Joint Research laboratories @UNISI
Joint research laboratories between universities and public/private entities are based on a shared research proposal between the parties involved, who pool their know-how and resources, creating a physical and virtual meeting place to produce new results and facilitate the acquisition of new investments for R&D activities.
Joint laboratories do not have legal, administrative, or accounting autonomy and, from a management point of view, represent an accounting unit of the proposing Unisi Department. Joint laboratories are established through the signing of an agreement between the university and the parties participating in the project, which sets out the fundamental elements of the initiative.
The public/private partners of the laboratory undertake to support the project with annual funding.
Joint research laboratories are provided for and regulated by Article 17 of the “Regulations for Scientific and Educational Facilities”.
AEE LAB
Antennas and electromagnetism
- Year of establishment: 2019. In 2022, the partnership agreement was renewed to continue the development of research activities.
- Partners: Department of Information Engineering – HUAWEI Technologies Duesseldorf GmbH company.
Research activities:
The main objective of the AEE Lab is to conduct research on topics related to the application of EM theory and methods for antenns and components for M-MIMO base station antennas and radio access antennas.
In addition, the laboratory’s activities will also cover PTD and topological unidirectional modes, DMTM and DMTS antennas, ultra-wideband arrays, degrees of freedom in the field of antenna arrays, and multibeam antennas.
References/contacts
Scientific director
Prof. Stefano Maci
☎️ 0577235987
📧 stefano.maci@unisi.it
Headquarter
Department of Information Engineering and Mathematical Sciences – DIISM
Via Roma 56, Siena
AI LAB – Baker Hughes & Università di Siena
Artificial Intelligence
- Year of establishment: 2020
- Partners: Department of Information Engineering and Mathematical Sciences – Nuovo Pignone Tecnologie srl
Research activities:
The main objective of the AI LAB is to facilitate the exchange of information and technologies between industry and academia in the field of Artificial Intelligence research.
In particular, the Lab intends to focus on the following research areas:
- Image recognition for detecting and classifying production defects in mechanical parts obtained by material removal or through Additive Manufacturing;
- Research in the field of conversational agents as engines for the digitisation and preservation of
corporate know-how; - Natural Language Processing (NLP) for extracting contextualised information and content from documentation available in BHGE;
- Image Recognition for QHSE purposes and support of field service operators;
- Anomaly Detection for the prevention of machine tool failures and application of predictive maintenance philosophies;
- Operations analytics (sales, pricing, manufacturing, service, quality, HSE, …)
References/contacts
Scientific director
Prof. Marco Gori
☎️ 0577235965
📧 marco.gori@unisi.it
Headquarter
Department of Information Engineering and Mathematical Sciences – DIISM
Via Roma 56, Siena
BioAgry Lab
Plant cultivation processes
- Year of establishment: 2023
- Partners: Department of Life Sciences – Bio-Esperia Srl
Research activities:
the BioAgry Laboratory focuses on research activities concerning the development of
the project on “Applicability of products of natural origin in the cultivation processes of plants of agricultural interest”.
References/contacts
Scientific director
Prof. Stefano Loppi
0577233740
stefano.loppi@unisi.it
Headquarter
Department of Life Sciences – DSV
Via Pier Andrea Mattioli 4, Siena
Brain Imaging Laboratory Link – BILL LAB
Brain
- Year of etablishment: 2022
- Partners: Department of Medical, Surgical and Neurosciences – Siena Imaging S.r.l.
Research activities:
Development of the project “SinLAB: platform of analyzing brain MRI images”.
The primary objective of the project is to test and validate the functionally of SinLAB, a proprietary platform developed by Siena Imaging, designed to support neurologists and neuroradiologists in the analysis of brain MRI images through the routine clinical activities carried out by doctors at the QNL, a research laboratory affliated with the university’s Department of Medical, Surgical, and Neuroscience Sciences.
SinLab is a Web 2.0 platform that manages:
- data, creating an image database;
- analyzes, with specific procedures dedicated to calculating the mos commonly used radiological endpoints (e.g., lesions and new lesions; brain volumes and their variation over time);
- reports, through the creation of reports designed specifically for disease and endpoints, neurologists affiliated with the Department of Medical, Surgery, and Neuroscience will be able to access the Siena Imagign analysis platform from two consoles located in the QNL research laboratory, directed by Prof. De Stefano, in order to contribute significantly to improving the SinLab tools, testing their ease of use, accuracy in analysis, and clarity and completeness of reports.
Siena Imaging’s platforms will enable neurologists to use state-of-the-art software that incorporates proprietary analysis procedures, thereby simplifying and making the assessment of focal damage indexes (e.g., lesions) more robust and sensitive. In addition, the new procedures allow for automatic quantification of atrophic damage, otherwise precluded in clinical practice by the requested high degree of computer literacy.
The goal of the project concerns the raising of the technological frontier in the field of brain MRI diagnosis by evaluating the actual potential of the SInLAB platform to increase its performance for disease treatment and to disseminate the results achieved by publishing scientific papers on the relevant topics.
References/contacts
Scientific director
Prof. Nicola De Stefano
☎️ 0577235807
📧 nicola.destefano@unisi.it
Headquarter
Department of Medical, Surgical and Neuroscience Sciences – DSMCN
Viale Mario Bracci 16, Siena
Center for Science and Technology Grosseto – CSTG Lab
Year of establishment: 2023
Partners: Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy – Grosseto University Pole Foundation
Research activities:
The main objective of the CSTG Lab is the development of research and experimentation of methodologies for the effective teaching. of science and the history of science, with a focus on the use of new technologies.
JRM Lab – Joint Reliability and Measurement Laboratory
- Year of establishment: 2025
- Partners: Department of Information Engineering – Baker Ughes represented in Italy by Nuovo Pignone Tecnologie srl
Research activities:
The laboratory has the main aim of developing research related to the application fields of the Oil & Gas, Industrial and Energy markets with particular emphasis on the search for innovative instrumental soutions.
References/contacts
Scientific director
Prof. Marco Mugnaini
☎️ 0577235969
📧 marco.mugnaini@unisi.it
Headquarter
Department of Information Engineering and Mathematical Sciences – DIISM
Via Roma 56, Siena
Laboratory for Geotechnologies Applied to the Environment – LCG Lab
Basic and applied research in the fields of geotechnics, hydrogeology, geophysics, environmental geology and geomatics, proposing innovative monitoring solutions using cutting-edge technologies.
- Year of establishment: 2017 (first agreement) – 2021 (current agreement)
- Partnership: Center of Geotechnologies (University of Siena) – GEOExplorer Impresa Sociale srl – CGT Engineering srl – GecLab srl
Research activities:
The joint research “LCG Laboratory” was established with the primary goal of developing experimental and applied research in the field of geotechnologies for environmental and environmental protection. It serves the needs of eco-sustainable construction, the marble and extractive industry, and cultural heritage preservation.
Basic and applied research in the fields of geotechnics, hydrogeology, geophysics, environmental geology, and geomatics, offering innovative monitoring solutions in these areas through cutting-edge technologies. More broadly, the “LCG Laboratory” aims to develop new methodologies in geotechnologies for environmental protection, with particular attention to eco-sustainable construction, marble and extractive industry, and cultural heritage. This is achieved through the integrated application of the following technological areas:
- Geoengineering and geotechnics
- Geology for infrastructures
- Environmental geology and remediation of contaminated sites
- Applied and environmental hydrogeology
- Applied and nuclear geophysics
- Geological and geothematic surveying
- Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and their dissemination (Web-GIS)
- Terrestrial and remote sensing technologies (digital photogrammetry, aerial, drone and satellite imagery, GNSS, laser scanning)
- Geotechnologies for archaeology
References/contacts
Scientific director
Prof. Paolo Conti 055 9119443 paolo.conti@unisi.it
Headquarter
Geotechnology center of the University of Siena – CGT
Via Vetri Vecchi 34, San Giovanni Valdarno (AR)
Service Centre and Business Incubator of the University of Siena – CSII UNISI
Via Strasburgo 7 – Via Bruxelles 10-20, Cavriglia (AR)
MTS Lab
Study, models, and design of technologically advanced devices aimed at controlling the propagation and irradiation of electromagnetic fields, metamaterials, and metasurfaces
- Year of establishment: 2017. In 2022, the partnership agreement was renewed to continue developing research activities.
- Partners: Department of Information Engineering and Mathematical Sciences – Wave Up srl
Research Activities:
The MTS Lab researches the electromagnetic field, in particular to the study, modelling and design of technologically advanced devices aimed at controlling the propagation and radiation of electromagnetic fields, metamaterials and metasurfaces.
Specifically, MTS Lab’s main research project is entitled “Metasurface Antennas for Space Applications.” MTS Lab aims at implementing new methodologies for software development based on:
- EM models;
- Models and CAD tools of metasurface antennas (MTS);
- Devices and other types of antennas.
References/contacts
Scientific director
Prof. Stefano Maci 0577235987 stefano.maci@unisi.it
Headquarter
Department of Information Engineering and Mathematical Sciences – DIISM
Via Roma 56, Siena
Oto-neuro-tech Lab
Hearing technology
- Year of establishment: 2023
- Partners: Department of Medical, Surgical and Neuroscience Sciences- Department of Information Engineering and Mathematical Sciences – MED-EL Elektromedizinische Gerate GmbH – Akusia Onlus Foundation
Research Activities:
The joint Oto-Neuro-Tech Laboratory main objective is the development of technologies to improve the brain’s plastic adaptability through non-invasive neuromodulation for speech perception in individuals with hearing aids and for the treatment of tinnitus-related issues.
References/contacts
Scientific director
Prof. Marco Mandalà
☎️ 0577585268
📧 marco.mandala@unisi.it
Headquarter
Department of Medical, Surgical and Neuroscience Sciences – DSMCN
Viale Mario Bracci 16, Siena
Department of Information Engineering and Mathematical Sciences – DIISM
Via Roma 56, Siena
VaepiX Lab
Methods for the assessment of antibody response following infection and/or vaccination for the control of infectious diseases
- Year of establishment: 2022
- Partners: Department of Molecular and Developmental Medicine – Vismederi Research srl
Research activities:
VaepiX lab is focused on optimizing analytical methods for the study of correlates of protection applied to vaccination. The laboratory aims at:
- promoting studies on vaccination;
- supporting and fostering scientific knowledge in the field of Hygiene and Public Health;
- encouraging scientific research and development of novel technologies for the control of infectious diseases;
- organizing prevention plans through the diagnosis and control of communicable diseases;
- optimizing laboratory assays capable of improving the quality of vaccines;
- initiating technical/scientific training programs for young researchers in biotechnology research laboratories;
- providing health authorities with relevant information for community health intervention plans; and
- coordinating population epidemiological studies and proposing prevention and treatment interventions.
References/contacts
Scientific director
Prof. Emanuele Montomoli 0577234134 emanuele.montomoli@unisi.it
Headquarter
Department of Molecular and Development Medicine – DMMS
Via Aldo Moro 3, Siena
VisMederi Research srl
Strada del Petriccio e Belriguardo 35, Siena
Viserion Lab
- Year of establishment: 2023
- Partner: Department of Information Engineering and Mathematical Sciences – Hyperion srl
Research activities:
The main objective of the Viserion Lab research project consists in developing signal and image data processing techniques displaying multi-temporal, multi-resolution, multi-sensory characteristics, applicable for the protection and safety of property and people, for wellbeing, as well as for environmental monitoring and management of levels of both health and decency
References/contacts
Scientific director
Prof. Alessandro Mecocci
☎️ 0577235989
📧 alessandro.mecocci@unisi.it
Headquarter
Department of Information Engineering and Mathematical Sciences – DIISM
Via Roma 56, Siena
WEAR Lab
Haptic interfaces
- Year of establishment: 2021
- Partners: Department of Information Engineering and Mathematical Sciences – WEART S.r.l.
Research activities:
WEAR Lab’s main aim is to advance research and analysis activities, modelling, experimentation, algorithm and prototype development concerning the digitisation of haptic interactions and validation through perception analysis applied to virtual or augmented reality and human-human haptic communication. The WEARLab Joint Research Laboratory innovate within the fields of:
- perception and reproduction of haptic sensations;
- analysis and digitisation of the physical properties of surfaces, particularly to the finish of a given material for the generation of models and the development of algorithms for reproducing the digital copy of the material to be explored in a virtual or augmented reality environment;
- realisation and experimentation of working prototypes for the validation of haptic rendering
algorithms developed within the framework of the research activity conducted in the laboratory.
References/contacts
Scientific director
Prof. Domenico Prattichizzo
☎️ 0577235993
📧 domenico.prattichizzo@unisi.it
Headquarter
Department of Information Engineering and Mathematical Sciences – DIISM
Via Roma 56, Siena
Biotech Lab
Electronic and measurement solutions applied to diagnosis, medicine, pharma and agro-technology
- Year of establishment: 2022
- Partners: Department of Information Engineering and Mathematical Sciences – Sclavo Diagnostics International SpA – Bio4Nature Srl
Research activities:
The laboratory is developing instruments for quantitative biochemical and medical measurements, suitable in both medical and biological fields. In addition, the instruments and their measurement principles find relevance in the medical diagnostic field, as well as in the drug and phytodrug development applied to clinical and agriculture purposes.
References/contacts
Scientific director
Prof. Marco Mugnaini
☎️ 0577235969
📧 marco.mugnaini@unisi.it
Headquarter
Department of Information Engineering and Mathematical Sciences – DIISM
Via Roma 56, Siena
Drug Discovery and Syntesis
Identification and development of new antibacterial agents
- Year of establishment: 2019
- Partners: Departement of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmaceuticals – Department of Medical Biotechnology – Lead Discovery Siena s.r.l.
Research activities:
The Laboratory “Drug Discovery and Synthesis” aims to identify and develop new innovative antibacterial agents active against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative strains, with a focus on resistant strains of bacterial pathogens, for the treatment of infections caused by the same. Indeed, the emergence of pathogens resistant to current antibiotic treatments is proceeding at a much faster rate than the discovery of new drugs, thus representing a serious threat to public health.
References/contacts
Scientific director
Prof. Maurizio Taddei
☎️ 0577233774
📧 maurizio.taddei@unisi.it
Headquarter
Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmaceuticals – DBCF
Via Aldo Moro 1, Siena
LABORIOSO
Strategies, innovative solutions and good practices for sustainable development
- Year of establishment: 2018
- Partners: Department of Physical, Earth and Environmental Sciences – Indaco2 S.r.l.
Research activities:
The “LABORIOSO” laboratory focuses on Sustainable Development strategies with clear reference to the goals of the 2030 Agenda of the United Nations (approved on 25 September 2015), the National Strategy for Sustainable Development (approved on 22 December 2017) and the 2017 Report and Mission of ASVIS, the Italian Alliance for Sustainable Development.
In detail, the objectives of the workshop are to:
- Identify strategies to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and advance such methodologies to monitor their effects using specific environmental, social and economic indicators, with reference to territorial (e.g. regions, cities) and productive systems (e.g. production chains);
- Identify innovative solutions and good practices for sustainable development to promote adherence to national strategies by public bodies and, above all, private companies that need to define customised strategies as an opportunity to gain competitive advantages;
- Develop communication skills aimed at presenting scientific content in a simple and clear form and making research results (often only accessible to specialists) accessible to a wider audience.
References/contacts
Scientific director
Prof. Nadia Marchettini 0577235744 pulselli@unisi.it
Headquarter
Department of Physical, Earth and Environmental Sciences – DSFTA
Piant dei Mantellini 44, Siena
LCPAIC
Qualitative and quantitative characterisation using optical and electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction/fluorescence techniques of the chemical-physical, petrographic, mineralogical and microstructural properties of limestones
- Year of establishment: 2018
- Partners: Department of Physical, Earth and Environmental Sciences – Unicalce S.p.A. – PetroLogic Synergy S.r.l.
Research activities:
The main objective and research activities of the joint laboratory “LCPAIC” concerns the issues related to the qualitative and quantitative characterisation, by means of optical and electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction/fluorescence techniques, of the chemical-physical, petrographic, mineralogical and microstructural properties of limestones used in the industrial production of lime and the understanding of the limestone/lime raw material relationships.
References/contacts
Scientific director
Prof. Cecilia Viti
☎️ 0577233788
📧 cecilia.viti@unisi.it
Headquarter
Department of Physical, Earth and Environmental Sciences – DSFTA
Via Laterina 8, Siena
Neurosense
Visual, sensory, cognitive and behavioural neuroscience
- Year of establishment: 2019
- Partners: Department of Medical, Surgical and Neuroscience Sciences – RoNeuro Institute (Romania) – Liquidweb s.r.l.
Research activities:
The “Neurosense” laboratory focuses on the field of biometrics, particularly to the different analyses of neurophysiological signals as well as their integration and application to marketing, user experience, neuro-cognitive rehabilitation and joint use with BCI technology.
References/contacts
Scientific director
Prof. Alessandra Rufa
☎️ 0577233136
📧 alessandra.rufa@unisi.it
Headquarter
Department of Medical, Surgical and Neuroscience Sciences – DSMCN
Viale Mario Bracci 16, Siena
QuestIT Lab
Digital communication models capable of adapting to the various industrial and institutional (both public and private) realities of our territory
- Year of establishment: 2017
- Partners: Department of Social, Political and Cognitive Sciences – QuestIT srl
Research activity:
The activities carried out within the lab aim to identify digital communication models that are suitable for the various industrial and institutional realities (both public and private) in our territory. QuestIT’s experts and the students of the Business Communication Master’s Degree Course of the Department of Social, Political and Cognitive Sciences collaborate to devise innovative strategies and ‘applicative’ methods of digital communication and marketing, with companies, organisations and institutions in the area.
Through collaborations with public and private institutions such as the Santa Maria della Scala Museum or the Siena International Photo Awards, it is also possible to experiment the artificial intelligence and machine learning contained in ChatBots in the fields of public and institutional communication.
References/contacts
Scientific director
Prof. Maurizio Masini
☎️ 0577234779
📧 maurizio.masini@unisi.it
Headquarter
Department of Social, Political and Cognitive Sciences – DISPOC
Via Roma 56, Siena
SAINLab
Artificial intelligence, machine learning and natural language processing applications
- Year of establishment:2019
- Partners: Department of Information Engineering and Mathematical Sciences – QuestIT srl
SAINLab’ s main research activities and aims concern the following:
- artificial intelligence and machine learning techniques;
- machine learning algorithms and neural models applied to the analysis and generation of natural language texts, particularly to the study, modelling and design of systems for the extraction of information from documents and the automatic generation of texts (such as posts on social networks or short descriptions of data) and of conversational agents;
- development and experimentation of working prototypes for the validation of the algorithms developed within the framework of the research activity conducted by the laboratory;
- innovative training activities and support for students within internship projects and writing master’s and doctoral theses.
References/contacts
Scientific director
Prof. Marco Maggini 0577235967 marco.maggini@unisi.it
Headquarter
Department of Information Engineering and Mathematical Sciences – DIISM
Via Roma 56, Siena
UDOO Lab
Design and development of platforms for IoT solutions
- Year of establishment: 2020
- Partners: Department of Social, Political and Cognitive Sciences – SECO spa – AIDILAB srl
Research activity:
The main objective of the UDOO Lab concerns the design and development of platforms for the management of IoT gateways, control dashboards and apps for the use of services and content of IoT solutions. From a ‘methodological’ point of view, the UDOO Lab uses a design approach based on Design Thinking (a.k.a. User-Centred Design), dividing into specific phases and activities.
References/contacts
Scientific director
Prof. Antonio Rizzo
☎️ 057723440
📧 antonio.rizzo@unisi.it
Headquarter
Department of Social, Political and Cognitive Sciences – DISPOC
Via Roma 56, Siena
V.I.T.A. Lab
Virtual Interaction for Training and Analysis Lab
- Year of establishment: 2020
- Partners: Department of Social, Political and Cognitive Sciences – Toscana Life Sciences Foundation – ITS Nuove Tecnologie per la Vita Foundation
Research activities:
The main objective of the “V.I.T.A. Lab” concerns both theoretical and applicative research on approaches and methods of training and lifelong learning based on virtual and augmented reality in the life sciences.
In particular, the approach uses Industry 4.0 technologies to analyse, propose and test new methodological paradigms for strengthening and upgrading educational and training activities in the life sciences sector. These methodologies open to the possibility of studying and monitoring the learning process with reference to human-machine interaction.
References/contacts
Scientific director
Prof. Alessandro Innocenti
☎️ 0577234737
📧 alessandro.innocenti@unisi.it
Headquarter
Department of Social, Political and Cognitive Sciences – DISPOC
Via Roma 56, Siena