In Castel Porziano the first national research center dedicated to biodiversity

Presented today in Castelporziano, on the occasion of World Biodiversity Day, the National Biodiversity Future Center, coordinated by the Cnr, the first Italian research facility with 2,000 scientists and 49 institutions committed to studying and preserving the ecosystems and biodiversity of our country. The presentation event, included in the celebrations of the Centenary of the Institution, was divided into two moments: in the morning in the Presidential Estate of Castelporziano in the presence, among others, of the President of the Cnr Maria Chiara Carrozzaby the President of NBFC Louis Florentine; of the Commander of the Forestry, Environmental and Agri-food Unit Command of the Carabinieri Anthony Peter March and the Councilor for Culture of Rome Capital Miguel Gotor. The Vice-President of the Chamber of Deputies, Anna Ascani, sent a greeting video message; the president of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella, sent a message read in the Hall. In the afternoon, the work continues in the central headquarters of the Cnr with the kick off meeting of the Centre.

With NBFC, Italy sends a concrete message to promote the sustainable management of biodiversity, which plays a crucial role in the functioning of all the planet’s ecosystems and is the basis of life on Earth, with a direct impact on the well-being of the community and the single. Biological variety in all its forms, from microbes to plants and animals, up to the human species with its cultural diversities, is in the Mediterranean – and in Italy in particular – an even more precious heritage, given that in our country it is concentrated one of the most significant biological diversity in all of Europe, with 60,000 animal species, 10,000 vascular plants and over 130 ecosystems (Ispra data).

To study and protect this wealth – whose protection is now also enshrined in article 9 of the Italian Constitution, amended in February 2022 precisely to include the reference to the concept of biodiversity, together with the new wording of article 41 regarding the protection of health and of the environment – ​​NBFC is born, the first national research center dedicated to biodiversity. Established and funded by the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (Pnrr), NBFC is one of five national centers dedicated to frontier research. Promoted by the Cnr together with 49 partners, including universities, research centres, foundations and companies, it has its headquarters in Palermo. A funding of 320 million euros is foreseen for this project for three years, from 2023 to 2025, and the involvement of 2000 researchers, half of whom are women. The tenders aimed outside the network will then involve a multitude of other subjects, in the name of maximum inclusiveness.

“The National Biodiversity Future Center coordinated by the Cnr, helps to monitor, preserve and restore the terrestrial, marine and urban ecosystems of the Peninsula and the Mediterranean, helping to enhance biodiversity and make it a central element on which to base sustainable development”, declared the President of the National Research Council, Maria Chiara Carrozza. “An activity that assumes strategic importance with a view to contributing to achieving the goals of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, in particular as regards the reduction of biodiversity loss and the conservation, restoration and correct use of ecosystems”.

“NBFC was conceived following the Hub & Spoke model, a network management and development system in which connections are made – using by analogy an expression referring to the bicycle wheel – give it spoke (ray) towardshubs (central pivot) and vice versa”, added the President of NBFC, Luigi Fiorentino. “From the central hub, based at the University of Palermo, they depart like this 8 spokes dedicated to issues related to the sea, land and fresh water, urban areas and the impact on society, each of which includes different affiliated partners (universities, public research bodies and private companies). Each area of ​​interest has two nodes responsible for monitoring the environment and studying solutions, entrusted to the Cnr and the most prestigious Italian universities”.

A large community that will systematize all Italian research on biodiversity and the institutions already engaged in the area (parks, reserves, marine protected areas, environmental associations, communities and local networks), making them a strategic objective of the country e leaving behind, in 2026, projects that can continue independently. Through this extensive national network of universities, research centres, associations and other private and social entities, the Consortium will have the opportunity to take concrete, effective and immediate actions to stop the loss of biodiversity, helping to pursue the goal of protecting 30% of the Italian territory by 2030, as requested by the European Union, and promoting, in science and politics, the processes of conservation, restoration and enhancement of biodiversity. Connection networks will be created between the scientific community, national and local administrations, the business world and the territories. New technologies will be developed to improve research, creating new job opportunities and training, as foreseen by the Pnrr, a new class of researchers, i.e. the scientists of tomorrow.

As the NBFC’s primary legacy, it will be established the Biodiversity Science Gateway: a large virtual infrastructure, which will rely on some physical locations in Italy and on the CNR oceanographic vessel “Gaia Blu”, with the task of transforming scientific research into widespread knowledge and innovative business realities: a structure that will be both a tool for education and innovation and a place in which to share research results with society and the market. All the scientific data collected by the NBFC, and organized around 4 thematic platforms, will in fact be made available to the scientific community in open access. Among the tasks of this portal is to raise awareness of the problem of biodiversity on a global level, in the Mediterranean area and on the Italian territory, but also to tell emblematic and specific stories of the territory, offer advice, exploit biodiversity in a sustainable way and use concretely everything that will be produced by the NBFC spokesmen in the next three years, with the aim of being able to self-finance and self-sustain.

In this framework, the General Secretariat of the Presidency of the Republic and the National Research Council have recently signed a framework agreement for scientific collaboration for monitoring, research, training and dissemination activities in sectors of common interest at the presidential estate of Castelporzianoa site of particular conservation interest: it is no coincidence that a year ago the “Biodiversity Education Charter” was made public here, an instrument that exhorts civil society, schools and all institutions to make a commitment active for the diffusion of a culture of sustainability.

Furthermore, during the morning, a representation of 70 primary and lower secondary school students was involved in the parallel event “Biodiversity, heritage of tomorrow”, with scientific-dissemination activities organized by the Communication Unit of the CNR in collaboration with researchers of the Body involved in the national network “The Language of Research”. The students received the “certificate of biodiversity witnesses” and a time capsule containing some seeds to be protected, as a promise for the future, inside which they inserted a message for posterity: it was delivered to a representative of the Estate of Castelporziano, with prayer of custody.