From Titan and the surrounding area, a series of ideas for a competition organized by the University: the first prize goes to a system dedicated to industry.
A project to introduce a system for generating biogas and heat, while also purifying and reusing water that would otherwise be wasted, won the fourth edition of the "Design Your Future Territory" competition, organized by the University of the Republic of San Marino and open to high school students across the country.
Aimed at the main industrial concerns of the Titano region, the idea emerged from a total of twenty projects submitted by individuals or groups as part of an initiative organized by the degree programs in Civil Engineering, Construction, and Land Management. The authors are five fifth-year students from the "Tonino Guerra" Institute in Novafeltria, majoring in Construction, Environment, and Land: Sara Di Biagio, Michele Piva, Samuele Cecchetti, Bernya Rania, and Thomas Travaghini.
The project involves filtering rainwater and water used for industrial purposes. Once "cleaned," it returns to the production cycle. The residue collected during the purification process is combined with other waste to produce biogas and heat through a special process. The goal, according to the authors, is "to conceive of the factory no longer as a place that consumes and pollutes, but as a system that regenerates resources, reduces waste, and transforms what was previously waste into value."
Second place in the competition went to a project by five other students from the same class. It involves installing a series of stations, called "eco-points," where people can drop off waste for recycling (including paper and plastic) in exchange for two cents per kilogram of waste, credited to their Smac Card. According to the proposed estimates, this could avoid "up to 50 tons of CO2 per year," while simultaneously contributing "to a significant reduction in unsorted waste, estimated at between 20 and 25%," according to authors Mohamed Ayman Nadifi, Diego Gori, Francioni Felipe, Leonardo Semprini, and Andrea Pazzini.
In third place was the idea of Diego Semproli, a student from the 2TA class at the San Marino Technical Institute, who developed a plan for the roads of San Marino. Specifically, it includes a system to provide drivers and cyclists with real-time notifications about accidents, roadworks, and weather conditions, as well as traffic statistics, with the ability to file reports.
The broader project also includes a series of innovations in terms of mobility and safety, including cycle paths and specific initiatives for new drivers, among others.
Finally, honorable mention goes to three projects involving interventions in the upper part of the republic: the redevelopment of Piazzale Calcigni and the former Murata shooting range, as well as the regeneration of the former skating rink and Campo Bruno Reffi. These projects were carried out by the second and third classes of the San Marino Linguistic High School and a student from the 2TA class of the Industrial Technical Institute.
The awards ceremony for the competition took place yesterday, Monday, December 1st, at the Dogana University campus, at Via Consiglio dei Sessanta 99. The jury included representatives of the degree programs in Civil Engineering, Construction, and Land Management at the University of San Marino, the Secretariat of State for Education and Culture, the Secretariat of State for the Territory, the San Marino High School, the Autonomous State Company for Public Works, the Office of Territorial Planning and Construction, and the Order of Engineers and Architects.
"The participants offered concrete proposals and visions aimed at making our region more sustainable," summarized professor Belen Giacomone. "We listened to their voices and were positively amazed by their projects, which revealed ideas and perspectives, as well as concerns and a desire to actively contribute to change. The focus," the academic explained, "was on water management, the circular economy, energy recovery, waste reduction, digitalization as a tool to facilitate tourism and citizen services, but also on urban redevelopment and the creation of meeting spaces—a key topic for young people—with green spaces and facilities using innovative materials. Collaboration between universities, schools, and society," Giacomone concluded, "is essential to fostering awareness among younger generations of crucial issues such as sustainability and the future of our region."