ilsole24ore.com – Antarctica: CNR celebrates 40 years of Italian research

“The National Antarctic Research Programme, one of the most challenging scientific programmes of the MUR, is proposed by CSNA to the minister and is implemented thanks to the contribution of the CNR, ENEA and the Institute of Oceanography and Experimental Geophysics (OGS), and the scientific participation of many institutes of the same institutions and numerous Italian universities,” said CSNA President Silvano Onofri

The 40th anniversary of the National Antarctic Research Programme (PNRA) was celebrated at the CNR. In the presence of representatives of the institutions and organisations involved in the programme, the goals achieved were analysed and the prospects and scientific challenges for the near future were illustrated. The interactive exhibition ‘Antarctica the White Continent. 40 years of Italian research’. With ‘Antarctica Day’, the 40th anniversary of the National Research Programme in Antarctica (PNRA) was celebrated today at the National Research Council (CNR) in Rome. Promoted by the National Scientific Commission for Antarctica (CSNA), the event opened with a message from the Minister of Universities and Research (MUR), Anna Maria Bernini, followed by speeches from Isabella Rauti, Undersecretary of Defence with responsibility for the Arctic, Sub-Arctic and Antarctica, and Marco Mancini, Secretary General of the Mur. “Today we are celebrating forty years of scientific missions in Antarctica, recognising the value of the great ‘white adventure’ of which Defence is an integral part, ensuring continuity, security and technical-operational support to national scientific research at the South Pole. The Defence plays a strategic role alongside the national scientific community, deploying skills, means, and professionalism that are indispensable for operating in an inhospitable environment such as Antarctica: a virtuous model of collaboration that today finds new impetus in the recent Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Defence and ENEA, aimed at developing advanced projects and shared capabilities,’ stressed Senator Rauti. “The Defence presence in Antarctica does not only mean security, but also challenging projects, such as the semi-permanent airstrip in Boulder Clay, built with the contribution of the Defence, and which should become permanent, as well as the deployment of ‘dual use’ assets for civil needs and scientific research: a modern approach that confirms the country’s international credibility and strengthens its competitiveness in major global scientific contexts.

“PNRA, one of the MUR’s most challenging scientific programmes, is proposed by CSNA to the Minister and is being implemented thanks to the contribution of the CNR, ENEA and the Institute of Oceanography and Experimental Geophysics (OGS), and the scientific participation of many institutes of the same institutions and numerous Italian universities,” said CSNA President Silvano Onofri. “I would like to thank the CNR staff for their great organisational effort for today’s event. Italy’s contribution to Antarctic scientific production is very important, as we have held a leading position for years, occupying fifth place worldwide. With a financial commitment, discounted, of around 900 million euros over 40 years, which is less than the large countries involved in Antarctica, Italy is one of the leaders in that area. This leadership position, which also has geopolitical value, is due to the scientific commitment, which must be adequately supported in the future’.
Francesco Petracchini, Director of the Department of Earth System Sciences and Technologies for the Environment (DSSTTA-CNR), representing the President of the CNR, commented as follows. “Over these years, the CNR has been the enabling platform of PNRA, ensuring scientific leadership and innovation capacity, with a systemic vision and a strong investment in human capital. A programme that is also an advanced laboratory of scientific diplomacy, where collaboration is not an option but an essential working condition. From research in subglacial lakes to activities in the Dry Valleys, to integrated studies on extreme systems and palaeoclimatic reconstructions going back more than 1.2 million years, the CNR, with the Institute of Polar Sciences and the other institutes involved, will continue to be an accelerator, an enabler and a reference point for science in Antarctica”.

During the morning, representatives from the three PNRA implementing bodies (in addition to the CNR, the presidents of ENEA, Francesca Mariotti, and OGS, Nicola Casagli) and the participating institutions described the achievements of the past 40 years, outlining the goals for the next decade and the tools to achieve them. During the event, live links were made from the Antarctic stations Concordia and Mario Zucchelli, and from the icebreaker ship ‘Laura Bassi’, en route to the White Continent.

An important focus was on international collaborations, including the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR), a body that plans, develops and coordinates scientific research in Antarctica and the Southern Ocean. “SCAR, an internationally recognised independent body, has 46 member nations, including Italy, and 9 international associations,” pointed out Giovanni Macelloni, Director of the CNR Institute of Applied Physics ‘Nello Carrara’ (CNR-IFAC) and SCAR delegate to the Minister of University and Research. “In addition to the ongoing programmes, mention must be made of the preparation of the Fifth International Polar Year, planned for 2032-2033, which will involve the entire international community in an unprecedented logistical and scientific effort.”

One of PNRA’s supporting infrastructures is the ‘Felice Ippolito’ National Antarctic Museum (MNA), where artefacts collected during Antarctic expeditions are stored and studied. “These include rocks, sediments, meteorites, ice, animal and plant organisms, bacteria and fungi – all of which are unique in the world’s polar museums. Our Museum has recently started cataloguing the multimedia heritage related to Antarctica, which involves all the public research organisations and universities participating in PNRA, calling on the scientific community to carry out studies for the valorisation of these artefacts,’ explained Carlo Alberto Ricci, President of the MNA.
Interventions were also made by Alice Guzzi and Giacomo Traversa, vice-president of APECS International and president of APECS Italy, respectively: the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS) is an international network set up to create an active community of young researchers involved in polar sciences, which also has an Italian section.

[Fonte: en.ilsole24ore.com]