Two days of meetings, debates, and international discussions between academia, institutions, and businesses, to redesign the university districts of the future.

The MUSA project – Multilayered Urban Sustainability Action, an innovation ecosystem financed by the NRRP and led by the main Milanese universities, will be a protagonist in the Italian Pavilion at the Osaka 2025 Expo, with a full program of events on May 30 and 31, 2025.

In a historical phase in which over 70% of the world’s population will live in urban contexts by 2050, it becomes crucial to rethink cities as engines of regeneration, innovation, and collective well-being.

Hence the initiative “UniverCity Futures: designing and transforming university districts for regeneration, sustainability, and the quality of urban life,” an event that will bring together academics, institutional representatives, and actors from the business world to discuss the strategic role of universities in building the cities of the future.

Among the protagonists of the event, the heads of the Milanese universities (Bicocca, Bocconi, Politecnico, and Statale), together with prominent names such as the General Commissioner for Italy Mario Vattani, the President of the CRUI Giovanna Iannantuoni, and numerous Italian and Japanese experts. The heart of MUSA’s participation will be articulated in thematic panels on:

  • urban regeneration and sustainability;
  • health, well-being, and quality of life;
  • social and physical transformation of cities;
  • economic impact and sustainable finance.

Alongside the presentation of ongoing projects in Milan, a twin city with Osaka since 1981, contributions will be made by major companies such as ENI, Bridgestone, TIM, Ricoh, De Nora, and De’ Longhi, together with the following Japanese universities: University of Electro-Communications Tokyo, Tokyo Denki University, and Kyoto University.

The entire program represents an international showcase for the MUSA model, which aims to transform university districts into urban laboratories of innovation, inclusion, and sustainability, networking research, technology, and territorial co-design.

To learn more, a dedicated area for this experience will soon be available on the MUSA website.