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DBSV's activities for the community

"Group of people wearing orange aprons in a factory yard"

As part of its community-oriented activities, the Department promotes various initiatives involving collaboration with companies through contract research, scientific dissemination, and lifelong learning projects aimed at high school teachers and students. The medical component of the DBSV is active in organising ECM-accredited training events dedicated to healthcare professionals.

The main local and national stakeholders include: ATS Insubria, ASST Sette Laghi, ASST Lariana, Ospedale Valduce Como, ASST Valle Olona, patient associations, volunteer organisations, biotech entrepreneurs, chemical-pharmaceutical companies, food-agriculture companies, aquaculture plants and associations, the Industrial Union of the Province of Varese, Varese Chamber of Commerce, Lombardy Green Chemistry Cluster, Italbiotec Consortium, Interuniversity Consortium for Biotechnology, National Order of Physicians and Dentists, National Order of Biologists, National Association of Italian Biotechnologists, College of Biologists of Italian Universities, National Biotechnology Conference, and numerous local secondary schools.

 

All initiatives
The DBSV and Companies
  1. Within the framework of knowledge valorisation, the DBSV is committed to communicating and disseminating scientific knowledge to contribute to the social, cultural, and economic development of society, with particular attention to the Insubria region. Numerous agreements are in place:

Research agreements with:

  • ASST Sette Laghi
  • Regional Agency for Agriculture and Forestry Services of Lombardy (ERSAF)
  • Italian Environmental Fund ETS (FAI)
  • Ospedale Galeazzi S.p.A.
  • National Research Council (CNR)
  • Municipality of Varese
  • IRCCS Humanitas Mirasole S.p.A.
  • Don C. Gnocchi Foundation
  • MultiMedica Spa
  • IIRCS Maugeri Scientific Clinical Institutes

For the provision of healthcare services with:

  • Casa di Cura Fondazione Gaetano e Piera Borghi Srl
  • Casa di Cura Privata Le Terrazze Srl
  • Istituto Clinico Mater Domini Private Clinic SpA
  • Maugeri Scientific Clinical Institutes SpA
  • ASST Grande Ospedale Metropolitano Niguarda
  • ASST degli Spedali Civili di Brescia
  • National Federation of TSRM and PSTRP Orders
  • SAPIS Study Centre
  1. The DBSV is the point of reference for the University’s participation in the following structures:
  • European infrastructure IBISBA (Industrial Biotechnology Innovation and Synthetic Biology Accelerator)
  • National SPRING Cluster on circular economy
  • Lombardy LGCA Cluster on green chemistry
  1. The DBSV participates through its representatives in the activities of:
  • Consorzio Italbiotec
  • Insubric Institute of Life Research Foundation
  1. DBSV faculty are co-inventors of 2 patents in the fields of nanotechnology and circular economy, and four other patent applications are pending.
  2. Some department researchers have founded a spin-off - ILFARM - the first innovative start-up in Italy specialising in the breeding and sale of medicinal leeches for the cosmetic and biomedical sector.

For detailed sheets on spin-offs and patents, see:

Intellectual and industrial property
Spin-off
Citizen-oriented initiatives

“Public Engagement” activities such as:

  1. Outreach activities on BIOECONOMY, CIRCULAR ECONOMY, and SUSTAINABILITY as part of the University initiative “Uninsubria Sostenibile”
  2. Participation of some DBSV faculty in organising the BIOECONOMY SUMMER SCHOOL on bioeconomy topics, organised by the Department of Economics with other national and international universities and institutions, promoted by the Lake Como School of Advanced Studies and now in its third edition.
  3. Seminars and scientific outreach activities involving interaction with schools, organised by the CREC Research Centre, identified in the programme “For an education in bioethical citizenship: bioethics and clinical ethics itineraries for the citizens of tomorrow.”
  4. BIOARCHAEOLOGY programmes in Lombardy and Piedmont, which include a series of activities for schools and the public to explore bioarchaeological sites and artefacts; a notable example is the organisation of “Bioarchaeology Saturdays: a series of meetings discovering the open-air museum project in Valcuvia.”
  5. CINESCIENCE, a film forum organised in Busto Arsizio with screenings of films on scientific and social topics, featuring experts who answer audience questions at the end of the evening. It is organised by the Neuroscience Research Centre in collaboration with the Michelangelo Antonioni Film Institute and the Busto Arsizio Municipal Culture Department.
  6. Organisation of outreach days on biology and biotechnology within the UniStem initiatives, a coordinated Research Centre on Stem Cells at the University of Milan. In 2025, the event took place at DBSV on 14 March for university and high school students and was dedicated to Giulio Regeni, highlighting the importance of freedom in research, understood as freedom of study, movement, and pursuit of truth.

Upcoming initiatives:

  • EARTH DAY
  • ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE DAY
  • “Rock Insubria”, musical events.
Continuing education

The Department offers Pathways for Transversal Skills and Orientation (PCTO) aimed at high school students in the Varese and Busto Arsizio areas.

In the 2024-2025 biennium, DBSV was the University lead for the Co.Science project - Connecting Science to Shape a Community, funded by the European Community for the organisation of the Researchers’ Night and for scientific dissemination activities in schools.

For a complete list, please consult the University page:

Other programs
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