EMBRC-UP is coordinated by the Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn and is a national strategic implementation of the ERIC EMBRC (European Marine Biological Resource Centre), which aims to enhance research in the field of "Health and Food" in the areas of marine resources.

The project will consolidate and enhance the EMBRC research infrastructure in Italy. This infrastructure is already organised in a Joint Research Unit (JRU) called EMBRC-IT recognised by the Italian Ministry of University and Research. EMBRC-IT has been established in 2015 and its members provide research services in Italy and Europe to public and private partners.

Seas and oceans are of fundamental importance for the sustainable development of a strategic asset of our country, which has 8700 km of coastline and owns about 15% of the surface area of the Mediterranean Sea. Expanding the country's blue economy requires close collaboration between research and industry. Marine life offers a myriad of new opportunities, in terms of seafood, nutraceuticals and bioactive molecules, which are of extraordinary importance in the fields of pharmacology, biomaterials and bioremediation.

The development of new technologies and biotechnologies can unlock this underexploited potential, with positive impacts in various industries and on the national economy. The equipment, sensors, instrumentation, digitization, and data acquired through this project will boost Italian research in the exploration and sustainable exploitation of marine resources, while at the same time strengthening cooperation and exchanges within the Italian Joint Research Unit.

Referente scientifico per UniTo
Cristina Giacoma

Soggetto proponente
Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn