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Projects

The procurement of externally financed research projects by the School's faculty is essential not only to the prestige of IMT, but the funding received also makes up a considerable portion of the yearly budget. The strong interdisciplinary nature of the School equips IMT to face a multitude of diverse and far-reaching research projects with a notable degree of versatility, particularly thanks to its core of general methodological competences like dynamical systems theory, economic analysis, management science, control theory, operations research, numerical simulation, complex systems, statistics, distributed computing, model abstraction and formal verification of properties, machine learning, manipulation of massive databases, and so on. Below you can find a list of all research projects currently carried out at IMT, as well as those that have already concluded.

Ongoing Projects

DIAGONAL Ductility and Fracture Toughness analysis of functionally graded materials
Call:

HORIZON-MSCA-2021- Staff Exchange

Funding:
Funded by the European Commission under a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Grant Agreement n° 101086342
IMT Role:
Partner
Durata:
Wednesday, 1 March, 2023 to Sunday, 28 February, 2027
Abstract:

 

New functionally graded materials with unprecedented properties and functionalities

Functionally graded materials (FGMs) are used in applications in the construction of civil infrastructure and the aerospace, security and transportation industries. However, FGMs face challenges concerning strength, ductility and toughness. The MSCA project DIAGONAL will establish an intercontinental and inter-multidisciplinary research network consisting of 10 research organisations to analyse, optimise and design new FGMs with unprecedented combinations of mechanical properties and functionalities and with minimal weight and cost. The project will adapt the local properties of different materials to fit specific requirements by locating optimised compositions and architectures in appropriate regions and generating multiple advantages within a single material to create improved global properties.

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Research Units:
IMT Contact:
REMEDY Memory REactivation during sleep as a tool to Modulate Oneiric Experiences and investigate the role of Dreams in MemorY processing and emotional regulation
Call:

FARE RICERCA IN ITALIA (FRAMEWORK PER L’ATTRAZIONE ED IL RAFFORZAMENTO DELLE ECCELLENZE PER LA RICERCA IN ITALIA) -III EDIZIONE

Funding:
Ministero dell'Università e della Ricerca
IMT Role:
Sole Beneficiary
Durata:
Wednesday, 7 December, 2022 to Friday, 30 October, 2026
Abstract:
Sleep and wakefulness have traditionally been regarded as two mutually exclusive states characterized by differences in consciousness and responsiveness to the environment. However, the last two decades of research have demonstrated that sleep is actually a locally regulated phenomenon and that cortical islands of sleep- and wake-like activity can often coexist across distinct brain areas. Intriguingly, this mosaic of activity is also directly related to the presence and content of mental activity during sleep. In line with this, many sleep disorders, including insomnia and arousal disorders, are associated with significant local alterations in the balance between wake- and sleep-like activity. In spite of these considerations, the classical view of sleep as a uniform global state is still dominant in both basic and clinical research. Moreover, it remains unclear whether the occurrence of local wake-like activity is related to specific physiological functions of sleep.
The objective of this project is to progress towards a deep understanding of the mechanisms that regulate sleep at a local level through the exploitation of known properties of the thalamocortical system. At the core of the proposal is the idea that particular sensory-stimulation protocols may allow to directly modulate sleep intensity in a local, region-specific manner. Such approaches could be used to non-invasively perturbate regional sleep-related brain activity, thus allowing to investigate the causal consequences on sleep mentation, subjective sleep quality and sleep-related functions, including learning and memory. Of note, the same approaches could also find application in counteracting alterations of local sleep regulation in pathological conditions.
Knowledge gathered within the project could yield potential breakthroughs in numerous key applications of tremendous clinical, social and economic interest including treatment of sleep disorders and prevention of sleepiness-related accidents
Research Units:
IMT Contact:
TweakDreams - Tweaking dreams: non-invasive modulation of the level and content of mental activity during sleep
Call:

ERC 2020 Starting Grant

Funding:
EXCELLENT SCIENCE - European Research Council (ERC)
IMT Role:
Sole Beneficiary
Durata:
Saturday, 1 May, 2021 to Saturday, 31 October, 2026
Abstract:
 
New tools to investigate the brain during sleep.

The mechanisms of sleep have been studied for decades, but many aspects remain a mystery. What is known is that sleep is a locally regulated phenomenon in which cortical islands of sleep- and wake-like activity can coexist. This activity is also related to the presence and content of mental activity during sleep. In other words, dreams would result from ‘local awakenings’ in the otherwise sleeping brain. The EU-funded TweakDreams project will study the local mechanisms regulating sleep by exploiting known properties of the thalamocortical system. The project will determine whether particular sensory-stimulation protocols can make it possible to directly modulate sleep intensity in a local, region-specific manner.

 

Research Units:
IMT Contact:
NEWFRAC Training Network - New strategies for multifield fracture problems across scales in heterogeneous systems for Energy, Health and Transport
Call:

H2020-MSCA-ITN-2019

Funding:
Funded by the European Commission under a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Grant Agreement n° 861061
IMT Role:
Partner
Durata:
Friday, 1 May, 2020 to Thursday, 31 October, 2024
Abstract:

The training network NEWFRAC is a leading European research consortium composed by eight top university research teams and five high-tech companies. The high-level doctoral training offered by NEWFRAC to thirteen creative, entrepreneurial and innovative early-stage researchers is focused on new strategies for prediction and analysis of multi-field fracture phenomena in heterogeneous engineering systems at different scales.

These researchers are developing new failure-predictive computational tools and apply them to relevant problems in strategic industrial sectors like Energy, Health and Transport. Their individual research projects address most relevant questions of current interest in failure prediction in heterogeneous systems, that will generate high-impact research outputs which go beyond the current state of the art in fracture modelling. To this aim, NEWFRAC integrates two new strategies for computational fracture modelling: Finite Fracture Mechanics and a variational approach to fracture referred to as Phase Field, and solves wide-ranging interconnected fundamental issues of fracture modelling like: fragmentation and dynamic crack propagation, toughening composites by micro- and meso-structural optimization, simultaneous crack initiation and propagation interacting with interfaces in: ultra-thin ply composites, curved laminates, injection molded fibre reinforced plastic, thermoplastics, layered ceramics, photovoltaics, solid oxide fuel cells and human bones, among others. NEWFRAC guarantees the attendance of early-stage researchers to all network-wide training activities, and favours their training through interdisciplinary and intersectoral research, mobility and exposure to industry, aiming at their transfer to industry after the network. These early stage researchers will become experts in fracture prediction in heterogeneous systems and will contribute to reduce the innovation gap by enhancing two ways academia-industry transfer of knowledge.

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IMT Contact:
SoBigData++: European Integrated Infrastructure for Social Mining and Big Data Analytics’ — ‘SoBigData-PlusPlus
Call:

H2020-INFRAIA-2018-2020 / H2020-INFRAIA-2019-1 - Integrating Activities for Advanced Communities

Funding:
SoBigData++ has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreements No. 871042
IMT Role:
Partner
Durata:
Wednesday, 1 January, 2020 to Tuesday, 31 December, 2024
Abstract:

SoBigData++ strives to deliver a distributed, Pan-European, multi-disciplinary research infrastructure for big social data analytics, coupled with the consolidation of a cross-disciplinary European research community, aimed at using social mining and big data to understand the complexity of our contemporary, globally-interconnected society.
SoBigData++ is set to advance on such ambitious tasks thanks to SoBigData, the predecessor project that started this construction in 2015. Becoming an advanced community, SoBigData++ will strengthen its tools and services to empower researchers and innovators through a platform for the design and execution of large-scale social mining experiments. It will be open to users with diverse background, accessible on project cloud (aligned with EOSC) and also exploiting supercomputing facilities. Pushing the FAIR principles further, SoBigData++ will render social mining experiments more easily designed, adjusted and repeatable by domain experts that are not data scientists. SoBigData ++ will move forward from a starting community of pioneers to a wide and diverse scientific movement, capable of empowering the next generation of responsible social data scientists, engaged in the grand societal challenges laid out in its exploratories: Societal Debates and Online Misinformation, Sustainable Cities for Citizens, Demography, Economics & Finance 2.0, Migration Studies, Sport Data Science, Social Impact of Artificial Intelligence and Explainable Machine Learning. SoBigData++ will advance from the awareness of ethical and legal challenges to concrete tools that operationalise ethics with value-sensitive design, incorporating values and norms for privacy protection, fairness, transparency and pluralism. SoBigData++ will deliver an accelerator of data-driven innovation that facilitates the collaboration with industry to develop joint pilot projects, and will consolidate an RI ready for the ESFRI Roadmap and sustained by a SoBigData Association.

 

Research Units:
SoBigData RI Preparatory Phase Project
Call:

HORIZON-INFRA-2021-DEV-02 - REA.C – Future Society - C.4 – Reforming European R&I and Research Infrastructures

Funding:
SoBigData.eu has received funding from the European Union’s HORIZON-INFRA-2021-DEV-02 program under grant agreement No 101079043
IMT Role:
Partner
Durata:
Saturday, 1 October, 2022 to Monday, 30 June, 2025
Abstract:

SoBigData RI, with its tools and services, empowers researchers and innovators through a platform for the design and execution of large-scale data science and social mining experiments, open to users with diverse backgrounds, accessible on cloud (aligned with EOSC guidelines), and also exploiting supercomputing facilities. SoBigData RI will render social mining experiments more efficiently designed, adjusted, and repeatable by non-data scientists' domain experts by pushing the FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable) and FACT (Fair, Accountable, Confidential and Transparent) principles. SoBigData RI will orient resources from multiple perspectives: infrastructures and online services developers; big data analytics and AI; complex systems focussed on modelling social phenomena; ELSEC (Ethical, Legal, SocioEconomic and Cultural) aspects of data protection (as defined by the HLEG-AI); privacy-preserving techniques. SoBigData RI PPP will move our RI forward from the simple awareness of ethical and legal challenges in social mining to the development of concrete tools that operationalize ethics with value-sensitive design, incorporating values and norms for privacy protection, fairness, transparency, and pluralism.

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Research Units:
SoBigData.it: Italian Research Infrastructure
Call:

Mission 4 – “Education and Research” Component 2: from research to business - Investment 3.1: “Fund for the realisation of an integrated system of research and innovation infrastructures - Action 3.1.1 “Creation of new research infrastructures strengthening of existing ones and their networking for Scientific Excellence under Horizon Europe - Avviso n. 3264 del 28/12/2021

Funding:
SoBigData.it receives funding from European Union - NextGenerationEU - National Recovery and Resilience Plan (Piano Nazionale di Ripresa e Resilienza, PNRR) Project: “SoBigData.it - Strengthening the Italian RI for Social Mining and Big Data Analytics” -
IMT Role:
Partner
Durata:
Tuesday, 1 November, 2022 to Thursday, 1 May, 2025
Abstract:

The project aims to strengthen the SoBigData research infrastructure (www.sobigdata.eu), coordinated by CNR-ISTI, with the goal of enhancing interdisciplinary and innovative research on the multiple aspects of social complexity by combining data and model-driven approach. SoBigData emphasizes the concept of “responsible data science”, considering ethical values as one of the pillars of reliable use of big data analytics and artificial intelligence technologies. Consequently, SoBigData RI develops methodologies and approaches to put into practice the FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable) and FACT (Fair, Accurate, Confidential, and Transparent) principles.

The strengthening will concern four main aspects of the infrastructure:

(i) Technological aspect: strengthening and creating new computational nodes distributed on the Italian territory with centralized and networking technologies;

(ii) Scientific aspect: strengthening and creating new virtual laboratories (VL) to explore specific aspects of society through data science;

(iii) Ethical Aspect: Promote the new generation of “responsible data scientists” collaborating with the academia and industry (i.e., providing ethical and legal counseling and facilitating the technology transfer);

(iv) the creation of DIGIT services for multidisciplinary communities by exploiting the research produced in the VL and the new computational and technological resources.

The RI will tackle complex social phenomena such as (but not limited to): Social Impact of AI and explainable machine learning, Societal Debates, and Misinformation Analysis, Disaster response and recovery, Societal and industrial impact of Next-Generation Internet beyond 5G networks. SoBigData is the result of two H2020 grants (grant n.654024 and 871042) and is part of the ESFRI Roadmap 2021.

Web site:
Research Units:
SERICS - SEcurity and RIghts in the CyberSpace
Call:

Call for tender for the presentation of intervention proposals for the Creation of Enlarged Partnerships extended to Universities, Research Centres, Enterprises and funding basic research projects to be funded under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP), Mission 4 Component 2 Investment 1.3 funded from the European Union - NextGenerationEU

Funding:
Ministero dell'Università e della Ricerca - Unione Europea Next Generation EU
IMT Role:
Partner - Ente Affiliato agli Spoke 3 e Spoke 8
Durata:
Wednesday, 31 May, 2023 to Wednesday, 31 December, 2025
Abstract:

Cyber ​​attacks alarm the population, damage the economy and endanger the very safety of citizens when they affect the distribution networks of essential services such as health, energy, transport, and critical infrastructures of modern society. The SERICS project aims to identify the key security and privacy issues that cause societal harm, economic losses and hinder the adoption of smart city technologies, taking into account technical issues but also legal and societal aspects related to security and privacy.

The project is structured in ten Thematic Areas that correspond to the ten Spokes of the proposal:

  • Thematic Area 1: Human, Social, and Legal Aspects, which main objective is to investigate how to create a compelling and secure Cyberspace by combining sound technological systems with strong and robust regulation of human behavior;
  • Thematic Area 2: Misinformation and Fakes, which main objective is to design and develop innovative solutions to identify and manage information disorder threats that come alive through fake news and deep fake spreading;
  • Thematic Area 3: Attacks and Defenses, which aims to analyze emerging attack methodologies and develop advanced methods for detecting attacks and identifying guidelines for the design of computer systems guaranteeing reduced vulnerabilities for new attack categories;
  • Thematic Area 4: Operating Systems and Virtualization Security, which is concerned with developing high-level automated security services and innovative security assessment and assurance methodologies to support the secure-by-design development and verification of cloud, edge, and 5G applications;
  • Thematic Area 5: Cryptography and Distributed Systems Security mainly concerned with research activities in cryptography and distributed system security domains;
  • Thematic Area 6: Software and Platform Security, which first scientific goal is to provide an ecosystem where software developers can easily reason about software security to develop new formal techniques based on secure compilation and secure composition, to reduce the gap between formal models, essential to provide full guarantees of correctness, and actual implementations. The second scientific goal is to provide innovative solutions to protect the software supply chain, including the software management and development process;
  • Thematic Area 7: Infrastructure Security, which general objective is the advancement of infrastructure security technologies;
  • Thematic Area 8: Risk Management and Governance, which aims to contribute to the cyber resilience of future systems and services characterized by increasingly interconnected digital components that are intrinsically vulnerable, as required by the EU through NIS and NIS2, and by the Italian National Agency for Cybersecurity (ACN);
  • Thematic Area 9: Securing Digital Transformation, which has the main objective of studying new approaches, methodologies, solutions, and tools that can provide adequate security guarantees for new application scenarios that are emerging today as a consequence of strong acceleration towards pervasive digital transformation;
  • Thematic Area 10: Data Governance and Protection, which responds to the need for trust in the security and privacy of data, and solutions that guarantee correct protection and use of data by empowering the various actors involved in data sharing and using scenarios with control over their data, supporting shared data in a selective and secure way, at the same time guaranteeing functionality, efficiency, and scalability.

 

Scuola IMT is affiliated to:

  • Spoke 2: Misinformation and Fakes;
  • Spoke 4: Operating Systems and Virtualization Security; 
  • Spoke 6: Software and Platform Security;
  • Spoke 7: Infrastructure Security;

 

Web site:
Research Units:
IMT Contact:
THE Tuscany Health Ecosystem
Call:

Avviso N. 3277 del 30-12-2021 Proposte di intervento per la creazione di 12 Ecosistemi dell'innovazione sul territorio nazionale da finanziare nell'ambito del PNRR - Missione 4 Componente 2 Investimento 1.5 MUR

Funding:
Ministero dell'Università e della Ricerca - Unione Europea Next Generation EU
IMT Role:
Partner - Ente Affiliato agli Spoke 3 e Spoke 8
Durata:
Thursday, 1 December, 2022 to Sunday, 30 November, 2025
Abstract:

"THE - Tuscany Health Ecosystem" is one of the 11 innovation ecosystems financed at the national level for the PNRR and is the result of a project proposal submitted by the University of Florence, as lead partner, in line with one of the strategic lines of the Region of Tuscany. THE is the only ecosystem dedicated to Life Sciences, which focuses on the needs of the population. The project has received funding totalling EUR 110 million from the Ministry of University and Research.

THE's challenge is to make Tuscany the 'health region' by pushing research towards applications and companies to grow technologies dedicated to health and wellbeing. The ecosystem will devote part of the funding to providing funds for applied research to companies and spin-offs on the basis of special public calls for tenders, as well as to the temporary hiring of about 300 new young researchers.

Scuola IMT is involved in Spoke 3 dedicated to Advanced technologies, methods and materials for human health and well-being (Scuola IMT Principal Investigator Massimo Riccaboni) and SPOKE 8 Biotechnologies and imaging in neuroscience (Scuola IMT Principal Investigator Emiliano Ricciardi)

Research Units:
IMT Contact:
Massimo Riccaboni e Emiliano Ricciardi
Tuscany X.0 - Tuscany EU Digital Innovation Hub
Call:

Call: DIGITAL-2021-EDIH-01 (European Digital Innovation Hubs) - Topic: DIGITAL-2021-EDIH-INITIAL-01 European Digital Program

Funding:
EUROPEAN COMMISSION - EU
IMT Role:
Partner
Durata:
Saturday, 1 October, 2022 to Tuesday, 30 September, 2025
Abstract:

Tuscany x.0 è uno dei 13 progetti vincitori italiani del bando Europeo per la creazione di un European Digital Innovation Hub con lo scopo di favorire il trasferimento tecnologico attraverso l’adozione di tecnologie digitali avanzate, Intelligenza Artificiale, Calcolo ad Alte Prestazioni, Sicurezza Informatica. Pubblica amministrazione e piccole e medie imprese avranno, così, l’opportunità di usufruire di servizi e tecnologie: facili, accessibili e a Km0. In particolare, Tuscany X.0 è il Polo dedicato alle aziende toscane, monitorerà il livello di maturità digitale delle aziende tramite lo strumento Digital Maturity Assessment (DMA) e contribuirà a creare e a consolidare una rete di EDIH e di altri stakeholder interessati.

Il coordinamento tecnico è stato affidato a GATE 4.0, Distretto Tecnologico della Manifattura Avanzata della Regione Toscana insieme al Polo Tecnologico di Navacchio che si occuperà del coordinamento amministrativo.  Insieme ad un network allargato che raccoglie il know-how e le competenze trasversali di 13 partner provenienti dal mondo industriale, accademico e della ricerca, supporta la pubblica amministrazione e le piccole e medie imprese della Toscana nella trasformazione digitale e green, attraverso un catalogo di  servizi specifici e mirati.

Il progetto è attivo dal 1° ottobre 2022 e sarà finanziato per circa 5 milioni di euro in tre anni, da fondi in parte europei e in parte dal MIMIT, che serviranno a coprire i servizi a catalogo soprattutto (ma non solo) in materia di Intelligenza artificiale, supercalcolo e cybersecurity.

 

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IMT Contact:
MAMMOSCREEN Innovative and safe microwave-based imaging technology to make breast cancer screening more accurate, inclusive and female-friendly
Call:

HORIZON-MISS-2021-CANCER-02-01 – Develop new methods and technologies for cancer screening and early detection

 

Funding:
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under grant agreement N.101097079
IMT Role:
Partner
Durata:
Thursday, 1 December, 2022 to Monday, 30 November, 2026
Abstract:

Breast cancer (BC) is the most common cancer in women worldwide, affecting 1 in 8 women. The figures from WHO’s International Agency for Research on Cancer estimate that in 2020 worldwide cases of breast cancer accounted for 24% of all cancers in women (2.26 million women and 685,000 deaths globally). Mammography is the gold standard technology for breast screening, which has been demonstrated through different randomized controlled trials to reduce breast cancer mortality. However, it has limitations and potential harms, such as the use of ionizing radiation, breast compression and performance restrictions due to the intrinsic nature of X-rays. In particular, breast density is a restrictive property that can prevent breast cancer detection in mammograms of women with radiographically dense breasts. Other existing techniques (MRI, Ultrasound, biopsy) also suffer from drawbacks. The overall aim of the MammoScreen proposal is to generate evidence about the use of MammoWave (a technology developed by UBT) as screening technique in population-based programs promoted by National or Regional Health Systems, to reach a revolution in breast screening. To do so, the consortium aims to confirm that MammoWave reaches sensitivity>90% and specificity>95% in BC detection on 10000 study participants undergoing regular screening programs. MammoWave uses safe non-invasive and non-ionizing microwave signals, does not apply any compression to the breast and is very effective with dense breasts. Hence it can extend the breast screening to younger women aged 20-49 (98 million women in Europe). This group accounts for ~30% of breast cancers in 2020. A comprehensive health economic assessment will be undertaken in this project and innovative way to implement patient engagement approaches is sought. An effective policy makers’ engagement plan will be carried out to ensure that MammoWave is recommended as screening approach due to the benefits that it brings to women and healthcare systems. This action is part of the Cancer Mission cluster of projects on ‘Prevention, including Screening.

The Consortium is constituted by: Toscana Life Sciences Foundation (Italy) - Coordinator - Servicio De Salud De Castilla La Mancha (Spain)  Scuola IMT Alti Studi Lucca (Italy) - EVITA – Cancro Hereditário (Portugal) - London South Bank University (UK) - ELAROS 24/7 Limited (UK)

Research Units:
IMT Contact:
BASILISCO – “Bottali Avanzati e Sistemi Intelligenti per L'Innovazione Sostenibile nel settore Conciario”
Call:

Bando della Regione Toscana nell'ambito del POR FESR TOSCANA 2014 – 2020, AZIONE 1.1.5 sub A1) - BANDO N.2: Progetti di ricerca e sviluppo delle MPMI con l’intento di agevolare la realizzazione di progetti di investimento in ricerca industriale e sviluppo sperimentale, in attuazione dell’Asse Prioritario 1 “Rafforzare la ricerca, lo sviluppo tecnologico e l’innovazione”, Azione 1.1.5 “Sostegno all’avanzamento tecnologico delle imprese attraverso il finanziamento di linee pilota e azioni di validazione precoce dei prodotti e di dimostrazione su larga scala

Funding:
Regione Toscana
IMT Role:
partner
Durata:
Wednesday, 20 January, 2021 to Wednesday, 20 July, 2022
Abstract:

L’industria conciaria italiana, la cui produzione vale il 65% del totale prodotto nell’Unione Europea e circa il 20% della produzione mondiale, ricopre un ruolo di assoluto rilievo nel panorama internazionale.

Il contesto è caratterizzato da (a) contrazione del fatturato con conseguente riduzione di imprese e posti di lavoro e (b) richiesta da parte del mercato di articoli in pelle prodotti in modo eco-sostenibile, questo progetto BASILISCO si pone l’obiettivo di:

  • Applicare prodotti naturali per sviluppare una concia a basso impatto ambientale
  • Monitorare e ottimizzare il processo produttivo mediante lo sviluppo di un nuovo bottale e di algoritmi di apprendimento automatico in linea con la strategia 4.0

Per il raggiungimento di tali obiettivi saranno coinvolti i rappresentanti della filiera del settore conciario:

  • Leather Kem che svilupperà il processo di concia con elementi naturali
  • S.C. Costruzioni Meccaniche che progetterà un nuovo bottale con integrato sistema di dosaggio e monitoraggio dei parametri di interesse
  • Scuola IMT Alti Studi Lucca che svilupperà gli algoritmi di apprendimento automatico
  • Italpel che effettuerà le prove sperimentali
Research Units:
IMT Contact:
Alberto Bemporad
Social cognition in the blind brain
Call:

PRIN 2017

Funding:
MIUR
IMT Role:
Partner
Durata:
Abstract:

When decoding emotional and social signals in everyday life, we are usually provided with emotional cues from more than one sensory modality, mainly vision and hearing. Although the auditory information is relevant in communicating emotional and social meanings, vision seems to be the most important sensory modality for the extraction of socio-emotional stimulus qualities. Indeed, most information about others’ emotions - ranging from the most basic (i.e., inference of intentions from eye gaze direction) to the most advanced (i.e., understanding others’ personality traits, such as trustworthiness, or mental states through their eyes) - is extracted by looking at their face and body. In light of the above, one would expect early blindness to affect the capacity to make inferences about others’ emotional states and personality traits, given that these inferences have to be based on non-visual information. Most research on this issue comes from qualitative observations within social and educational psychology though, whereas experimental evidence is more scarce.

The present project will merge multidisciplinary, integrated tasks and highly innovative methodological approaches to shed light on the impact of blindness on social cognition capacities at both the functional and neural level. In particular, we will combine solid behavioral paradigms, functional magnetic resonance (fMRI) and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), with which the three principal investigators have a specific and longstanding experience.

Research Units:
IMT Contact:
From Models to Decisions
Call:

PRIN 2017

Funding:
MIUR
IMT Role:
partner
Durata:
Abstract:

Many decisions in modern societies have a very complex scientific basis. Clinicians have to choose between different drugs for treating a patient. Central bankers have to forecast the evolution of financial markets, and to control the amount of money that circulates in a society. Physicists have to evaluate the impact of continued CO2 emissions for life on the planet. All these decisions are based on the forecasts of scientific models, and sometimes, their predictions reach a great degree of exactness (e.g., in identifying high-risk hospital patients and allocating resources efficiently).

In short, how does science based on uncertain models contribute to good decisions?

Our project investigates the interface between modeling and decision-making. We develop an understanding of how scientific models function, how they advance our knowledge despite their intrinsic uncertainty, and how they are interpreted in a decision context. More specifically, we focus on the following three questions, which correspond to our main targets:

1. How can highly idealized and intrinsically uncertain scientific models be successful in prediction?

2. Why can we trust and accept scientific models in spite of their intrinsic uncertainty and how should we factor in this uncertainty?

3. How should we synthesize actuarial, model-based judgment with human expertise in making practical decisions?

In answering these three questions, our projects integrates foundational philosophical analysis (e.g., rational criteria for theory acceptance), formal and conceptual analysis, and case studies about construction and use of models in a number of relevant scientific disciplines like financial economics and evidence-based medicine.

Research Units:
IMT Contact:
The role of cochlear implantation and bimodal bilingualism in early deafness: a window into the neurofunctional mechanisms of human language
Call:

PRIN 2017

Funding:
MIUR
IMT Role:
Partner
Durata:
Abstract:
Research Units:
IMT Contact:
Cognitive Modes, Social Motives and Prosocial Behavior
Call:

PRIN 2017

Funding:
MIUR
IMT Role:
Partner
Durata:
Abstract:

This project brings together a variety of competences and methods to address an issue that has recently gained attention by scholars working at the intersection of different disciplines: economics, psychology, sociology, cognitive sciences. The issue under debate concerns the interaction between cognitive modes and prosocial behavior, i.e., the extent to which individual behavior is beneficial to the society as a whole. The basic question is: which cognitive mode is more likely to foster prosocial behavior? Up to now, such a debate is lively and far from being set. Indeed, the literature provides both conflicting theoretical arguments and inconclusive empirical evidence (see the state of the art in B.1.2).

Our hypothesis is that the different definitions of intuition used in the literature can, to some extent, explain opposing results in the analysis of intuitive behavior and prosociality.

The project investigates four research lines:

(1) from a theoretical perspective, we aim at providing an evolutionary explanation of the linkage between social motives and prosocial behavior in each cognitive mode;

(2) from a methodological perspective, we aim at identifying effective methods to manipulate the cognitive mode of subjects in an experimental setting (the aim is to be able to promote reliance on automatic intuition, conscious intuition and deliberation);

(3) from a behavioral perspective, we aim at understanding how cognitive modes and social motives interact to determine actual prosocial behavior;

(4) again from a behavioral perspective, we aim at understanding how cognitive modes affect the degree of discrimination of prosocial behavior (i.e., to what extent prosocial behavior is limited to interactions with individuals similar to the decision-maker).

By developing these research lines, we can obtain a rationalization of apparently conflicting evidence provided by the literature and, more in general, we can foster the understanding of the relationship between cognitive modes and prosocial behavior, as mediated by social motives.

Research Units:
IMT Contact:
Data Driven Control of Constrained Dynamical Systems
Call:

PRIN 2017

Funding:
MIUR
IMT Role:
Coordinatore Nazionale
Durata:
Abstract:

Our society is increasingly data-driven. Smartphones, computers, and smart sensors acquire, store, and transmit myriads of data, more and more easily. A major challenge for scientists is how to best use the information contained in the data. In particular, control theorists need to better understand how to design algorithms that take automatic decisions on the basis of data, both recorded offline and acquired in real-time from sensors. The aim of this project is to provide fundamental scientific advances on how to design control systems directly from data.

Research Units:
IMT Contact:
Should forests be restored by polluters or deforesters? An approach based on game theory
Call:

Programma Galileo "Bando 2019” - programma di cooperazione scientifica tra Italia e Francia

Funding:
MIUR, Ministère des Affaires Etrangères et du Développement International e Ministero dell'Istruzione, dell'Università e della Ricerca francese
IMT Role:
Partner
Durata:
Tuesday, 1 January, 2019 to Thursday, 31 December, 2020
Abstract:

Both deforestation and pollution are key factors in global climate change. This is because forests are natural pollution sinks able to capture carbon dioxide emissions from the atmosphere and convert them into oxygen, which both humans and animals can breathe safely. Unless proper countermeasures are taken, deforestation represents a big problem for climate: by cutting down forests without replacing the trees that are removed, the absorption efficiency of such carbon sinks is reduced, with possible catastrophic consequences. To counteract these effects, suitable policies are needed, such as reductions in the emission levels, and reforestation.

This project complements the few available attempts in the literature to unify deforestation and pollution issues.

Research Units:
IMT Contact:
XFAST-SIMS: Extra fast and accurate simulation of complex structural systems
Call:

PRIN 2017

Funding:
MIUR
IMT Role:
Partner
Durata:
Sunday, 15 September, 2019 to Wednesday, 14 September, 2022
Abstract:

In several fields of engineering and technology there is a growing demand of fast and accurate numerical simulations. New industrial and bio-medical products need to be efficiently designed, tested, and certified at different scales. New bio-inspired and engineered materials, conceived to reduce costs or to improve performance, must be evaluated in different working scenarios. The tragic consequences of natural hazards should be reduced by means of accurate predictions of possible interactions with structures and infrastructures. In all these circumstances (just to name a few), numerical simulations are expected to play a fundamental role, despite the complexity of these problems and the limitations of modern computer architectures.

The present project aims at fostering new advancements in the development of modern computational tools to bridge the gap between real-life problems and state-of-the-art engineering approaches.

Research Units:
IMT Contact:
Designing Spatially Distributed Cyber-Physical Systems under Uncertainty
Call:

PRIN 2017

Funding:
MIUR
IMT Role:
Coordinatore Nazionale
Durata:
Thursday, 29 August, 2019 to Sunday, 28 August, 2022
Abstract:

These systems are, and will be more and more, pervasive and ubiquitous, also in safety-critical situations. Examples range from robots and drones delivering goods to self-driving vehicles and smart buildings. These systems must satisfy safety requirements, and meet performance goals. It is fundamental to keep all such requirements into account from the design phase, to reduce the cost of development and avoid dangerous situations coming from unexpected requirement violation.

Model-based engineering (MBE) of CPS is challenging due to some specific features of these systems: they act in an open physical space environment, which is subject to unpredictable changes. Hence, approaches to MBE of CPS have to explicitly take into account the uncertainty and the spatial structure of the environment in which they act. In this project, we will propose a framework in this direction, dealing with spatially distributed CPS in an uncertain environment. The framework will allow engineers to describe the system and the requirements with a high-level, UML like specification language, which will be automatically converted in a domain specific language from which a formal executable model of the system and a formalization of requirements will be extracted

Research Units:
IMT Contact:
IT Matters: Methods and Tools for Trustworthy Smart systems
Call:

PRIN 2017

Funding:
MIUR
IMT Role:
Coordinatore Nazionale
Durata:
Thursday, 29 August, 2019 to Sunday, 28 August, 2022
Abstract:

Smart systems are large-scale, physically-distributed services where different kinds of data-collection sensors are used to supply information employed to efficiently manage assets and resources, and provide efficient operations. These systems are increasingly pervasive and interact extensively with their environment. It is thus crucial that unexpected and possibly dangerous situations be avoided. Hence, there is a strong need of techniques to guarantee that systems are trustworthy. Here trustworthiness is a holistic property, encompassing different characteristics (safety, security, integrity, availability, correctness, reliability, resilience) that are not addressed in isolation but as a whole at system level.

The goal of the project is the development and the experimentation of a novel methodology for the specification, implementation and validation of trustworthy smart systems based on formal methods.

Research Units:
IMT Contact:
Accordi attuativi Intesa Sanpaolo (Filiale On Line, Tutela, IMI-DP e IMI-ER)
Call:

Accordi quadro siglati nel luglio 2017 e maggio 2019

Funding:
Intesa Sanpaolo SpA
IMT Role:
unico beneficiario
Durata:
Friday, 19 October, 2018 to Wednesday, 17 June, 2020
Abstract:

Ricerca collaborativa di nuovi modelli di comunicazione e ingaggio emotivo basati su neuroscienze, nello studio dell’interazione tra uomo e computer utilizzando modelli di neuroscienze, Cognitive Profiles and Data Processing e Emotional Regulation And Investment Decision Making.

Finanziamento complessivo pari a euro 485.000.

Research Unit:

Research Units:
IMT Contact:
Emiliano Ricciardi, Nicola Lattanzi

Past Projects

CIPENSO - Competizione Internazionale e crisi energetica: imPatto sulla povertà e le disuguaglianze socio-EcoNomiche nel territorio toScanO
Call:

Avviso regionale “POR FSE 2014/20 Borse di ricerca su tematiche culturali e socio economiche per uno sviluppo regionale equo e sostenibile: percorsi formativi short term nel contesto della partecipazione a Regione Toscana (Decreto dirigenziale n. 2933/2022 del 15.2.2022)

Funding:
Regione Toscana
IMT Role:
Durata:
Thursday, 23 June, 2022 to Friday, 30 June, 2023
Abstract:

PENSACI ha l'obiettivo di identificare e studiare i fenomeni e le condizioni che possono far emergere vulnerabilità e rischi di povertà e marginalizzazione delle persone e dei territori in seguito ai recenti eventi pandemici e geopolitici, con particolare attenzione alla competizione internazionale e l’aumento dei prezzi delle materie prime e dell’energia. Per raggiungere questo obiettivo fa uso di un approccio interdisciplinare, combinando metodi statistici/quantitativi applicati all’economia industriale, del lavoro, dell’energia e comportamentale.

Seguendo un approccio interdisciplinare, PENSACI farà uso dei più recenti risultati della statistica, dell'econometria e delle scienze comportamentali per estrarre da fonti eterogenee e da attività sul campo (e.g. interviste, somministrazione di survey) informazioni per studiare l’effetto della crisi energetica e della competizione internazionale sulla distribuzione del reddito e l’emergere di nuove povertà, come ad esempio la povertà energetica e la povertà dei trasporti.

I risultati del progetto serviranno a formulare delle proposte di politiche sociali ed economiche atte a prevenire e mitigare il rischio, derivato dai fattori sopra menzionati, di uscita dal mercato delle imprese e di marginalizzazione dei lavoratori e delle famiglie (rischio disoccupazione, inflazione e perdita del potere di acquisto, e minore accesso ai servizi essenziali). Inoltre, dal punto di vista delle scelte delle persone, PENSACI vuole identificare le barriere sociali, economiche e comportamentali che possono confliggere con l'attuazione delle politiche attuali e con quelle proposte dal progetto.

I risultati attesi spaziano dalle pubblicazioni su riviste internazionali, passando per le conferenze e per la redazione di policy brief e raccomandazioni rivolte ai policy/decision makers. Attraverso le attività di PENSACI si contribuirà alla formazione dei due borsisiti coinvolti, formando due figure professionali altamente specializzate e in grado di poter interpretare le dinamiche socio-economiche a livello regionale.

Research Units:
IMT Contact:
Angelo Facchini e Francesco Serti
Assegni di Ricerca in ambito culturale – Programma di intervento “FUTURA”
Call:

Bando della Regione Toscana POR FSE 2014-2020, Asse A-Occupazione, Azione A.2.1.7 - Assegni di ricerca in ambito culturale, per progetti congiunti di alta formazione attraverso l’attivazione di assegni di ricerca

 

Funding:
Regione Toscana
IMT Role:
partner
Durata:
Monday, 23 December, 2019 to Friday, 30 June, 2023
Abstract:

co -finanziamento di n. 8 Assegni di ricerca di durata biennale per la realizzazione dei progetti

Management and Sustainable Innovation for the Community Involvement” - MANSIFORTHCOMIN (n. 3 Assegni di ricerca);

Villa Guinigi Organization for the Community Involvement” -VIGORFORTHCOMIN (n. 3 Assegni di ricerca);

“Piano Strategico della Cultura di Pistoia” – PSCPT (n. 2 Assegni di ricerca).

(approvazione della Regione Toscana con decreto dirigenziale del 26 novembre 2019, n. 20180)

Gli Assegni di Ricerca in ambito culturale sono finanziati con le risorse del POR FSE TOSCANA 2014-2020 e rientrano nell’ambito di Giovanisì (www.giovanisi.it), il progetto della Regione Toscana per l’autonomia dei giovani

Research Units:
IMT Contact:
Maria Luisa Catoni, Emanuele Pellegrini, Lorenzo Casini
Accordi attuativi Intesa Sanpaolo (Marketing, Formazione, Virtual Reality e LOGO)
Call:

Accordi quadro siglati nel luglio 2017 e maggio 2019

Funding:
Intesa Sanpaolo SpA
IMT Role:
unico beneficiario
Durata:
Thursday, 7 December, 2017 to Friday, 28 June, 2019
Abstract:

Ricerca collaborativa di nuovi modelli di profilazione cliente basati su Neuroscienze, su nuovi modelli di apprendimento in ambito formazione, sull’applicazione di virtual reality e neuroscienze nella formazione aziendale e valutazione della riconoscibilità e dei valori affettivi nelle nuove strategie di rebranding del logo Intesa Sanpaolo.

Finanziamento complessivo pari a euro 516.000.

Research Units:
IMT Contact:
PHIBOR - Philosophy on the Border of Civilizations and Intellectual Endeavours: Towards a Critical Edition of the Metaphysics (Ilahiyyat of Kitab al-Shifa’) of Avicenna (Ibn Sina)
Call:

FP7 - ERC - Advanced grant

Funding:
Commissione Europea
IMT Role:
unico beneficiario
Durata:
Wednesday, 1 August, 2018 to Thursday, 31 January, 2019
Abstract:

The present project pursues three main objectives.

(1) A complete inventory of the manuscripts preserving Avicenna’s Ilāhiyyāt, through the systematic inspection of the catalogues of Arabic collections in libraries worldwide; the obtainment of copies of the censed manuscripts; and their description.

(2) To prepare an on-line critical edition of the Arabic text of the Ilāhiyyāt, divided in ten parts corresponding to the ten treatises of the work, with apparatus of variants, apparatus of sources, and apparatus of loci paralleli; to connect the edition with an English translation, based on the wording of the new critical edition, and with the Latin Medieval translation, according to its already existing critical edition; to provide a general introduction to the work and specific doctrinal introductions to the single treatises, with detailed overviews of their main doctrines and their function in the overall work, and a running commentary, with all the relevant explanatory information; to append complete indexes and lexica. Techniques of digital humanities will consent the creation and interplay of the different elements envisaged.

(3) A web platform, consisting of four main elements: i) a codicological database, containing all the relevant information and the key images of the manuscripts brought to light and used in the project; ii) the edition of the text and its complements (translations, commentary, lexica etc.); iii) a bibliographical archive of editions, translations, and studies of Avicenna’s philosophy, with particular regard to his metaphysics; iv) a newsletter for the sharing of information among scholars of Avicenna’s thought worldwide. Technology will provide instruments to store information on and images of manuscripts into the database; to record the collation of the testimonia of the work, and to convert the results of the collation into the critical apparatus; to link the Arabic text with its various complements (apparatuses, translations, commentary, indices, lexica); and to compile indices and lexica.

Research Units:
IMT Contact:
PHYSIC - PHotovoltaic with SuperIor Crack resistance
Call:

Horizon 2020 - ERC-Proof of Concept-2016

Funding:
Commissione Europea
IMT Role:
unico beneficiario
Durata:
Sunday, 1 January, 2017 to Saturday, 30 June, 2018
Abstract:

Cracks in Silicon solar cells composing photovoltaic modules are crucial for the durability of this renewable energy technology and for the development of novel emergent solutions based on Silicon thin films. This project aims at proposing an unprecedented revolutionary pre-stressing technique to induce a compressive stress state in Silicon solar cells in order to achieve an insensitiveness to the effect of cracking on the power output.

Research Units:
IMT Contact:
BRIGHT 2016 - Brilliant Researchers Impact on Growth health and Trust in Research
Call:

H2020-MSCA-NIGHT-2016

Funding:
Commissione Europea
IMT Role:
Partner
Durata:
Wednesday, 1 June, 2016 to Wednesday, 31 January, 2018
Abstract:

The BRIGHT project aims at enhancing the visibility and perception of researchers among the general population in the Tuscany Region, simultaneously with all the European Researchers’ Night (ERN) initiatives. BRIGHT acronym means “Brilliant Researchers Impact on Growth Health and Trust in research”, wishing to underline the positive aspect of the research activity in order to convey a positive message to the general public. BRIGHT focuses on creating awareness on the important role played by researchers in addressing the great challenges ahead, such as health and wellbeing, new technologies, sustainable development, physical and biological challenges, cultural heritage. BRIGHT will be successful if it will be able to convince the population of the IMPACT of the researchers and the research's products for the development of the society, and to make people TRUST the researchers instead of being driven away by hoaxes with no scientific basis.

Research Units:
IMT Contact:
Fraternità artistica e solidarietà umana
Call:

Bando Memoria 2018

Funding:
Regione Toscana
IMT Role:
unico beneficiario
Durata:
Monday, 15 October, 2018 to Monday, 31 December, 2018
Abstract:

Fraternità artistica e solidarietà umana – Ettore Modigliani Soprintendente dal primo novecento alle leggi razziali.

Research Units:
IMT Contact:
Openmaker - Harnessing the power of Digital Social Platforms to shake up makers and manufacturing entrepreneurs towards a European Open Manufacturing ecosystem
Call:

Horizon2020 ICT 2015- Collective Awareness Platforms for Sustainability and Social Innovation

Funding:
Commissione Europea
IMT Role:
Partner
Durata:
Monday, 20 June, 2016 to Wednesday, 19 December, 2018
Abstract:

The OpenMaker project aims to create a transformational and collaborative ecosystem that fosters collective innovations within the European manufacturing sector and drives it towards more sustainable business models, production processes, products, and governance systems.

Building on the paradigm of Open Manufacturing, the project will achieve this goal by bringing together traditional manufacturers and digital-savvy makers and engaging in the process also universities, local authorities, civil society organisations and policy-makers.

Research Units:
IMT Contact:
Guido Caldarelli
Meditate Lucca
Call:

Bando Ricerca 2016-2017

Funding:
Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Lucca
IMT Role:
Partner
Durata:
Monday, 3 October, 2016 to Monday, 2 October, 2017
Abstract:

La meditazione trascendentale è una tecnica di meditazione nata in India e introdotta in Occidente nel 1958 dall’indiano Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. Non è una religione e nemmeno una filosofia, ma soltanto un metodo che mira ad aumentare il benessere fisico e psicologico dell’individuo e in questo modo a migliorare la qualità della vita. La meditazione trascendentale non si basa sulla concentrazione o sulla contemplazione, al contrario porta la mente a trascendere (cioè andare oltre) ogni attività di pensiero e raggiungere la sorgente stessa del pensiero. In questo modo si entra in quello che Maharishi Mahesh chiama il quarto stato di coscienza (diverso da sonno, sogno e veglia), che fornisce al corpo e alla mente un riposo profondo, rinnovandone le energie.

Il progetto MEDITATE LUCCA, sarà svolto dalla Scuola IMT Alti Studi Lucca in collaborazione con Istituto Superiore d'Istruzione (ISI) - Sandro Pertini - Lucca e la David Lynch Foundation e si propone di formare alla Meditazione Trascendentale (MT) un gruppo di studenti dell’ISI di Lucca e soprattutto estenderlo a chi quotidianamente interagisce con le scuole per far si che anche altri possano beneficiare della tecnica, soprattutto se soggetti a “burn out” e/o stress lavoro correlato, con l’obiettivo di realizzare una sinergia tangibile fra vari attori della città. La formazione infatti verrà offerta anche alle forze dell’ordine e al personale delle associazioni, fondazioni e imprese che già da tempo collaborano con i partner del progetto. Inoltre, il progetto prevede una ricerca scientifica che sarà proposta dalla Scuola IMT su un campione dei propri studenti oltre che su quelli dell’ISI.

Research Units:
IMT Contact:
Festival e LC&G - Festivals and city perception: Lucca Comics & Games and the city of Lucca
Call:

Bando Ricerca 2016-2017

Funding:
Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Lucca
IMT Role:
unico beneficiario
Durata:
Monday, 3 October, 2016 to Monday, 2 October, 2017
Abstract:

Lucca, con il suo patrimonio culturale, è sede di una grande varietà di eventi culturali che offrono un ampio potenziale per lo sviluppo locale della città in termini economici e sociali. Questi festival non solo attraggono turisti italiani e stranieri, e quindi flussi economici, ma contribuiscono anche a dar forma ad un’immagine specifica della città e dell’identità lucchese, in aggiunta ad altri benefici di natura non economica. Esplorare quindi gli impatti di questi grandi eventi culturali rappresenta un’operazione di cruciale importanza, in modo particolare per quanto riguarda il city-branding, lo sviluppo locale e il turismo.

Il progetto andrà ad affinare la conoscenza della scena culturale lucchese e internazionale e al tempo stesso a individuare priorità e interessi dei vari attori coinvolti, attraverso un approccio interdisciplinare che mobilita metodi e approcci tipici delle scienze umani, delle scienze sociali e dell'informatica. Nel suo ruolo di intermediario fra la politica e gli organizzatori da un lato, i residenti e il pubblico dall’altro, l’iniziativa mira ad analizzare la situazione attuale e proporre suggerimenti per concorrere alla crescita culturale ed economica della città.

Research Units:
IMT Contact:
Tuscan Start Up Academy 4.0
Call:

POR F.S.E 2014-2020 OB. COMPETITIVITA’ REGIONALE ED OCCUPAZIONE

Funding:
Regione Toscana
IMT Role:
Partner
Durata:
Friday, 1 February, 2019 to Sunday, 31 January, 2021
Abstract:

Il corso organizzato all’interno del progetto Tuscan Start Up Academy è motivato dall’attivazione di centri di competenza regionale e nazionale su temi di Impresa 4.0 in cui la Scuola IMT è attivamente coinvolta sui temi della automazione, cybersecurity, big data e advanced manufacturing solutions, sia a livello di ricerca dottorale, che di trasferimento tecnologico. Il corso Imprendi 4.0 consentirà di analizzare nel dettaglio i possibili risvolti imprenditoriali associati a tali temi e ricerche, al fine di arricchire la formazione dei dottorandi della Scuola o provenienti dalle altre università su tematiche di trasferimento tecnologico e nello specifico di imprenditorialità accademica nell’ambito di Impresa 4.0.

Research Units:
IMT Contact:
Bright 2018 - Brilliant Researchers Impact on Growth Health and Trust in Research
Call:

H2020-MSCA-NIGHT-2018

Funding:
Commissione Europea
IMT Role:
Partner
Durata:
Friday, 1 June, 2018 to Friday, 31 January, 2020
Abstract:

The BRIGHT -“Brilliant Researchers Impact on Growth Health and Trust in research“ project aims at enhancing the visibility and perception of researchers among the general population in Tuscany, simultaneously with all the European Researchers’ Night (ERN) initiatives.

BRIGHT will bring the researchers in the squares and streets of the historical centres of the many cities invloved in the project, and will open the doors of the laboratories to the citizens. They will have a chance to talk to the researchers, appreciate their preparation and passion, and listen from their own words about the positive impact of the results of their research on the quality of our lives. “Researchers make your life better!” is the guiding principle stemming from the passion, the enthusiasm and hard intellectual work of researchers’ daily work and how this contributes to the wellbeing of the general population.

BRIGHT focuses on creating awareness on the important role played by researchers in addressing the great challenges ahead, such as health and wellbeing, new technologies, sustainable development, the physical and biological world, cultural heritage.

Research Units:
IMT Contact:
Multi-Scale Modeling of Friction for Large-scale Engineering Problems
Call:

MIUR-DAAD- Joint Mobility Program 2017

Funding:
MIUR-DAAD
IMT Role:
Partner
Durata:
Wednesday, 28 February, 2018 to Thursday, 27 February, 2020
Abstract:

The aim of this project is to develop an efficient two-scale numerical scheme integrating implicit finite element computations at the macro-scale and the boundary element method at the micro-scale for the accurate solution of frictional contact problems with microscopic interface roughness.

The project will enable the setup of a new cooperation between the Italian and German research teams which is envisaged to have impact on: (i) strengthening of the internationalization of their respective PhD programmes; (ii) strengthening of technology transfer capabilities of their computational methods for virtual testing of materials and structures; (iii) establishment of a network to be exploited for EU FP9 funding applications in the area of excellence science.

Research Units:
IMT Contact:
Assegni di ricerca FSE
Call:

Bando Assegni di Ricerca 2017- FSE 2014-2020 Asse A

Funding:
Regione Toscana
IMT Role:
Partner
Durata:
Monday, 11 December, 2017 to Thursday, 10 December, 2020
Abstract:

Le principali finalità del programma di intervento sono: favorire lo sviluppo del capitale umano e la sua occupabilità attraverso il finanziamento di percorsi di alta formazione tramite la ricerca; sostenere l’occupabilità degli assegnisti promuovendo lo sviluppo di percorsi di esperienza che ne assicurino la crescita professionale; creazione di un laboratorio sperimentale condiviso tra la Scuola IMT e l’azienda CROMOLOGY ITALIA SpA, a partire dal laboratorio MUSAM-Lab precedentemente finanziato dall’European Research Council e dal laboratorio di R&D di CROMOLOGY, per supportare e incrementare le attività di trasferimento tecnologico della Scuola IMT sul terrirorio nell’ambito dei materiali polimerici; accrescimento delle attività di ricerca e trasferimento tecnologico della Scuola IMT in ambito informatico in cooperazione con le aziende del territorio interessate a sviluppare metodi di cyber-security e con Fondazioni e associazioni interessate all’applicazione di metodi per l’analisi di big data scaturiti da eventi culturali e sociali, archivi museali, o applicazioni mediche.

Research Unit:

 

Research Units:
IMT Contact:
Maria Luisa Catoni, Rocco De Nicola, Marco Paggi, Mirco Tribastone
A multimodal approach to the structural and functional characterization of supramodality in the blind brain
Call:

PRIN 2015

Funding:
MIUR
IMT Role:
Partner
Durata:
Sunday, 5 February, 2017 to Wednesday, 5 February, 2020
Abstract:

Sight has always been regarded as the most important sense for humans to interact with the surrounding world and acquire knowledge Nonetheless, individuals who are visually-deprived since birth show perceptual, cognitive and social skills that are to a great extent comparable to those found in sighted individuals. While historically research has focused mostly on the brain plastic reorganization that occurs in blind individuals, only more recently scientists from distinct labs across the world, including our own, have developed innovative strategies to understand how much vision is a mandatory prerequisite for the brain fine morphological architecture to develop and function. As a whole, the studies conducted to date in sighted and congenitally blind individuals have provided solid and novel evidence that most of the association 'visual' cortical areas develop independently from any visual experience and are able to process non-visual information as well, a property that we named supramodality.

Two of the most important questions rising on the functional features of a supramodal functional organization are:

1. Does a supramodal recruitment subserve similar mental strategies in sighted and blind?

2. How is unisensory information integrated into a supramodal, more ‘conceptual’ representation? This project will merge two multidisciplinary, integrated tasks with state-of-the-art methodological approaches to characterize the neural substrates that subtend the supramodal cortical organization and answer to these still-open questions.

Research Units:
IMT Contact:
Aesthetics in the Brain: an interdisciplinary investigation on the functional and neural mechanisms mediating aesthetic experience
Call:

PRIN 2015

Funding:
MIUR
IMT Role:
Partner
Durata:
Sunday, 5 February, 2017 to Wednesday, 5 February, 2020
Abstract:

The capacity to have an aesthetic experience is a characteristic human trait and it is the result of a complex interplay between sensation, emotions and cognition. Although the concept of “beauty” has been the object of centuries of philosophical and psychological debate, only in recent decades has it been the object of an organized cognitive neuroscience research program. Although recent developments are very promising, more work is needed to uncover the functional and neural mechanisms mediating the aesthetic experience.

Our project aims to use neuroimaging (IMT Unit) and brain stimulation (Milano-Bicocca Unit) techniques to shed light on the neural network underpinning aesthetic experience for different categories of visual stimuli. Furthermore, consistent research points to the existence of several multisensory brain regions that process information regardless the sensory modality in which the input is acquired. Focusing here on touch, whether aesthetic appreciation of the same artworks in the visual and haptic modality lead to similar neural activations is not known. We will investigate this aspect, also considering a related fascinating question, i.e., whether the mechanisms mediating aesthetic experience in the blind brain are the same as in case of a normally sighted brain. What is “beauty” for a blind person’s brain? (Milano-Bicocca and Pisa Unit have a long experience in studying blindness).

Moreover, experience of and sensitivity to aesthetics has received little attention in the clinical setting. We know that aesthetical appreciation of paintings is spared in dementia and schizophrenia affects art perception, but very little is known for instance about major depression disorder, of which a core symptom is anhedonia. Can exposure to beautiful artistic images reduce non-physical pain? This hypothesis is grounded in neuroimaging and brain stimulation evidence showing that aesthetic viewing increases activity in the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex that is usually hypo-activated in depressed patients.

Finally, although a certain simplification is inherent to experimental neuroscience (that necessarily tend to look at “average” experiences), an interdisciplinary approach in which knowledge from art history and experimental methods converge is needed (against reductionism). The project strongly aims to open a constructive dialogue between disciplines, such as art history and neuroscience, that have been often considered as having far (or even incompatible) approaches. The IMT-Lucca unit will have a fundamental role in assisting the other units in the selection of stimuli and paradigms and in critically contextualizing the findings about neural correlates of aesthetic appreciation in a broader perspective in which art history and philosophy are considered.

Research Unit:

Research Units:
IMT Contact:
Maria Luisa Catoni / Emiliano Ricciardi
SoftPro - Synergy-based Open-source Foundations and Technologies for Prosthetics and RehabilitatiOn
Call:

H2020-ICT-2015/H2020-ICT-2015

Funding:
Commissione Europea
IMT Role:
Partner
Durata:
Saturday, 1 October, 2016 to Saturday, 29 February, 2020
Abstract:

SoftPro project will study and design soft synergy-based robotics technologies to develop new prostheses, exoskeletons, and assistive devices for upper limb rehabilitation, which will greatly enhance the efficacy and accessibility to a greater number of users. Building on solid methodological bases, SoftPro will produce a significant social impact, promoting advanced robot prosthetic and assistive technology “from bench to bedside”; but it will also introduce disruptively new, admittedly risky but potentially high-impact ideas and paradigms.

Research Units:
IMT Contact:
Pietro Pietrini / Emiliano Ricciardi
DFG - Scalable design and performance analysis for long-living software families
Call:

DFG Priority Programme 1593, 2012-2015 Design for Future – Managed Software Evolution for developing efficient quantitative analysis techniques for software product line models

Funding:
DFG-German Research Foundation
IMT Role:
unico beneficiario
Durata:
Friday, 1 April, 2016 to Wednesday, 31 October, 2018
Abstract:

Long-living software systems are typically available in a rich set of variants to deal with differing customer requirements and application contexts. Furthermore, users are often given the possibility to change to a different configuration online to dynamically adapt to varying environmental conditions. In addition to satisfying functional requirements, such changes are to preserve existing service-level agreements. The focus of this project is to define a methodology for expressing system variability and its impact on performance.

Research Units:
IMT Contact:
TransCulTAA - Transfer of Cultural Objects in the Alpe Adria Region in the 20th Century
Call:

HERA JRP “Uses of the Past”- Humanities in the European Research Area

Funding:
Commissione Europea / CNR
IMT Role:
Partner
Durata:
Thursday, 1 September, 2016 to Friday, 22 November, 2019
Abstract:

This research project is the first attempt to investigate the transfer of cultural assets in the Alpe Adria area in the 20th century. In an unprecedented transnational and collaborative way, it will engage a multinational team of scholars to analyze “Uses of the Past”, in particular historical and current conflicts of ownership, patrimony, and cultural heritage.

Web site:
Research Units:
IMT Contact:
NIH- BOLD MRI - Reliable Evaluation of Coronary Artery Disease using Myocardial BOLD MRI with CO2
Funding:
US National Institutes of Health (NIH)
IMT Role:
Partner
Durata:
Friday, 23 August, 2013 to Wednesday, 31 May, 2017
Abstract:

 The project proposes imaging techniques, acquisition protocols, and image analysis and pattern recognition algorithms that enable the assessment of cardiovascular disease without a single discomfort to the patient (no needles, no stress). We are involved with developing all the registration, segmentation, and pattern recognition methods that enable the visualization and characterization of any underlying disease.

Research Units:
IMT Contact:
Sotirios Tsaftaris, PhD
Wilife - Tecnologie WireLess e ICT per un efFiciente e integrato sistema per la prevenzione e gestione delle situazioni di crisi e delle Emergenze
Funding:
Regione Toscana
IMT Role:
Partner
Durata:
Thursday, 27 December, 2012 to Tuesday, 31 March, 2015
Abstract:

Il progetto WiLIFE ha lo scopo di proporre e sviluppare un sistema innovativo per la gestione delle emergenze che sia in grado di coniugare efficacemente le nuove richieste operative con gli sviluppi tecnologi del settore. L’elemento principale di WiLIFE sarà un sistema per comunicazioni professionali in grado di combinare l’affidabilità e la sicurezza dei servizi offerti da reti professionali con i vantaggi prestazionali e di servizio di reti broadband di nuova concezione.

Research Units:
IMT Contact:
Prof. Rocco De Nicola
WIDE - Decentralized and Wireless Control of Large-Scale Systems Decentralized and Wireless Control of Large-Scale Systems
Call:

FP7 Cooperation  (Collaborative project - STREP) ( http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/ict/)

Funding:
European Commission
IMT Role:
Coordinator
Durata:
Monday, 1 September, 2008 to Tuesday, 30 August, 2011
Abstract:

Increased global competition and an urgent need to address sustainability and resource-efficiency of operations force European industries and large-scale infrastructure operators to look for efficient real-time decision-making systems that allow them to react rapidly, consistently and effectively to a continually changing economical and environmental landscape. Advances in optimization tools and the emergence of new highly pervasive, cheap, and reconfigurable wireless sensing technologies now motivate the research for novel distributed layers of plant management that are highly coordinated through the plant-wide circulation of information. The WIDE project aims at developing a rigorous framework for advanced control and real-time optimization of truly large-scale and spatially distributed processes, based on the integrated use of distributed model predictive control and wireless sensor feedback.
While the technologies and methodologies investigated in WIDE are general enough for many contexts, the project employs its unique access to an operational European city water distribution network to prove the effectiveness of the new concept in real practice.

Research Units:
IMT Contact:
Prof. Alberto Bemporad
PRIN 2009
Call:

PRIN- PROGRAMMI DI RICERCA SCIENTIFICA DI RILEVANTE INTERESSE NAZIONALE 2009 ( http://prin.miur.it)  

Funding:
MIUR - Ministero dell’Istruzione, dell’Università e della Ricerca
IMT Role:
Partner
Durata:
Monday, 17 October, 2011 to Thursday, 17 October, 2013
Abstract:

The research unit will develop three lines of research related to political institutions, social conflicts and economic policies. At a general level, the aim of this unit is to analyze the endogenous formation of political institutions and beliefs. We want to build dynamic general equilibrium models where institutions and different kind of beliefs affect each other and change endogenously over time in order to better understand the formation of institutions and beliefs in the society. The three directions of our research are the following. A first line focus on the study of the co-evolution of political institutions (such as democracies and dictatorships) and political ideology in terms of democratic culture. A second direction concerns the analysis of the interactions between religion and technology adoption with special attention on their effects on economic growth and fiscal policy outcomes. A third direction of this research focus on the effects of different political ideologies on the behavior of politicians, with special attention on their choices about reforms affecting their constituencies.

Research Units:
IMT Contact:
Prof. Davide Ticchi
PHIDIAS - Phenotyping with a High-throughput, Intelligent, Distributed, and Interactive Analysis System
Funding:
European Commission
IMT Role:
Sole Beneficiary
Durata:
Thursday, 1 September, 2011 to Monday, 31 August, 2015
Abstract:

Project PHIDIAS has the objective of providing an affordable, high-throughput, distributed, knowledge-sharing platform for phenotype collection and analysis. PHIDIAS will incorporate lessons learned from prior phenotyping efforts and will be a simple to use platform for acquiring (non-destructively and continuously) and analyzing phenotypes from plant experiments.

Research Units:
IMT Contact:
Sotirios Tsaftaris, PhD
PERINI
Call:
Funding:
IMT Role:
Coordinator
Durata:
Thursday, 30 June, 2011 to Friday, 30 September, 2011
Abstract:

 Affiancamento del personale di Fabio Perini S.p.A. nell’individuazione e nella valutazione di progetti di innovazione per i propri prodotti.

Research Units:
IMT Contact:
Prof. Fabio Pammolli
NICE - Non linear Innovative Control Designs and Evaluations
Call:
Funding:
European Defense Agency in the framework of the “Defence R&T Joint Investment Programme on Innovative Concepts and Emerging Technologies (ICET)”
IMT Role:
Subcontractor
Durata:
Friday, 1 July, 2011 to Sunday, 1 January, 2012
Abstract:
Research Units:
IMT Contact:
Prof. Alberto Bemporad
MOBY-DIC - Model-based synthesis of digital electronic circuits for embedded control
Call:

 FP7 Cooperation – ICT (STREP) (http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/ict/)

Funding:
European Commission
IMT Role:
Partner
Durata:
Friday, 1 July, 2011 to Friday, 30 November, 2012
Abstract:

 The MOBY-DIC project will research and develop a unique paradigm and supporting tool chain for the design of embedded control systems, based on modelling of the physical process and integrated design of both control algorithms and embedded circuits.

Research Units:
IMT Contact:
Prof Alberto Bemporad
MAPaC - Modelli e Analisi per il Patrimonio Culturale
Call:

POR CRO FSE 2007-2013 Asse IV – Capitale Umano – Avviso pubblico per il finanziamento di progetti congiunti di alta formazione attraverso l’attivazione di assegni di ricerca

Funding:
Regione Toscana
IMT Role:
Coordinator
Durata:
Thursday, 25 October, 2012 to Friday, 24 October, 2014
Abstract:

Il progetto si propone di studiare i flussi turistici all’interno di un centro storico: il caso studio scelto è la città di Lucca. La ricerca presenta due obiettivi: dal punto di vista tecnologico, l’obiettivo è quello di sviluppare un sistema semi-automatico basato su tecniche di machine learning in grado di analizzare grandi quantità di immagini (fotografie), per determinare con precisione i punti di interesse di un centro storico, misurare tempi di attesa e percorsi compiuti dai visitatori al suo interno; dal punto di vista umanistico, invece, lo scopo è quello di valutare come i flussi turistici siano cambiati nel corso dei secoli sino al presente, e utilizzare questa indagine nel passato per ricavare dati utili alla conoscenza, gestione e programmazione del turismo oggi.

Research Units:
IMT Contact:
Prof. Maria Luisa Catoni
LUCENSE / INNOPAPER - Benchmarking dei processi aziendali
Call:
Funding:
Lucense tramite Regione Toscana
IMT Role:
Subcontractor
Durata:
Thursday, 1 March, 2012 to Tuesday, 31 December, 2013
Abstract:

Il presente progetto si colloca nell’ambito delle attività del polo di innovazione Innopaper, che si pone tra le sue finalità la promozione di azioni di scouting e marketing nelle imprese per sostenere l’innovazione, lo sviluppo ed il trasferimento di competenze, il consolidamento dei rapporti tra università ed imprese, l’acquisizione di servizi avanzati e qualificati e la realizzazione — da parte delle imprese — di progetti innovativi di ricerca e sviluppo. In questo contesto, IMT ha il ruolo di identificare e validare una metodologia per il benchmarking dei processi aziendali, con un focus particolare per i processi che incidono maggiormente sul livello di integrazione della filiera produttiva.

Research Units:
IMT Contact:
Prof. Fabio Pammolli
LIB - Una biblioteca per Lucca
Call:
Funding:
Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Lucca
IMT Role:
Coordinator
Durata:
Saturday, 10 July, 2010 to Monday, 31 December, 2012
Abstract:

 Si intende dotare la Biblioteca del materiale bibliografico necessario al potenziamento della ricerca e della didattica in tutti gli ambiti disciplinari della Scuola, mettere a disposizione dei cittadini e degli studenti lucchesi servizi e materiale non posseduti da altre biblioteche lucchesi (banche dati e riviste elettroniche specializzate), potenziando in tal modo il ruolo di punto di riferimento culturale per Lucca. Si prevede inoltre di rafforzare i rapporti di interscambio culturale con gli altri enti che operano nel campo della cultura e dell’educazione presenti sul territorio locale.

Web site:
Research Units:
IMT Contact:
HYCON2 - Highly-complex and networked control systems
Call:

 FP7 NoE (Network of Excellence in Complex Systems and Networked Control)

Funding:
European Commission
IMT Role:
Partner
Durata:
Wednesday, 1 September, 2010 to Sunday, 30 November, 2014
Abstract:

 ICT developments both enable and also enforce large-scale, highly-connected systems in society and industry. Knowledge to cope with these emerging systems is lacking. HYCON2 will stimulate and establish the long-term integration of the European research community, leading institutions and industry in the strategic field of control of complex, large-scale, and networked dynamical systems. It will interconnect scattered groups to create critical mass and complementarity, and will provide the necessary visibility and communication with the European industries. HYCON2 will assess and coordinate basic and applied research, from fundamental analytical properties of complex systems to control design methodologies with networking, self-organizing and system-wide coordination. HYCON2 has identified several applications domains to motivate, integrate, and evaluate research in networked control. These domains are ground and aerospace transportation, electrical power networks, process industries, and biological and medical systems.

Research Units:
IMT Contact:
Prof. Alberto Bemporad
GMV - Robust Model Predictive Control for Space Constrained Systems
Call:
Funding:
European Space Agency
IMT Role:
Partner
Durata:
Friday, 1 July, 2011 to Saturday, 1 September, 2012
Abstract:
Research Units:
IMT Contact:
Prof. Alberto Bemporad
FORD Motor Company - Switched Model Predictive Control Application for Integrated Chassis Actuation
Call:
Funding:
FORD Motor Company
IMT Role:
Coordinator
Durata:
Friday, 1 February, 2013 to Saturday, 30 March, 2013
Abstract:
Research Units:
IMT Contact:
Prof. Alberto Bemporad
FOC-II - Forecasting Financial Crises
Call:

:FP7 Cooperation (collaborative project) -  FET OPEN Scheme

Funding:
European Commission
IMT Role:
Coordinator
Durata:
Wednesday, 1 September, 2010 to Friday, 28 February, 2014
Abstract:

FOC is a Scientific Project Financed by FET OPEN Scheme in the field of Information and Communication Technology by the European Commission. The research topic is to understand and possibly forecast systemic risk and global financial instabilities We want to provide a novel integrated and network-oriented approach to the issue. On one hand, we will offer a theoretical framework to measure systemic risk in global financial market and financial networks. On the other hand, we will deliver an ICT collaborative platform for monitoring systemic fragility and the propagation of financial distress across institutions and markets around the world. Experts will be able to evaluate algorithms and models to forecast financial crises as well as visualise interactively possible future scenarios.

Research Units:
IMT Contact:
Prof. Guido Caldarelli
FILAS - il Valore Economico delle Scienze della Vita
Call:
Funding:
Filas – Finanziaria Laziale di Sviluppo
IMT Role:
Coordinator
Durata:
Friday, 25 November, 2011 to Saturday, 31 December, 2011
Abstract:

Analisi dell'impatto economico della ricerca scientifica e tecnologica nel settore delle scienze della vita applicate alla salute.

Research Units:
IMT Contact:
Prof. Fabio Pammolli
ESA (European Space Agency) - QP Solver for the Enhancement of the MPCSoft Tool
Call:
Funding:
European Space Agency
IMT Role:
Coordinator
Durata:
Friday, 1 July, 2011 to Monday, 30 January, 2012
Abstract:
Research Units:
IMT Contact:
Prof. Alberto Bemporad
E-PRICE - Price-based Control of Electrical Power Systems
Call:

FP7 Cooperation – ICT (STREP) ( http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/ict/

Funding:
European Commission
IMT Role:
Partner
Durata:
Friday, 1 July, 2011 to Friday, 31 May, 2013
Abstract:

 The EU electric power system experiences a fundamental change in the quasi-monopolistic, top-down oriented, stable, and reasonable predictable arrangements of the past. It now spans continents, has hundreds of millions consumers and hundreds of thousand producers, from nuclear power plants to privately-owned and operated badly predictable renewables such as solar cells, wind and microturbines and operates in an increasingly liberalized market. These developments pose huge challenges for its reliable and economic operation. This proposal focuses on the real-time power imbalance in the power net, which arises as a consequence of errors in the prediction of both production and demand. As this power imbalance will increase both in size and in frequency, presents arrangements to cope with this imbalance are no longer valid. They are neither reliable nor economic anymore. This project proposes an advanced ICT and control framework for ancillary services (reserve capacity) which allows a more intelligent solution by giving consumers and producers clear, real-time financial incentives to adapt their consumption/production according to the actual needs of the power system. This design is based on a distributed control structure, enabled by a fast ICT infrastructure and advanced control theory to reliably and economically deal with the necessary ancillary services. Decisions by consumers, producers, power exchanges and TSOs can be taken locally, based on local or national preferences and regulation. Still, the embedded incentives of the proposed framework can guarantee that all these local decisions together contribute to the global objectives of the EE power net: a reliable electric energy supply at the lowest costs. Instead of investing in additional expensive and environment-unfriendly reserve production or storage facilities with a low utilization rate, the reliability and e4conomy are enforced by intelligent ICT and control.

Research Units:
IMT Contact:
Prof. Alberto Bemporad
ASCENS - Autonomic Service-Component Ensembles
Call:

FP7 Cooperation – ICT – FET Proactive ( http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/ict/fet-proactive/calls_en.html)

Funding:
European Commission
IMT Role:
Partner
Durata:
Friday, 1 July, 2011 to Tuesday, 31 March, 2015
Abstract:

Future software-intensive systems, such as sensor networks, power grids, satellite and robot swarms, will generally exhibit a number of characteristic features: - Massive numbers of nodes, nodes with complex behavior, or complex interactions between nodes. - Operation in open and non-deterministic environments with variable network topology. - Need for adaptation, e.g., to changing environments and requirements.We call this future generation of software-intensive systems ensembles. The potentially huge impact – both positive and negative - of ensembles means that we need to understand ways to reliably and predictably model, design, and program them. Although there is a lot of research in this area, so far no theoretically well-founded technique for building ensembles exists. The goal of the ASCENS project is to develop such a method and to demonstrate its feasibility in three important application domains: robot swarms, cloud computing and e-mobility.

Research Units:
IMT Contact:
Prof. Rocco De Nicola
ViWaN – The global virtual-water network: social, economic, and environmental implications
Call:

 BANDO FIRB - PROGRAMMA "FUTURO IN RICERCA" Anno 2012

Funding:
MIUR – Ministero dell’Istruzione, dell’Università e della Ricerca
IMT Role:
Partner
Durata:
Thursday, 21 March, 2013 to Sunday, 20 March, 2016
Abstract:

There is a limited understanding of how virtual water trade affects food security. The benefits of such indirect trade of water, for instance, could be negatively affected by the lack of a single system of shared rules defining the economic value of water resources and preventing the consequent over-exploitation of these resources in fragile socio-economical and environmental contexts.
The ViWaN project addresses these issues with an innovative and interdisciplinary approach aimed at studying the main drivers and consequences of international virtual water flows. The main objectives are two: a better understanding of the global dynamics in virtual water flows and the evaluation of the impact of such flows on food safety. We will investigate the complex relationships between climatic, agronomic and socio-economic factors that shape the evolution of the worldwide trade of virtual water. The project will deliver quantitative modeling tools that enable an explicit representation of the relationships between virtual water flows and a set of explanatory variables; these models will be applied to a comprehensive database specifically built for the purpose. In addition, to improve the future management of the virtual water trade, the project will provide with a series of operational guidelines and proposals which are based on quantitative data.

Research Units:
IMT Contact:
Prof. Massimo Riccaboni
UNIPOLSAI Assicurazioni
Call:
Funding:
UnipolSai Assicurazioni
IMT Role:
Coordinator
Durata:
Tuesday, 15 July, 2014 to Tuesday, 30 September, 2014
Abstract:
Research Units:
IMT Contact:
Prof. Massimo Riccaboni
SIMPOL- Financial Systems Simulation and Policy Modelling
Call:

 FP7 Cooperation - ICT-2013-10 - Collaborative project (http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/cooperation/home_en.html)

Funding:
European Commission
IMT Role:
Partner
Durata:
Friday, 1 November, 2013 to Monday, 31 October, 2016
Abstract:

 This project proceeds from the vision that fundamental advances of policy modelling in finance and climate finance can only stem from a genuinely interdisciplinary approach where network science, big data and ICT’s meet economics and financial regulation. Accordingly, on the one hand we will develop new methods to assess the systemic importance of market players in (climate) financial networks and we will evaluate the effect of regulations in close collaborations with representatives of various regulatory bodies. The results will contribute to the discussion on how financial innovations could ignite a transition towards a greener economy and a more sustainable financial system. On the other hand, we will leverage on open data initiatives and semantic web to empower citizens with a more active role in relation to EU policies, by crowd-sourcing the mapping of the networks of influence involved in the policy making process.

Research Units:
IMT Contact:
Prof Guido Caldarelli
Secondlife - Second Life of the Public Services – Sistema per la creazione e gestione di servizi di pubblica utilità attraverso la virtualizzazione degli oggetti nel web delle cose
Call:

 FIT – Fondo per l’innovazione tecnologica (Bando Start Up) ( http://www.sviluppoeconomico.gov.it

Funding:
MSE - Ministero dello Sviluppo Economico
IMT Role:
Role: Partner
Durata:
Tuesday, 1 November, 2011 to Saturday, 31 October, 2015
Abstract:

L’Obiettivo principale del programma è il miglioramento della fruizione dei servizi pubblici e della qualità della vita nei contesti urbani attraverso la virtualizzazione e la digitalizzazione del cose. Il perseguimento di tale obiettivo deve passare attraverso il raggiungimento dei seguenti due grandi sotto-obiettivi: 1. sviluppo di una piattaforma Web aperta per la virtualizzazione degli oggetti e la loro gestione. 2. sviluppo di una soluzione wireless mobile basata sull’innovativa tecnologia multi-antenna che vada a superare il trade-off banda/costi/copertura attualmente presente nel mercato dei sistemi di comunicazione wireless.

Research Units:
IMT Contact:
Prof. Rocco De Nicola
QUANTICOL - A Quantitative Approach to Management and Design of Collective and Adaptive Behaviours
Call:

 FP7 Cooperation – ICT  (STREP) ( http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/ict/)

Funding:
European Commission
IMT Role:
Partner
Durata:
Monday, 1 April, 2013 to Friday, 31 March, 2017
Abstract:

The problem: The design of collective adaptive systems (CAS) must be supported by a powerful well-founded framework for modelling and analysis. CAS consist of a large number of heterogeneous entities with decentralised control and varying degrees of complex autonomous behaviour. These entities may be competing for shared resources even when collaborating to reach common goals. The pervasive but transparent nature of CAS, together with the importance of the societal goals they address, mean that it is imperative that thorough a priori analysis and verification of their design is carried out to investigate all aspects of their behaviour before they are put into operation.

Research Units:
IMT Contact:
Prof. Rocco De Nicola
MULTIPLEX - Foundational Research on MULTIlevel comPLEX networks and systems
Funding:
European Commission
IMT Role:
Coordinator
Durata:
Thursday, 1 November, 2012 to Monday, 31 October, 2016
Abstract:

Future advancements in ICT domain are closely linked to the understanding about how multi-level complex systems function. Indeed, multi-level dependencies may amplify cascade failures or make more sudden the collapse of the entire system. Recent large-scale blackouts resulting from cascades in the power-grid coupled to the control communication system witness this point very clearly. A better understanding of multi-level systems is essential for future ICT’s and for improving life quality and security in an increasingly interconnected and interdependent world. In this respect, complex networks science is particularly suitable for the many challenges that we face today, from critical infrastructures and communication systems, to techno-social and socio-economic networks. MULTIPLEX proposes a substantial paradigm shift for the development of a mathematical, computational and algorithmic framework for multi-level complex networks. Firstly, this will lead to a significant progress in the understanding and the prediction of complex multi-level systems. Secondly, it will enable a better control, and optimization of their dynamics. By combining mathematical analyses, modelling approaches and the use of massive heterogeneous data sets, we shall address several prominent aspects of multi-level complex networks, i.e. their topology, dynamical organization and evolution.

Research Units:
IMT Contact:
Prof. Guido Caldarelli
MILLTECH / HIGHTISSUE - High-efficiency prototype line of tissue converting
Call:
Funding:
Regione Toscana
IMT Role:
31/12/2014
Durata:
Friday, 10 May, 2013 to Tuesday, 31 July, 2018
Abstract:

The overall objective of the project is to improve the competitiveness of the tissue converting sector, with particular reference to the Tuscany paper industry. The objective will be achieved through the planning and implementation of innovative energy-efficient solutions to ensure significant reduction of energy consumption and increase of both converting line productivity and processing line safety.

Research Units:
IMT Contact:
Prof. Alberto Bemporad
IMTLAB - Linee di ricerca per lo sviluppo su Lucca di attività ad elevato impatto applicativo
Call:
Funding:
Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Lucca
IMT Role:
Coordinator
Durata:
Thursday, 1 July, 2010 to Thursday, 31 December, 2015
Abstract:

 Sviluppo su Lucca di una piattaforma di competenze e di tecnologie in tre ambiti ad alta rilevanza per la crescita del territorio: a) risparmio energetico e urbano b) sviluppo di tecnologie per la valorizzazione del patrimonio culturale locale c) sviluppo di un polo di competenze per analisi e servizi ad alto valore aggiunto per il sistema delle imprese; concorrendo a sviluppare Lucca come polo di rilevanza nazionale a tre linee di ricerca ad alta rilevanza applicativa per lo sviluppo del territorio, contribuendo a qualificare Lucca come filiera della Ricerca e dell’Innovazione.

Research Units:
IMT Contact:
Prof. Rocco De Nicola
EXODUS - Emigration of High-Skilled Individuals due to Short-Term Contracts
Funding:
European Commission
IMT Role:
Sole Beneficiary
Durata:
Monday, 1 July, 2013 to Friday, 1 December, 2017
Abstract:

Theoretically, the utilization of short-term contracts could help increase labor force participation, employment, efficiency and labour market opportunities. However, if not regulated in integration with the specific institutional framework, short-term contracts might generate undesired effects. By promoting adverse selection, driving the better workers away from the mother country as the less productive workers take up short-term contracts, short-term contracts might actually increase the brain drain. The purpose of EXODUS is to investigate the validity of these concerns and to analyze the way short-term contracts affect the brain drain phenomenon. In particular, EXODUS will focus on investigating the employment condition and behavioral choices of a specific category of workers: young individuals with a high level of education.

Research Units:
IMT Contact:
Cristina Tealdi, PhD
ENEL - Utilizzo di tecniche di analisi dei sistemi complessi per la modellazione e lo studio dinamico di sistemi fortemente interconnessi
Call:
Funding:
ENEL Ingegneria e Ricerca
IMT Role:
Coordinator
Durata:
Friday, 30 November, 2012 to Friday, 29 November, 2013
Abstract:
Research Units:
IMT Contact:
Prof. Guido Caldarelli
EFFINET - Efficient Integrated Real-time Monitoring and Control of Drinking Water Networks
Call:

 FP7 Cooperation – ICT  (Collaborative project)

Funding:
European Commission
IMT Role:
Partner
Durata:
Monday, 1 October, 2012 to Wednesday, 30 September, 2015
Abstract:

The project addresses three main management problems in urban water system: optimal operational control, real-time monitoring and demand forecasting/management. Real-time optimal control deals with operating the main flow and pressure actuators to meet demands using the most sustainable sources and minimizing electricity costs and is tackled using stochastic model predictive control techniques. Real-time monitoring of water quantity and quality refers to the continuous detection and location of leakage and or water quality problems. It uses fault detection and diagnosis techniques. Demand forecasting and management is based on smart metering techniques and includes detailed modelling of consumption patterns as well as a service of communication to consumers. The project will provide an integrated software platform and two real-life pilot demonstrations in Barcelona (Spain) and Lemesos (Cyprus), respectively.

Web site:
Research Units:
IMT Contact:
Prof. Alberto Bemporad
DOLFINS - Distributed Global Financial Systems for Society
Call:

H2020-FETPROACT-1-2014 (Research and Innovation Action project) 

Funding:
European Commission
IMT Role:
Partner
Durata:
Sunday, 1 March, 2015 to Wednesday, 28 February, 2018
Abstract:

The DOLFINS project addresses the global challenge of making the financial system better serve society by placing scientific evidence and citizens participation at the centre of the policy process in finance. The project strives to give scientific evidence and citizens participation central roles in the policy process concerning finance. DOLFINS will focus on two crucial and interconnected policy areas that will shape the public debate in the coming 5 years: How to achieve financial stability and how to facilitate the long-term investments required by the transition to a more sustainable, more innovative, less unequal and greener EU economy. The expected impact is to achieve crucial advances in reshaping the policy process to overcome the financial and political crisis faced by the EU. We will deliver quantitative tools to evaluate policies aiming to tame systemic risk and to foster sustainable investing. The tools will be based on fundamental research combining network models and algorithmic game theory with broader economic insights. 

Research Units:
IMT Contact:
Prof. Guido Caldarelli
DISIRE - Integrated Process Control based on Distributed In-Situ Sensors into Raw Material and Energy Feedstock
Call:

 Horizon 2020-SPIRE-1-2014: Sustainable Process Industries (Research and Innovation Action project) 

Funding:
European Commission
IMT Role:
Partner
Durata:
Thursday, 1 January, 2015 to Sunday, 31 December, 2017
Abstract:

The DISIRE project has been inspired by the real existing needs of multiple industrial sectors, including the world leading industrial partners in the non-ferrous, ferrous, chemical and steel industries that are highly connected and already affiliated with the SPIRE PPP and its objectives. The overall clear and measurable objective of the DISIRE project is to evolve the existing industrial processes by advancing the 
Sustainable Process Industry through an overall Resource and Energy efficiency by the technological breakthroughs and concepts of the DISIRE technological platform in the field of Industrial Process Control (IPC). Specific DISIRE Process Analyzer Technology (PAT) will be able to define quality and performance requirements, that for the first time in the process industry will be able to be directly applied on the physical properties of the developed products and thus enabling the overall online and product specific reconfiguration of the control system.

Research Units:
IMT Contact:
Prof. Alberto Bemporad
CRISISLAB - Sviluppo di un laboratorio e di un sistema di piattaforme integrate di raccolta e di analisi dei dati sulla prevenzione e la gestione delle crisi nei sistemi economico-sociali
Call:

Piano Nazionale per la Ricerca 2011-2013 – Progetti di Interesse

Funding:
MIUR –Ministero dell’Istruzione, dell’Università e della Ricerca
IMT Role:
Partner
Durata:
Sunday, 1 January, 2012 to Sunday, 1 April, 2012
Abstract:

 Crisis Lab, is a novel strategic research project financed by Italian Government (Progetti di Interesse CNR). The aim is of creating an Observatory of risks in domains ranging from finance, energy, markets, transport and urban systems, with interdisciplinary methodology based on the new science of Complex Networks. The focus of the Crisis lab is to develop models using empirical data to describe the vulnerabilities of diverse socio-technical systems which have a complex underlying dependency structure. The globalization of our planet requires state-of-the-art methodologies for better understanding the dependency structure of multi-level systems which can be vulnerable to catastrophic failure. The Crisis Lab project is an international movement for the development of a new economic thinking, which has the strategic aim to develop new ideas, which lead our economic future and the recovery of the financial sector of its supporting role to society and to the real economy.

Web site:
Research Units:
IMT Contact:
Prof. Fabio Pammolli
CA2PVM- Multi-field and multi-scale Computational Approach to design and durability of PhotoVoltaic Modules
Call:

 FP7 - ERC - Starting grant ( http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/ideas/home_en.html)

Funding:
European Commission
IMT Role:
Sole Beneficiary
Durata:
Friday, 1 November, 2013 to Thursday, 30 November, 2017
Abstract:

 (PV) based on Silicon (Si) semiconductors is one the most growing technology in the World for renewable, sustainable, non-polluting, widely available clean energy sources. Theoretical and applied research aims at increasing the conversion efficiency of PV modules and their lifetime. The Si crystalline microstructure has an important role on both issues. Grain boundaries introduce additional resistance and reduce the conversion efficiency. Moreover, they are prone to micro-cracking, thus influencing the lifetime. At present, the existing standard qualification tests are not sufficient to provide a quantitative definition of lifetime, since all the possible failure mechanisms are not accounted for. In this project, an innovative computational approach to design and durability assessment of PV modules is put forward. The aim is to complement real tests by virtual (numerical) simulations. To achieve a predictive stage, a challenging multi-field (multi-physics) computational approach is proposed, coupling the nonlinear elastic field, the thermal field and the electric field. To model real PV modules, an adaptive multi-scale and multi-field strategy will be proposed by introducing error indicators based on the gradients of the involved fields. This numerical approach will be applied to determine the upper bound to the probability of failure of the system. This statistical assessment will involve an optimization analysis that will be efficiently handled by a Mathematica-based hybrid symbolic-numerical framework. Standard and non-standard experimental testing on Si cells and PV modules will also be performed to complement and validate the numerical approach. The new methodology based on the challenging integration of advanced physical and mathematical modelling, innovative computational methods and non-standard experimental techniques is expected to have a significant impact on the design, qualification and lifetime assessment of complex PV systems.

Research Units:
IMT Contact:
Prof. Marco Paggi
APrICor - Analisi delle reti complesse applicata allo studio della correlazione in immagini biomediche
Call:

Framework Agreement 

Funding:
IIT - Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia
IMT Role:
Partner
Durata:
Sunday, 15 January, 2012 to Thursday, 14 July, 2016
Abstract:

Immagini dinamiche generate da tecniche avanzate di imaging biomedico possono essere rappresentate come grafi, o reti, i cui vertici sono costituiti dai “pixel” dell’immagine, e i link“ da una misura di correlazione tra coppie di pixel. Il progetto si propone di applicare sviluppi recenti nell’analisi della struttura e della topologia delle reti complesse all’analisi di immagini dinamiche di sistemi biologici.
 

Research Units:
IMT Contact:
Prof. Guido Caldarelli
WB@Lucca – Well Being @ Lucca
Call:

Bando 2014-2015 - "Ricerca" della Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Lucca

Funding:
Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Lucca
IMT Role:
Partner
Durata:
Friday, 4 July, 2014 to Sunday, 3 July, 2016
Abstract:

L’obiettivo di WB@Lucca è la realizzazione di una piattaforma mobile di servizi personali e personalizzati basati sull’uso di tecnologie ICT innovative e non invasive al fine di migliorare la qualità della vita e la condizione di benessere degli abitanti di Lucca e stimolarne la solidarietà sociale. WB@Lucca si rivolge ad una specifica categoria di utenti: persone anziane che tendono ad assumere comportamenti sedentari, spesso con problemi di riabilitazione motoria, non si curano di seguire un’alimentazione corretta e tendono ad isolarsi dal punto di vista sociale. WB@Lucca propone una serie di servizi ed applicazioni per dispositivi mobili mirati a migliorare le condizioni di vita di tali soggetti, aumentandone l’autonomia e fornendo un supporto anche per i loro familiari. WB@Lucca sarà sviluppata come piattaforma software in versione prototipale, estendibile con ulteriori servizi ed applicazioni sempre in ambito salute e benessere.

Research Units:
IMT Contact:
Sotirios Tsaftaris
SoBigData- SoBigData Research Infrastructure
Call:

Horizon 2020 Call for INFRAIA-2014-2015-Integrating and opening Research infrastructures of European Interest -  Topic INFRAIA-1-2014-2015 (Research and Innovation Action project)

Funding:
European Commission
IMT Role:
Partner
Durata:
Tuesday, 1 September, 2015 to Saturday, 31 August, 2019
Abstract:

One of the most pressing and fascinating challenges scientists face today, is understanding the complexity of our globally interconnected society. The big data arising from the digital breadcrumbs of human activities promise to let us scrutinize the ground truth of individual and collective behaviour at an unprecedented detail and scale. There is an urgent need to harness these opportunities for scientific advancement and for the social good. The main obstacle to this accomplishment, besides the scarcity of data scientists, is the lack of a large-scale open infrastructure, where big data and social mining research canbe carried out.  To this end, SoBigData proposes to create the Social Mining & Big Data Ecosystem: a research infrastructure (RI) providing an integrated ecosystem for ethic-sensitive scientific discoveries and advanced applications of social data mining on the various dimensions of social life, as recorded by “big data”. Building on several established national infrastructures, SoBigData will open up new research avenues in multiple research fields, including mathematics, ICT, and human, social and economic sciences, by enabling easy comparison, re-use and integration of state-of-the-art big social data, methods, and services, into new research. It will not only strengthen the existing clusters of excellence in social data mining research, but also create a pan-European, inter-disciplinary community of social data scientists, fostered by extensive training, networking, and innovation activities. In addition, as an open research infrastucture, SoBigData will promote repeatable and open science. Although SoBigData is primarily aimed at serving the needs of researchers, the openly available datasets and open source methods and services provided by the new research infrastructure will also impact industrial and other stakeholders (e.g. government bodies, non-profit organisations, funders, policy makers).

Research Units:
IMT Contact:
Prof. Guido Caldarelli
CoeGSS - Center of Excellence for Global Systems Science
Call:

Horizon 2020- H2020-EINFRA-2015-1 (Research and Innovation Action project)

Funding:
European Commission
IMT Role:
Partner
Durata:
Thursday, 1 October, 2015 to Sunday, 30 September, 2018
Abstract:

Global Systems Science – GSS – is an emerging research field focused on the risks and opportunities involved in global coordination problems. Examples of global systems include the internet, financial markets, intellectual property rights, global energy use and others. Developing evidence and understanding in view of such systems and of related policies is rapidly becoming a vital challenge for modern societies. It requires capabilities for transdisciplinary work that cannot be mastered without massive use of ICT. By the nature of the problem, the relevant datasets are mostly very big, including data streams from social media. To make things more complicated, the relevant algorithms do require the power of high-performance computing. High Performance Data Analysis (HPDA) is the key to success for GSS! A key contribution of the Center of Excellence for Global Systems Science – COEGSS – will be the development of an HPC-based framework to generate customized synthetic populations for GSS applications. By blending GSS and HPC, we will be able to provide decision makers and civil society with real-time assessments of global risks and opportunities as well as with essential background knowledge about them. This will enable the HPC industry to supply hard- and software for applications well beyond the issues to which HPC has been dedicated so far.

Research Units:
IMT Contact:
Prof. Guido Caldarelli
App medica per età vascolare - Sviluppo e validazione di una App medica per il calcolo dell’Età Vascolare
Call:

Bando 2014-2015- “Ricerca” della Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Lucca

Funding:
Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Lucca
IMT Role:
Partner
Durata:
Monday, 3 August, 2015 to Monday, 6 June, 2016
Abstract:

L’obiettivo è sviluppare un algoritmo per il calcolo dell’età vascolare, basato sul database europeo SCORE. In particolare verrà sviluppata una App rivolta ai medici, che sarà validata mediante misurazioni dirette vascolari con diagnostica strumentale non invasiva. A tale scopo saranno sottoposti alla valutazione dei fattori di rischio cardiovascolare e a valutazioni strumentali soggetti di età superiore ai 40 anni, i cui risultati saranno successivamente confrontati con la valutazione dell’età vascolare calcolata mediante algoritmo. Il progetto potrebbe avere una concreta ricaduta operativa sulle Aziende Sanitarie del territorio della Provincia di Lucca, permettendo di migliorare il servizio di prevenzione cardiovascolare ai pazienti.

Research Units:
IMT Contact:
GlycoG-Lab 4.0 - Nanoadditivo multiproprieta’ad attivita’ assorbente e preservante
Call:

Bando Regione Toscana "POR FESR 2014-2020 - Bando n. 1 Progetti Strategici di ricerca e sviluppo" - progetto GlycoG-Lab coordinato da Cromology Italia spa

Funding:
Regione Toscana
IMT Role:
Partner
Durata:
Sunday, 1 October, 2017 to Sunday, 15 March, 2020
Abstract:

Il progetto, presentato e coordinato dall’azienda Cromology Spa (comparto vernici) insieme alle aziende Beste S.p.A (comparto tessile) e Yacht Pride Srl (comparto nautico) e la collaborazione scientifica di Scuola IMT, Consorzio INSTM (Consorzio Interuniversitario Nazionale per la Scienza e Tecnologia dei Materiali) e  LMPE Srl (Laboratorio di Materiali Polimerici Ecocompatibili di Capannori), nasce dall’esigenza delle aziende partner (leader nei rispettivi settori delle vernici, dei trattamenti per l’edilizia, per il tessile e l’abbigliamento e per la nautica) di far fronte a problematiche relative alla durabilità dei prodotti che è spesso compromessa da alcuni fattori come i raggi UV e la crescita di alcuni batteri. La ricerca, che si focalizzerà anche sulla ecocompatibilità del nuovo materiale grazie all’uso di sostanze naturali come i carboidrati, contribuirà allo sviluppo di tecniche di produzione di materiali innovativi che utilizzano strumenti di virtual testing, vale a dire la simulazione numerica dei fenomeni chimico-fisici che possono interessare il materiale. Il risultato sarà quindi un materiale che renderà più resistenti ai raggi UV le vernici a base acquosa prodotte da Cromology, migliorerà la capacità antivegetativa dei prodotti per le imbarcazioni di Yacht-Pride e migliorerà la qualità dei tessuti prodotti da Beste, che saranno in grado di proteggere la pelle dai raggi ultravioletti e contrastare i cattivi odori che si sviluppano sui tessuti a causa del sudore. Nell'ambito del progetto, la Scuola IMT Alti Studi Lucca svilupperà lo studio morfologico del materiale realizzato con le attrezzature sperimentali in dotazione al MUSAM-Lab e produrrà studi di chimica computazionale per la progettazione del grafene funzionalizzato e per la stima della durabilità del materiale, in un'ottica di sostenibilità.

Research Units:
IMT Contact: