chemical and biological PROCESSES;
2. the design of renewable and recyclable MATERIALS;
3. the development of innovative methods and the creation of 'smart' devices for environmental MONITORING;
4. research supporting energy saving and low-impact environmental ENERGY production;
5. the study and application of solutions for the environmental regeneration of degraded ECOSYSTEMS.

Each of them is accompanied by a target of high scientific and technological relevance as an example of innovation and originality.

COMP-R strategies envisage targeted and sustainable investments in human capital, infrastructure, and teaching, to consolidate in the long term the excellence of research and scientific production, attractiveness, internationalization, and sustainability of the department.