The RETURN project (acronym for Multi-Risk sciEnce for resilienT commUnities undeR a changiNg climate) is an extensive partnership, funded by the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR), aimed at strengthening research chains on environmental, natural, and anthropogenic risks at the national level, promoting participation in strategic European and global value chains. Through the enhancement of basic knowledge and the application of technology, the project contributes to strengthening key skills, technology and knowledge transfer, as well as Italian governance in disaster risk management, involving public administrations, stakeholders, and private companies.

The RETURN partnership, coordinated by the University of Naples “Federico II”, involves the participation of the Polytechnic University of Turin, leader of Spoke 6 – TS2: Multi-Risk Resilience of Critical Infrastructures, and includes 26 partners, including 12 universities, 5 research institutions and competence centers, 6 private entities, 2 territorial bodies, and the Department of Civil Protection, with an investment of over 115 million euros provided by the Ministry of University and Research. Among the activities managed by the RETURN Foundation, there are calls for proposals for companies: the project aims to identify and support startups, spinoffs, and innovative SMEs with specific activities in the prevention, management, and mitigation of environmental, natural, and anthropogenic risks. The program also involves I3P, the Incubator of the Polytechnic University of Turin, which has organized a series of events to disseminate the opportunities of the RETURN calls for proposals to the network of innovative startups and to engage young companies more in line with the types of technological solutions sought.

The first event of this series, dedicated to the vertical scope of Ground Instabilities, Earthquakes, and Volcanoes, will take place on Thursday, March 21, 2024, at 2:30 PM, in an online webinar mode with free participation. During the digital meeting, which will be held in Italian, the RETURN project and its calls for proposals for SMEs will be presented, along with some scientific insights; furthermore, a startup will provide a testimony of its entrepreneurial project in the field of seismic risk assessment.

To receive the link to join the webinar, registration on Eventbrite is required.

Agenda

2:30 PM | Opening of the webinar and introductory greetings by Negar Mokarram, Business Analyst at I3P
2:35 PM | In-depth presentation of the RETURN project and its calls for proposals for innovative SMEs – Ciro Del Vecchio, RETURN Foundation
3:00 PM | Intervention by Salvatore Martino, Full Professor in Applied Geology at the Department of Earth Sciences of the University of Rome “La Sapienza” and the CERI research center for Geological Risks
3:20 PM | Pitch by a startup active in the field of Ground Instabilities (VS2)
3:30 PM | Thanks and conclusion of the meeting