The University of Bologna (UNIBO) is the oldest European University and the largest University in Emilia-Romagna region. The University of Bologna has a Multicampus structure, ensuring the opportunity to learn and promoting stable research activities throughout the region, aiming to improve the operations and quality of life for the university community. It welcomes more than 90,000 students (of which about 7,000 are international).
In ReLEAF project, the University of Bologna is represented by the Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences (DISTAL) which combines teaching and research activities in the Agricultural and Food area. The Department has two main locations, one in Bologna and one in Cesena, but it also carries out both teaching and research activities in Ozzano, Cadriano, Imola and Tebano. The Department is the largest in the University of Bologna with about five hundred employees, both temporary and permanent. The Department boasts strong research activities with more than 20 million Euros in annual revenues for research projects. Distal is 2018-2022 and 2023-2027 Department of Excellence for MUR and has contributed significantly to the University of Bologna attaining 62nd position/out 450 in the “Agriculture & Forestry” sector of QS World University Ranking 2024. It is the 1st Department out 21 in Italy. The Department also has a PhD Programme with a strong international bent and close ties to industry; it also contributes to some of the university’s other global doctorates. The Department has a high number of patents and plant rights and hosts 3 spin-offs with laboratories and structures accredited at national and international level allowing for a constant alignment with the industry. Moreover, it contributes to the activities of the Experimental Farm of the University of Bologna, with about 500 hectares of cultivated land, both owned and leased. Most of Professors and Researchers of DISTAL are part of CIRI-AGRO -The Interdepartmental Center for Industrial Agri-Food Research of the University of Bologna-which carries out and coordinates research and professional training activities, aimed at strengthening relations with Food industries and carrying out technological transfer to meet the needs of the productive world. The ReLeaf activities will be carried out both in Bologna and in Cesena where greenhouses and fermentation/food mild- technology pilot plants are, respectively, located.
Role in ReLeaf:
- Produce Microbial biomasses as plant biostimulants/biocontrol agents from fish wastewaters.
- Produce encapsulating material for Bio-based fertilizer such as chitosan and collagen from fish and crustaceous waste.
- Characterize the Bio-Base Fertilizers in accordance with EU regulation.
- Assess the safety and quality of the food products resulting from the application of RELEAF Bio-Base Fertilizers