Name:
University of Foggia
Address:
Via Gramsci 89/91
Phone number:
+39 3403927680
e-Mail address:
matteo.francavilla@unifg.it
Website:
https://www.unifg.it/it
Brief description of the organization’s activities:
The University of Foggia (UNIFG) is a young university formally established on August 5th, 1999. It is made of seven Departments (Agricultural Sciences, Food, Natural Resources and Engineering; Economics; Management and Territory Economics; Law; Humanities Studies; Medical and Surgical Sciences; Clinical and Experimental Medicine) and provides undergraduate and graduate degree courses, master courses, research doctorates, and specialization schools. The academic community is currently composed of approximately 416 researchers and professors. The Department of Agriculture, Food, Natural Resources and Engineering (DAFNE), recently qualified as “National Excellence Department” by Ministry of University and Research (MUR), promotes excellence in research and supports innovation in technology, favoring knowledge transfer in tune with the international, national and regional economic system. The STAR*Facility Centre is a technological hub of DAFNE Department specialized on biomass conversion (including also marine biomass) into valuable compounds, biomaterials, fine-chemicals and renewable energy through a biorefinery approach. Particular emphasis is addressed on Green Chemistry principles to be applied along the whole biorefinery process. Advanced analytical equipments and conventional and unconventional biorefinery technologies are available there. Moreover, different scientific disciplines are running to form a larger research unit. Strong links of scientific cooperation are considered more appropriate to the needs of a complex research activity, with wide-ranging connections in technological, biological, environmental, and socio-economic aspects.
Sector(s) of involvement:
Aquaculture and fisheries technologies; Waste valorization; Food and feed; Agriculture; Biorefinery; Circular economyYes
Role of the organization in the development and/or application of Blue Biotechnologies:
The University of Foggia is coordinating the BIOBASED project (Interreg Italy-Croatia) and, therefore, it is involved in several activities in the Blie Biotechnology Sector. Specifically, UNIFG is contributing to analyzing the characteristics of the production systems already present in the Adriatic area in order to identify the aquaculture plant where to test IMTA and transfer the blue biorefinery model, capitalizing on the experience achieved in the context of Mol.Mul.SOS Project (Sustainable Multritrophic Mussel Culture), a FEAMP Project funded by Apulia Region and led by UNIFG. It is contributing to selecting commercially valuable macroalgae adaptable to identified areas and transferring and setting up seaweed production systems to enterprises involved in mussel/oysters-based production, generating a switch from conventional aquaculture to IMTA .
Unifg was actively involved into B_Blue Project, (Building the Blue Biotechnology Community in the Mediterranean, INTERREG MED 2014 – 2020) collaboration in setting up a National Demonstration Site. Moreover, UNIFG coordinated the organisation of the Advanced BlueBio Training Course: “Blue Bio-refinery technologies: from research to the industry with applications on products and biomaterial from algal biomass and sidestreams of fisheries and aquaculture” (15th-18th January 2023- University of Foggia, Foggia (Italy))m funded by BlueBio CoFund Consortium
The STAR*Facility Centre is a technologically advanced laboratory of University of Foggia, funded by a FP7 Research Project (STAR*AgroEnergy). It is focused on biomass valorization trough a combination of chemical, thermochemical and biochemical processes with a biorefinery approach. Algae, among other biomass, represent an intriguing and challenging substrate that is studied and tested for biorefinery processes in our lab.
Skills and services provided:
The main thematic competencies and experiences of the UNIFG which will be relevant for the project include “development and testing of green biorefinery technologies/process for the conversion of co-products (seaweeds) and by-products (e.g marine biomass such as processing waste etc.) into products and compounds of commercial value; biochemical (microbial) biomass conversion; safety and quality assessment of aquaculture production (e.g. mussels, oysters, etc.); sustainable aquaculture systems, specifically the development of Integrated Multitrophic Aquaculture Systems (IMTA); seaweed cultivation and marine bioremediation; environmental monitoring; economic assessment and market potentials of biorefinery schemes.
Needs in terms of research, innovation, development, and/or application of blue biotechnologies:
Sharing knowledge and making a consolidated international network and being part of the Blue Community.