SAMOTHRACE (Sicilian Micro and Nano Technology Research and Innovation Center) is a project funded by the Italian National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) with approximately 120 million euros. It involves 28 partners, including the Sicilian universities, research institutes and industry leaders. The aim is to create a strong collaboration between experts in microelectronics, microsystems, materials and microtechnologies, with a focus on Sicily but with an eye on the global market.

The SAMOTHRACE project addresses the European Commission’s “Digital, Industry & Space” challenge, while also focusing on other key areas such as health, energy, mobility, agriculture and the environment. It supports several “Global Sustainable Development Goals”, such as promoting sustainable agriculture, improving health, achieving gender equality, ensuring access to clean energy, and promoting sustainable industrial growth.

The project started on October 2022 and will last for three years, ending on September 2025.

The University of Messina (UniME) plays a key role in the project, leading Spoke 2, which focuses on advanced systems and sensor technologies.

During the first two years of the project, UniME contributed to building knowledge and skills in micro- and nanotechnologies. This included hiring new researchers and offering PhD scholarships to train experts and develop human resources. Unime also launched funding programs to support companies and organizations engaged in industrial R&D in areas such as energy, environment, health, agriculture and smart mobility.

On November 20-22 2024, the second year review meeting of the SAMOTHRACE project was held in Palermo. Participants, including UniME, presented their research and the results achieved during the year. A video summarizing these activities is available on YouTube.

Another important meeting will take place in Palermo in March 2025. It will focus on the activities carried out and the innovative prototypes developed in the project. Detailed information about this meeting will be made available shortly on the official SAMOTHRACE website: www.samothrace.eu.