Presentation

The PhD programme in Environmental and Sustainability Sciences and Engineering lasts three years and, through its three specialised tracks, explores all the areas of focus of the UN 2030 Agenda, the European Green Deal and the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) to ensure that PhD students are fully equipped to address the current and future challenges of the environmental transition. The PhD programme is aimed at Master’s graduates with the aptitude and conviction to tackle these challenges, starting from a careful study of the current state of knowledge to seek innovative solutions that respect the environment and socio-economic well-being. The opportunity for continuous engagement with diverse scientific cultures will enable students to approach research topics with a holistic approach—both multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary—whilst maintaining a high level of specialisation. The PhD in Environmental and Sustainability Sciences and Engineering will train professionals capable of working across a wide range of sectors, from basic and applied scientific research to the design and management of civil works and facilities, the sustainable production of goods and services, and planning, monitoring and control for public administration and private enterprises, introducing technological innovation in the field of environmental sustainability.

Educational Objectives

The PhD programme in Environmental and Sustainability Sciences and Engineering aims to train professionals capable of working with a holistic and multidisciplinary approach across a range of sectors, from the production of goods and services for public or private enterprises, to planning, monitoring and control for the public sector, and to basic and applied research on issues of environmental sustainability and technological innovation.

The training programme outlined by the PhD in Environmental and Sustainability Sciences and Engineering is designed to enable PhD students to define and propose genuinely eco-friendly solutions, quantify and validate the sustainability of alternative management scenarios, and study and validate technological innovations and growth initiatives.

The guiding objectives will be to combat environmental degradation, improve the management of natural resources, and protect the territory rendered vulnerable by the effects of climate change.

In this regard, the PhD programme will aim to renew the building stock, infrastructure and networks, to promote the achievement of objectives relating to global warming and the safe production of food and water, to accelerate the definition and implementation of a decarbonisation pathway, to support the industry’s technological ambition and sustainability requirements, and to enhance the environmental compatibility of energy and mobility systems whilst making them more resilient, inclusive, competitive and efficient.

Doctoral programmes associated with the course:

Natural Resources, Environment, Agriculture and Food
Sustainable Civil Engineering
Circular Economy of Goods and Services

Natural Resources, Environment, Agriculture and Food

Terrestrial ecosystems, seas and oceans are a source of natural and economic wealth. It is of fundamental importance to ensure their conservation and sustainable management.

The research areas covered by the curriculum span various fields of environmental analysis, ranging from biotic to abiotic components and their interactions with different areas of intervention: the protection and restoration of biodiversity and ecosystem services; monitoring networks and the sustainable management of surface, groundwater and coastal waters; quality control and the reduction of air, water and soil pollution; reduction of soil degradation and sustainable agriculture, the blue economy, plans for the management of natural and anthropogenic risks, protection and maximisation of the multifunctional role of forests, the role of terrestrial systems in achieving the 2050 climate neutrality targets, food security and environmental sustainability of the agri-food system, and the competitive sustainability of the production system.

Areas of application: the programme develops and addresses environmental issues and challenges affecting all components of the biosphere, with a level of specialisation that enables PhD students to join highly qualified research groups within public and private, national and international organisations, working on both fundamental topics and highly interdisciplinary issues related to the environment and sustainability. The programme also trains experts capable of providing consultancy in the field of environmental sustainability and sustainable resource management to businesses operating in a wide range of sectors, from agri-food to companies producing goods and services.

Keywords: natural resources, environmental risk, climate change, mitigation, adaptation, biodiversity, monitoring, forests, water, sustainable agriculture, climate neutrality, food security.

Sustainable Civil Engineering

Cutting-edge research into innovative and sustainable approaches to the design, construction, restoration and management of civil engineering works is fundamental to the sustainability and enhancement of the local area.

To shape the built environment of the future, to ensure a sustainable relationship between human activities and the natural environment, to preserve our cultural and artistic heritage, and to provide a network of modern and efficient infrastructure, a holistic approach is required – one based on both specialised and interdisciplinary knowledge that facilitates the exchange of expertise with other fields of study. Given the current economic, social and climatic changes, the safety, resilience and sustainability of human-made systems are essential requirements for ensuring the quality of life of future generations.

In this context, the curriculum aims to develop research on topics relating to the science and technology of construction materials, the design, maintenance and restoration of structures, the planning, design and management of infrastructure and networks, the design and testing of more sustainable building technologies, urban planning and management, sustainable mobility, the modelling of natural risks and their mitigation, as well as the modelling and assessment of environmental impacts.

Areas of application: design of new civil infrastructure systems; management and maintenance of deteriorated systems; restoration or reconstruction of structures damaged by natural or man-made disasters; and the preservation of natural and cultural heritage.

Keywords: Energy efficiency in buildings, Urban regeneration, Conservation of cultural heritage, Protection of the land and water resources, Sustainable mobility.

Circular economy of goods and services

The themes of the circular economy and decarbonisation form the basis of the European Union’s ecological transition.

A sustainable approach is required to the management of goods and services and their associated production processes, covering their entire life cycle – that is, the design (design and materials) and raw material extraction stages, production, use, emissions treatment and end-of-life management – through the adoption of low-environmental-impact technologies and innovative systems for the effective recovery of materials and resources.

Specific topics of particular interest will include the reliable and sustainable production of energy (particularly in its renewable forms, such as wind, wave, solar, geothermal, hydroelectric and waste-to-energy), energy efficiency in buildings (with innovative active and passive systems for building climate control), water sustainability (with measures aimed at reducing consumption and diversifying supply sources), and technological advances in recycling processes from the design stage (‘design for and from recycling’) through to the development of new resource recovery pathways, with quantifiable environmental and economic benefits.

There will be extensive use of innovative environmental impact metrics, such as Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment (environmental, economic and social) (LCSA), Material and Substance Flow Analysis (MFA/SFA), Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) and Carbon Footprint (CF).

Areas of application: processes in the manufacturing and energy industries, environmental management systems, processes and technologies for resource recovery from end-of-life products, environmental monitoring and control

Keywords: circular economy, sustainable engineering, eco-design, product ecological footprint, renewable energy, waste-to-resource, life cycle analysis.

Career and employment opportunities

The PhD programme in Science and Engineering for the Environment and Sustainability trains professionals capable of working in a variety of sectors, ranging from the production of goods and services for public or private enterprises, to planning, monitoring and control for the public administration, and extending to the field of basic and applied research on environmental sustainability and technological innovation.

The professional profile aimed at is therefore suited to a wide range of career and employment opportunities, which are listed below in a list that is by no means exhaustive. It should be noted that the roles considered most suitable for the trained professional are consistent with the three curricula into which the PhD programme is divided.

Designer of goods and services, with particular expertise in the selection of environmentally friendly materials and sustainable production lines in terms of resource consumption (raw materials, water, energy, land) and emissions into the environment.
Plant and process manager in the agri-food and manufacturing industries.
Manager of energy production plants, with particular expertise in the renewable energy sector.
Manager of plants and processes for the recovery of materials and resources from waste.
Manager of quality and environmental management systems in industry and services.
Technical officer for bodies responsible for environmental monitoring and control, including for IEA (Integrated Environmental Authorisation), EIA and SEA (Environmental Impact Assessment and Strategic Environmental Assessment) procedures.
Planner at local or national level for energy production facilities, water and waste treatment facilities, transport networks and structural networks.
Designer of civil engineering structures and infrastructure.
Expert in the management and maintenance of deteriorated building systems, and the restoration or reconstruction of structures and infrastructure damaged by natural or man-made disasters.
Expert in the conservation of natural and cultural heritage.
Consultant for the sustainable management of resources in companies and businesses operating in the agri-food sector and in the services sector (mobility, water and gas distribution).
Researchers (including those with coordinating roles) at universities and public or private, national and international research bodies, working on both fundamental topics and highly interdisciplinary issues related to the environment and sustainability.

Objectives consistent with the PNRR

The PhD programme in Environmental and Sustainability Sciences and Engineering will equip students with skills and knowledge that are fully consistent with the strategic objectives of the PNRR.

The topics covered within the three curricula will be particularly consistent with the mission known as the Green Revolution and Ecological Transition, and will see students engaged in issues relating to sustainable agriculture, the protection and enhancement of urban and rural green spaces, the circular economy, energy transition, urban regeneration, cultural heritage conservation, sustainable mobility, energy efficiency in buildings, water resource conservation, environmental protection from pollution, and waste management and recovery.

The aim is to train a new generation of professionals capable of addressing and improving the sustainability of the economic system and ensuring a transition towards a society with a near-zero environmental impact.

The topics covered in the PhD students’ research and training will be in line with:

Energy efficiency and building refurbishment: development of innovative systems for heating and cooling buildings; testing of new sustainable building materials and technologies; innovative design, maintenance and restoration of structures; urban planning and management; conservation of the cultural and artistic heritage of buildings.
Renewable energy and hydrogen sources: development of new technologies for harnessing energy from renewable sources (offshore wind, wave and tidal energy, solar, geothermal, hydroelectric, and waste-to-energy); development of technologies for hydrogen production (including from municipal waste and industrial residues); proposals for simplifying authorisation procedures (Environmental Impact Assessment and Strategic Environmental Assessment).
Circular economy and waste management: development of design technologies (‘design for recycling’ and ‘design from recycling’) and sustainable production of goods and services; innovative projects for the treatment and recycling of waste from strategic sectors; production of chemical building blocks from organic substrates; development of new waste management technologies to achieve high targets for the quantity and quality of resources recovered and effectively reintroduced into production cycles.
Protection of the land and water resources: development of technologies to enhance the safety and flexibility (Smart Grid) of water infrastructure and to reduce leaks in water distribution systems; innovative approaches to land safety through measures to prevent and mitigate geo-hydrological risks and to restore the land following major incidents, as well as to remove water and soil pollution; advanced monitoring and forecasting systems and new IoT (Internet of Things) solutions to optimise real-time observation and the resulting risk reduction strategies and their impacts on natural systems (soil, surface and groundwater) and infrastructure.
Sustainable agriculture: innovative solutions and precision systems for the management of resources in the agricultural and agroforestry sectors that reduce resource use and harmful emissions in environmental sectors, promote climate adaptation and mitigation, maximise the circular use of waste as an additional source of resources and energy for the agricultural sector, promote the sustainable intensification of production, and leverage ‘nature-based solutions’ to reduce the costs of sustainability.
Protection and enhancement of urban and extra-urban green spaces: the design of urban, peri-urban and extra-urban natural areas aimed at preserving and enhancing naturalness, biodiversity and ecological functionality; contributions towards achieving climate neutrality through carbon sequestration and the reduction of air pollution; soil protection and the restoration of its functionality; increased connectivity with rural areas and protected areas.
Sustainable mobility: development of innovative technological solutions for road safety to improve the resilience of bridges and viaducts; development of the port system to enhance economic and structural performance, with a particular focus on reducing pollutant emissions and the use of hydrogen for sustainable mobility.