Third mission - Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare

The cutting-edge research conducted by INFN has a significant impact on the progress of knowledge, technological development, and the economy of Italy. Conscious of its role andof the fact that it is the duty of a public body to share its activities, and the results deriving from them, with society, the Institute is increasingly committed to the so-called Third Mission. This comprises all those activities, both national and local, aimed at promoting research and its results, like communication activities, public engagement initiatives, the dissemination of scientific culture, technology and knowledge transfer, and higher academic education.

Communication and public engagement

INFN undertakes a significant role in communicating physics at an international, national, and local level. It promotes, designs, and implements initiatives for disseminating and promoting scientific culture, dedicated both to the wider public and to specific audiences. In addition to traditional activities, such as seminars, teaching laboratories, public conferences, training and refresher courses, and open days, INFN designs and offers new forms of communication that enhance the existing relationship between physics and other areas of knowledge as well. INFN’s commitment to these activities has the primary goal ofpromoting the role of research in fundamental physics and encouraging educational activities and the conscious participation of citizens in cultural and social life.
The Communication Office, operating within the President’s office, is thenational and international reference point for institutional communication activities, relations with the media, and for strategic public engagement activities. The Communication Office collaborates with the Executive Committee in defining INFN’s communication strategy, which it shares with the Coordination Committee of the Third Mission (CC3M). This coordinates, supports and funds the public engagement initiatives promoted by the INFN research community, which are mainly addressed to schools, organised by networks of local Divisions and National Laboratories and often implemented in collaboration with universities and research centres and bodies.

Conference show "A un passo dal Big Bang" Bologna 2022 (© INFN)

Technology transfer

Technology transfer activities for knowledge aim to systematise the capacity for enhancing research results and supporting growth in the competitiveness of companies locally. They promote and support a synergy between research into fundamental physics and its applications. INFN has always paid close attention to the transfer of knowledge and technologies: its facilities and laboratories are constantly involved in producing new knowledge, both in relation to tangible technology and to intangible knowledge and resources. This means that the technology transfer process is an intrinsic part of its research activities.
INFN is equipped with an organisation that covers aspects of an administrative and legal nature and a scientific and technological nature, coordinated by the National Committee for technology transfer. This committee works in synergy with a network of Local Contacts in the individual INFN facilities that enables widespread interaction with the local ,economic stakeholders throughout the country. The National Committee for technology transfer is operationally supported by the Technology Transfer Service that takes care of administrative elements and supports researchers. In recent years, this organisation has enabled a significant increase in collaborative and third-party research initiatives conducted with companies, protection and enhancement of intellectual property, activities supporting the creation of spin-offs.