(NBFC)

Funded under: EU

Start date 01 September 2022     End date 31 August 2025

The National Biodiversity Future Center (NBFC) aims at addressing interdisciplinary and frontier research and innovation activities devoted to the knowledge, monitoring, conservation, restoring and valorization of Italian biodiversity as a National Champion of R&D based on Key Enabling Technologies for Biodiversity and Environmental Sustainability.

The objectives of such a unique cross-disciplinary and innovative platform NBFC are:

The NBFC will be a platform of excellence to:
• implement frontier research on biodiversity aimed at developing the new KETs for the twin transition to support biodiversity;
• create the first worldwide open data platform including data on imaging, omics, natural features, climate in order to provide a complete description of the Italian biodiversity status;
• develop disruptive technologies to monitor and approach the problem of biodiversity proposing Italy as the technological leader in robotics, remote sensing, AI, biorobotics and imaging in biodiversity;
• launch novel technologies in the market, defining a proper platform for testing and commercialization, including, for instance, a high level network for digital biomarkers or digital technology validation;
• train a new generation of cross-disciplinary scientists, who will be able to reach worldwide excellence in their own discipline with the ability to use tools and concepts with an integrated unified approach (for instance merging physics, mathematics, engineering, geology and agronomy);
• make the population aware on the issue of biodiversity, steering high level political decisions towards the respect of the Italian natural landscape and developing policies to support biodiversity and sustainable economy in the ecological transition.