Ticino Scienza, the news portal to "explain excellence"

Over the past two decades the Italian-speaking part of Switzerland has witnessed a strong rise in scientific research activities, both in the private and the public sector. The important public-private investments in facilities to accommodate these activities - namely the Lugano East Campus for the USI Faculties of Biomedical Sciences and of Informatics, and the "Nel Parco" building in Bellinzona for the Institutes for Reasearch in Biomedicine (IRB) and of Oncology Research (IOR). Nevertheless, the rise of these activities is not always matched by a rise in awareness of what they represent for the socio-economic development in the Canton. Hence the need to "explain excellence", to communicate in a comprehensible way on issues that are not always easy to read, such as research in areas ranging from medicine to artificial intelligence, from industrial automation to solar studies, and more. An important contribution now comes from Ticino Scienza, the online portal for scientific communication and information, which launched its new website at the beginning of December.

Created by the IBSA Foundation for scientific research, Ticino Scienza reports on a wide range of scientific and innovative activities in our Canton, such as biomedical research, pharmaceutical industry, or materials science. And it does so by writing and publishing articles and in-depth studies inspired by news reports and studies by Ticino researchers published in international scientific journals.

An important source of news-worthy material comes from USI - thanks mainly to its renowned research institutes in biomedicine and oncology - to which it has dedicated a specific section for the new Faculty of Biomedical Sciences. "Contrary to what many people think, Ticino fosters and champions an objective scientific excellence of international relevance - says Silvia Misiti, director of the IBSA Foundation in a statement issued on December 3 - and the arrival of the new Master in medicine at USI will contribute, in various ways, to bolster this sector. Yet little is known about Ticino's strong committment for high-level scientific studies north of the Alps, but also south of the border".

The news portal is coordinated by the scientific journalist Paolo Rossi Castelli and has an editorial staff of considerable experience, with the ambition to "translate" even the most difficult topics in a language accessible to all, and to highlight their appeal and importance. "Ticino Scienza wants to tell a non-specialised audience what happens in laboratories and facilities where new drugs are studied (Ticino is very active, for example, in research on monoclonal antibodies to treat Covid-19), or new algorithms are written for artificial intelligence systems, or new solutions are prepared to manage energy in the best way, and so on", explains Rossi Castelli, in an interview published by the local daily La Regione.

For further information (in Italian only):
www.ticinoscienza.ch