On the last 29th of September, on the occasion of the European Night of Researchers 2023, the LIFE RESTART project engaged with the general public in Messina and Venice, respectively during MEDNIGHT and Veneto Night.

A common end-of-summer date, the last Friday of September, represents an appointment shared by many European cities. It is an opportunity to introduce non-experts to the world of scientific research through the promotion and dissemination of excellent projects, tangible evidence of the impact of the work of researchers in everyday life.

With UNIME at MEDNIGHT 2023

From afternoon until midnight, the Rectorate of the University of Messina hosted the event MEDNIGHT 2023 – The night of researchers. Specifically, the “Mediterranean Researchers’ Night” is a joint project in six Mediterranean countries – Spain, Italy, Greece, Cyprus, Turkey, and France – aimed at showcasing science studied in the Mediterranean basin, with a particular emphasis on the role of women in science.

Professor Annamaria Visco – scientific coordinator for UNIME, Department of Engineering, in the LIFE RESTART project – and her research team presented to the numerous visitors some prototypes developed by Bibetech S.p.A. with the first bioplastics produced on a pilot scale using formulations studied by UNIME and Crossing S.r.l: a valuable opportunity to present the results achieved so far to the many interested visitors.

But not only that. LIFE RESTART has been selected from various contributions to MEDNIGHT 2023 for a recorded interview by the RAI television crew of the “Green Meteo” show, which will be broadcast in November on RaiGulp!

With Crossing at VENETO NIGHT

During Veneto Night 2023, dozens of researchers from Ca’ Foscari University of Venice engaged an audience of all ages with workshops, tours, performances, and stories on Radio Ca’ Foscari. During the day, some researchers from the Department of Molecular Sciences and Nanosystems at Ca’ Foscari University of Venice – whose spin-off, Crossing, is a partner of LIFE RESTART – presented, among other projects, an experimental activity based on LIFE RESTART itself: from a dedicated station, the researchers showcased the raw materials used, the various phases of biodegradation, and the final products that can be created, also explaining the fundamental differences between plastics and bioplastics.

An important educational opportunity to introduce, in a simple and immediate way, audiences of all ages to the world of research and, at the same time, raise awareness about very current issues central to the project: waste reduction, innovative reuse of waste, circular economy, and technological and scientific innovation.

Co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or CINEA. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.