PRESENTATION

The drive towards sustainability - economic, environmental and social - is the basic ambition guiding all research, experimentation, technological transfer and education programs at the Fondazione Edmund Mach. Unfortunately, the word ‘sustainability’ has been so misused that it has lost its original meaning. Put simply, the natural resources underlying our basic needs, such as pollination and irrigation, are indeed finite; thus if we exploit them we must also allow their regeneration. Such is the underlying basis of sustainability. Thus, the application of ‘sustainable’ practices depends on the development of systems providing the needs of the present generation without compromising those of future. In alpine areas such as Trentino, the concept of sustainability requires a particularly delicate discussion in order to balance land use and food production.

At the FEM Centre for Research and Innovation (CRI), this cycle of exploitation and renewal inherent in the concept of sustainability is mirrored in the close link between research, innovation and technology transfer. Leafing through this Report, it is clear how we are attempting to connect these components together. Page after page reveals how our researchers strive to improve the major Trentino crops, apple and grape, as well as other increasingly valuable varieties of soft fruit and walnut. Innovative projects have also been initiated in the food and health sectors, closely linked to local businesses, also thanks to traceability technologies. Environment research concerns the study of wild species in natural alpine habitats, and the impacts of change in biodiversity on ecosystem function. This interdisciplinary approach to human, animal and environmental health is a direct reference to the ‘OneHealth’ concept, and a key theme of various networks and Joint Research Initiatives in which we participate, for example through the European Food Safety Authority and Climate KIC. In order for CRI itself to be sustainable, our research has also aimed at reaching several ambitious goals: maintaining a high level of scientific productivity, as confirmed by ANVUR in 2017; improving our capacity to win competitive funding from external sources for our research ideas; provide services to agrifood and environmental sectors; and last but not least, patent and market our innovations.

In addition to these achievements, we have reached another milestone in bringing together research, innovation and sustainability with teaching, beneficial to the local area. In the last edition of the CRI Report, we mentioned the imminent inauguration of the Agriculture, Food and Environment Centre (C3A) in collaboration with the University of Trento. It was early 2017, and we were finalizing negotiations. Since then the C3A has made solid progress in establishing a series of educational opportunities, from secondary school, to tertiary courses, to doctorate degrees, in another first of its kind in Italy.

Andrea Segré President Fondazione Edmund Mach

145 Years Of Tradition And Innovation

2019 marks the 145th anniversary of the Fondazione E. Mach, a milestone that will be proudly celebrated later in the year with official ceremonies and a public ‘Open Day’. Our enlightened founder, Edmund Mach, had the intuition to establish this institute, integrating teaching with field and laboratory research, to enhance the development of local agriculture. This successful approach has been carried forward to the present day, and will remain the underlying philosophy guiding our way to future innovation.

Synergy between the three main Centres – focused on research, education, and technology transfer – make this institution unique both nationally and internationally.

At the Research and Innovation Centre, cutting-edge scientific research is carried out in collaboration with universities worldwide, as well as with private enterprise. Using the most advanced technologies, we search for innovative solutions and competitive products, for the benefit of both local and international economies. Our research must be relevant to the local economy, yet also internationally recognized and evaluated in comparison with other similar entities to guarantee the highest standards of scientific output.

Next to the Research and Innovation Centre, the Technology Transfer Centre supplies critical services to the agroforestry system in Trentino, through its expertise in applied research and consultancy, allowing the widespread dissemination of technical information to farmers. Last but not least, the various curricula offered at the Training and Education Centre are profoundly integrated with the working world, as witnessed by several national and international acknowledgements.

Annapaola Rizzoli Director of Research and Innovation Centre

Fondazione Edmund Mach