President Giovanna Iannantuoni: "A virtuous model of public-private cooperation that will continue to yield results beyond the borders of Milan and Lombardy"
From the Digital Twins of water networks, useful for predicting and optimizing consumption, to LabXAS, which uses new X-ray systems capable of analyzing strategic materials for energy and industry; from the Milano Circularity Framework – a model with 274 indicators that redefines circular fashion standards – to the Living Labs that monitor biodiversity, air, mobility, and safety on Milanese streets, with immediate benefits for the quality of urban life.
These are some of the projects launched in the three years since the start of the MUSA – Multilayered Urban Sustainability Action project, funded with €110 million by the MUR (Ministry of University and Research) as part of the PNRR (National Recovery and Resilience Plan), presented during the first of the two days of the event “MUSA, the paths of sustainable innovation,” held at the University of Milan-Bicocca.
Institutional attendees included Giovanna Iannantuoni, President of MUSA Scarl; Alessia Cappello, Councillor for Economic Development and Labour Policies of the Municipality of Milan; Carlo Salvato, Deputy Rector of Bocconi University; Marco Bocciolone, Delegate for Technology Transfer at Politecnico di Milano; Marina Brambilla, Rector of the University of Milan; and Marco Orlandi, Rector of the University of Milano-Bicocca.
“The results we are presenting today do not concern the cities of tomorrow, but the spaces in which we can already live better today, thanks to the work of our young researchers, the guidance of professors, the collaboration of the involved companies, and the trust of the institutions that have invested in this vision,” commented Giovanna Iannantuoni, President of MUSA Scarl.
“MUSA was born as a project and has become a model of cooperation that has been able to overcome the barriers between universities, companies, and institutions. A scientific model that has left a deep mark and wants to continue functioning, bringing prototypes and results beyond the borders of Milan, Lombardy, and Italy itself. MUSA is an infrastructure that will continue to generate value,” the President concluded.
Three Years of MUSA
The work – which involved over 1,000 researchers, 24 companies and public partners such as the Municipality of Milan and the Lombardy Region – has led to 9 Living Labs and 5 Joint Labs, and 4 patents in the sectors of energy technologies, advanced sensor technology, innovative materials, and urban monitoring systems. Over 150 projects were launched during the 3 years of MUSA.
Among these is the digital twin of water networks, developed by Politecnico di Milano in collaboration with utility and industrial partners, which allows for the creation of digital replicas of water infrastructure to predict consumption, monitor faults, and optimize network management. Through experimental platforms like E-NET and energy harvesting technologies such as GreenValve, the project is accelerating technology transfer to managers and professionals, paving the way for more resilient and sustainable water systems.
Among the initiatives undertaken is also the project that involves new advanced X-ray systems, designed to make a technique previously only available at large research infrastructures accessible in the laboratory. The LabXAS project – developed at Politecnico di Milano – introduces a benchtop spectrometer capable of analyzing critical materials for energy, industry, and ecological transition, reducing costs, size, and complexity compared to traditional instrumentation. This technology accelerates the characterization of new materials and expands the possibilities for collaboration between universities, businesses, and research centres.
The Living Labs and Joint Labs represent shared experimentation spaces between researchers, companies, and institutions: places where prototypes are developed and solutions are tested directly in the territory or within partner companies. Active collaborations include/emerge Huawei, Infineon, Thales Alenia Space, Eni, Pirelli, and Edison. Among the most impactful projects are the Social Inclusion Hubs, which combat educational fragility and digital divides; new digital health platforms for telemedicine and prevention; studies on geothermal energy from the aquifer carried out with the Municipality of Milan; the smart photovoltaic system developed with Edison in Parco Nord – one of the symbols of collaboration between research, business, and the territory – and the redevelopment of Piazza della Scienza (Science Square).
Tomorrow at Palazzo Reale: The 2026–2028 Strategic Plan
Tomorrow, December 4th, the event will continue at Palazzo Reale with a look towards the future of the ecosystem. After the speech by President Iannantuoni, the presentation of the Three-Year Strategic Plan by General Director of Musa Scarl Vittorio Biondi, and the balance sheet from Scientific Coordinator Salvatore Torrisi, the six most innovative posters and the six winning SMEs of the Next Generation PMI call, through which MUSA has made available €150,000 in non-repayable funds, will be awarded.
