The University of Insubria among the world’s leading research institutions: 44 scholars in the World Top 2% Scientists 2026 ranking and 33 in the career-long impact ranking

The University of Insubria confirms its presence in the World Top 2% Scientists 2026, the international ranking identifying scientists with the greatest impact in their respective research fields. In the 2026 edition, based on bibliometric data for 2025, 44 scholars affiliated with the University of Insubria feature in the ranking measuring scientific impact over the previous year (8,537 Italian researchers are included overall). A further 33 scholars appear in the ranking assessing impact over their entire scientific careers (7,363 Italian researchers), up from 29 in the previous edition and 8 in 2019. This increase in the career-long ranking highlights the growing international visibility of the University’s research and the continuity of its scientific contribution.

The World Top 2% Scientists ranking is based on a database covering more than 11 million scientists, classified into 22 scientific fields and 174 disciplinary subfields. It includes the top 100,000 researchers by overall score, as well as those ranking in the top 2% of their respective subfields. The analysis uses bibliometric data from Scopus and standardised indicators, including citation counts, the h-index and parameters accounting for co-authorship and individual author contributions. These include the c-score, a composite indicator used to assess scientific impact.

The University of Insubria’s presence in the ranking spans numerous scientific fields, including biology, medicine, environmental sciences, physics, chemistry, computer science and mathematics. This breadth reflects the multidisciplinary nature of the University and the contribution of its scholars to advancing knowledge, from human health and environmental sustainability to the development of new scientific and technological solutions.

“The World Top 2% Scientists ranking is one of several tools available for assessing research output and impact. Like any bibliometric analysis, it offers a specific perspective and must therefore be interpreted with care. Its value emerges above all when results are observed over time, as an indication of an overall trend, rather than as a ranking of individual researchers, disciplines or research groups,” explains Professor Loredano Pollegioni, the Rector’s Delegate for Research and Innovation.

“The data also allow us to recognise the contribution of different generations to the University’s scientific growth: on the one hand, faculty members and scholars who have built Insubria’s body of expertise over time, even if they are no longer active; on the other, younger researchers, who ensure its renewal and future prospects. The results should therefore be seen as an expression of the work of the entire scientific community, its research groups and the University’s national and international collaborations.”

The full list is publicly available via Elsevier Digital Commons Data.

The 2026 ranking based on single-year impact, listed in order of worldwide ranking position, includes:

Paola Gramatica, Luigi Bartalena, Sergio Manzetti, Stefano La Rosa, Vincenzo Torretta, Francesco Haardt, Navarro Ferronato, Salvatore Carlucci, Francesco Dentali, Luigi A. Lugiato, Loredano Pollegioni, Elena Cristina Rada, Paolo Antonio Grossi, Michele Ghidini, Fabio Ghezzi, Francesco Grossi, Genciana Terova, Giampiero P. Campanelli, Sabrina Sicari, Stefano Serra-Capizzano, Antonio Travaglino, Vittorio Gorini, Jenny G. Vitillo, Georges Jean Marie Maestroni, Giovanni Veronesi, Gianluca Tettamanti, Simona Rimoldi, Fabio Angeli, Riccardo Asteggiano, Silvia Salvatore, Norberto Masciocchi, Paolo Capogrosso, Marco Mario Ferrario, Giuliano Benenti, Nicola Zerbinati, Maurizio Serati, Mauro Fasano, Antonino Bruno, Alberto G. Passi, Laura Rampazzi, Daniele Bruno, Bruno Alberto Dal Lago, Luca Cabrini and Mario Turri-Zanoni.

The 2026 ranking based on career-long scientific impact, which also includes scholars previously affiliated with the University, features the following names, likewise listed in order of worldwide ranking position:

Paola Gramatica, Luigi Bartalena, Georges Jean Marie Maestroni, Luigi A. Lugiato, Francesco Haardt, Stefano La Rosa, Stefano Serra-Capizzano, Paolo Antonio Grossi, Francesco Dentali, Elena Cristina Rada, Loredano Pollegioni, Fabio Ghezzi, Vincenzo Torretta, Mauro Guglielmin, Francesco Grossi, Sergio Manzetti, Carlo Capella, Fabio Ferri, Davide Calamari, Vittorio Gorini, Norberto Masciocchi, Giuliano Benenti, Giampiero P. Campanelli, Alberto Parola, Sabrina Sicari, Elena F. Ferrari, Marco Mario Ferrario, Salvatore Carlucci, Paolo Di Trapani, Barbara Carminati, Flavia Marinelli, Ester Papa and Alessandra Andreoni.