The third module of “The Research Lifecycle” has successfully concluded. This training programme, developed by the Scuola Normale Superiore, builds upon and synthesises the experience of last academic year’s “SNS 5.0” initiative. Focused on the protection and valorisation of research, this session offered PhD candidates a key opportunity to understand how to connect their research activities with society.

The Morning Session: Introduction to Intellectual Property and Collaborative Research

The day opened on the morning of June 18th with a plenary session led by Massimiliano Granieri (University of Brescia). The lecture provided a comprehensive overview of the primary intellectual property protection rights relevant to scientific, humanistic, and social sciences production. The core mechanisms of management and protection were explored in depth, with significant emphasis also placed on the role of public research in generating knowledge for social progress.

The Afternoon: Three Parallel Sessions for Knowledge Transfer Across the Faculties

The second part of the day was structured to specifically address the unique characteristics of the School’s different disciplinary areas. In the afternoon, three parallel sessions were held—one for each Faculty (Classe)—designed to give PhD students a concrete look at what the School has already accomplished and promoted regarding research transfer and impact.

Specifically:

• For the Faculty of Sciences: The session was conducted by Francesco Cardarelli (Scuola Normale Superiore), who explored the journey of a patented technology related to advanced imaging (FLIM), showcasing the innovation lifecycle from laboratory discovery to commercialisation through startups and industrial contracts in the pharmaceutical sector. The “horizontal” scalability of this technique across diverse fields such as agrifood, cosmetics, and cultural heritage was also examined in depth.

• For the Faculty of Humanities: The focus centered on transitioning from historical-artistic and literary research to developing high-impact digital solutions for the cultural and museum sectors. Flavio Fergonzi (Scuola Normale Superiore) used case studies of the Capti and Maconda portals, alongside the strategic collaboration between the School and the Pecci Centre in Prato, to illustrate how knowledge transfer can transform archival materials into dynamic tools capable of expanding public storytelling and access to research, including at an international level.

• For the Faculty of Political and Social Sciences: Led by Martino Mazzonis di Pralafera (Scuola Normale Superiore) and Margherita Mugnai (Socialab), this session focused on social sciences communication as a tool for social innovation and policy-making. The meeting provided practical tools and real-world insights on how to communicate research results to a broad audience and to policymakers, thereby contributing to informed debate and improving participatory design.

The afternoon sessions thus demonstrated the wide range of resources and networks that the University provides to support and amplify the reach of its research.

Note sulla scelta di alcuni termini:

• Faculty (Classe): Nei contesti universitari anglosassoni, Faculty o School sono le traduzioni più immediate per le “Classi” della Normale. Ho mantenuto l’iniziale maiuscola (Faculty of Sciences, ecc.) per l’eleganza formale del testo.

• Faculty of Humanities (Classe di Lettere): In inglese accademico, Humanities è il termine corretto e standard per tradurre l’area di Lettere/Beni Culturali.

• Knowledge transfer (Trasferimento dei risultati): Nel mondo della ricerca anglosassone, l’espressione knowledge transfer (o technology transfer per le scienze dure) è molto più comune e naturale rispetto alla traduzione letterale “transfer of results”.