With the signing of the constitutional Act, the National Biodiversity Future Center (NBFC) is becoming a reality. Coordinated by the National Research Council, this ambitious project is based upon the cooperation of 48 partners and more than 1300 researchers, with the involvement of hundreds of new hires.

Thanks to the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR), over 320 million euros for the first three years (2023-2025) will be allocated to the NBFC. The proposal aims to implement the most powerful research and innovation initiative on biodiversity ever attempted in Italy, where Universities, Research Institutes, foundations and companies will cooperate to reach biodiversity preservation goals. The Center will be structured according to the Hub & Spoke approach, with a central point in Sicily, at the University of Palermo, and eight nodes distributed throughout the country.

“The formal act of constitution of the Center is a decisive step – Maria Chiara Carrozza, president of the CNR said – which has been achieved thanks to the great work of all the partners involved and the high professionalism put in place. In the years to come, the Center will be able to represent a point of reference for the global community, essential to react and face the challenges imposed by climate change. We are aiming for an ambitious and highly significant goal for research and scientific community, with positive repercussions on the role of our country on the international scene and on the actions to relaunch the national economy”. Biodiversity plays a crucial role in the functioning of all ecosystems of the planet and the consequent supply of goods and services, with a direct impact on the well-being of the community and of the individual. Therefore, there is a need to act on different levels of biological organization which include the essential processes, functions and interactions between organisms and their environment. The NBFC has the aim of aggregating national scientific research and modern technologies to support operational interventions aimed at monitoring, preserving and restoring biodiversity in the marine, terrestrial and urban ecosystems of the Peninsula. Furthermore, the Center will provide innovative and effective tools to policy makers to combat the erosion of biodiversity (conservation and restoration). The Hub and the nodes will also be able to quantify ecosystem services and implement actions aimed at the conservation and restoration of biodiversity throughout the Mediterranean, to identify innovative technological solutions and reach Green Deal targets linked to carbon sequestration capacity and circular economy. Moreover, the infrastructure will help to train a new class of researchers with multidisciplinary skills and making Italy a point of reference for the study and conservation of biodiversity, creating awareness in civil society regarding the importance of enhancing biodiversity.