Washington, DC (April 21, 2023) – From biophysics to space, there are many fields of application for smart materials. This is the theme at the center of the “Smart Materials for a Better Life” seminar, organized by the Embassy of Italy in Washington DC as part of Italian Research Day in the World (Giornata della Ricerca Italiana nel Mondo [GRIM]), supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and the Ministry of Universities and Research to promote the work of Italian researchers and their contribution to strengthening international cooperation.
“Today’s challenges, but also the many opportunities linked to emerging technologies and innovation, make our scientific and technological cooperation with the United States a crucial pillar of the strategic alliance between our two countries,” emphasized Italian Ambassador to the United States Mariangela Zappia opening the seminar, organized in collaboration with Italy’s National Research Council (Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche [CNR]) and the Italian Scientists and Scholars in North America Foundation (ISSNAF). “This is a broad and proven partnership not only in emerging technologies, but also in many other fields, including physics, medicine, and space,” added the Ambassador.
The event, which also celebrates the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the National Research Council (CNR), the largest research institution in Italy, with over 8,000 employees, including researchers and technologists, was attended by industry experts and members of the United States Government, including Jason Donovan, Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs at the U.S. Department of State, and LaShandra Korley, U.S. Science Envoy. Maria Chiara Carrozza, President of the CNR (via videoconference); Valentina Mantua, Senior Staff Fellow at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration; Luigi Ambrosio, Director, Institute of Polymers, Composites and Biomaterials of the CNR; Valentina Benfenati, Research Director, Institute for Organic Synthesis and Photoreactivity of the CNR; Sofi Bin-Salamon, Program Manager, Biophysics Programs at the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR); Emanuela Del Gado, Director, Institute for Soft Matter Synthesis and Metrology at Georgetown University; Wolfgang Losert, Associate Dean, College of Computer, Mathematics and Natural Sciences of the University of Maryland; Larry Nagahara, Vice Dean for research and translation at the Whiting School of Engineering of Johns Hopkins University; and Eleonora Tubaldi of the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Maryland Robotics Center at the University of Maryland all spoke as well.
Italian Research Day in the World takes place every year in April on the occasion of celebrations of Leonardo da Vinci’s birthday on April 15th. For this year’s event on smart materials, some of the speakers were chosen from among the members of one of the most active Working Groups within the framework of the Italy-U.S. Science and Technology Cooperation Agreement, and the experts who participated in the 14th Italy – United States Joint Commission Meeting (JCM) on Science and Technology Cooperation, held in Rome at the end of January.
