Among the top four was a project dedicated to the Civil Protection of Titan.
An automatic damage alert system for railway bridges won the University of the Republic of San Marino's "Innovation and Sustainability" award, part of a competition open to undergraduate theses in Civil Engineering submitted by candidates from across the country.
Developed by Pietro Zucchini, a graduate of the University of Bologna, the project stood out for its "originality, scientific rigor, and comprehensiveness," according to the competition jury. The awards ceremony took place yesterday, Monday, July 14, at the university's Dogana campus, located at Via Consiglio dei Sessanta 99.
A thesis on risk assessment and preventative maintenance of bridges and viaducts in the event of landslides, written by Luca Gagliano of the University of Padua, took second place. Third and fourth place went to two in-depth studies presented by two graduates of the University of San Marino, Gilda Maria Furiosi and Mattia Ceccoli. The former presented an eco-sustainable redevelopment project for a unique refuge located in the Alps. The latter developed a technical sheet for managing seismic emergencies in the San Marino territory, specifically created for the San Marino Civil Protection Department.
The top four winners were awarded cash prizes funded by the University of San Marino, the cultural association Collegio dei Tecnici dell'Acciaio, and the company Uretek Italia.
Honorable mention goes to Alessandro Brianza, who graduated from the University of San Marino with a project on the environmental impact of a residential building using a unique assessment methodology.
"The award-winning theses," stated Belen Giacomone, professor of the Civil Engineering degree program at the University of San Marino, "highlighted innovative and sustainable solutions to contemporary engineering challenges, demonstrating the authors' ability to excel in research by expressing creativity and technical knowledge to offer concrete contributions to technological and scientific progress."
Initiatives like this, adds the academic, "are crucial because they reward merit and stimulate a new generation of professionals attentive to the needs of society and the environment. Finally, they represent a significant incentive to pursue master's degrees, thus contributing to the training of increasingly qualified professionals, better equipped to face the sector's future challenges."
In addition to the theses presentations and the awards ceremony, the ceremony included a discussion on entering the world of work. A selection of professionals and representatives from companies in the sector met with the graduates to discuss job offers and collaboration opportunities.
The initiative was held under the patronage of the Secretariat of State for Territory, the Secretariat of State for Education and Culture, and the Order of Engineers and Architects of San Marino.