KICK-OFF MEETING

Cagliari, 17 September 2026 – Two days, two projects, two kick-off meetings brought together under a single goal: to raise the quality of Italian research on infectious diseases, with a particular focus on Sardinia and the regions of Southern Italy through integrated One Health approaches. This is the aim of the event in Cagliari, which brings together more than 100 scientists and representatives of 23 institutions—including universities, research centres, veterinary public health institutes, IRCCS research hospitals, foundations and private companies—at the University of Cagliari.

The two projects, ACT4 and MARE, ideally build on and expand the achievements made so far under the coordination of the INF-ACT Foundation, established with funding from the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP) and the Italian Ministry of University and Research (MUR). Since 2022, INF-ACT has served as the national reference hub for infectious disease research and the application of innovation.

Building on this experience, two distinct yet complementary projects now mark a further step forward, with the aim of harnessing the most mature innovations and implementing integrated technology value chains to strengthen research and innovation capabilities in diagnostic technologies, the development of innovative therapies, monitoring, and integrated data management.

Federico Forneris, President of the INF-ACT Foundation – “Today marks the beginning of a new phase, which would not have been possible without the excellent results achieved over the past three years. During this time, we have succeeded in creating a scientific network capable of operating in a multidisciplinary and holistic manner, involving more than 800 researchers working on emerging infectious diseases and coordinating dozens of institutions, including public and private universities, research organisations, IRCCS institutions and small and medium-sized enterprises. “Through discussions with the institutions in our network and with other organisations such as the Sardinian innovation ecosystem e.INS, which was also established thanks to MUR NRRP funding, we agreed that this wealth of knowledge and expertise should not be lost. On the contrary, we must work to transform the physical and intangible infrastructures created through NRRP funding into lasting resources supporting research and the healthcare system of our country.”

Two Projects, One Network

With a total investment of more than €30 million and a three-year timeframe, two complementary projects have been launched to strengthen the capacity of these networks of excellence to develop innovation across healthcare technology value chains, with particular attention to diagnostics, monitoring and the development of therapies to combat infectious diseases, while also strengthening the research capabilities of institutions in Southern Italy.

The first project, ACT4, brings together 14 partners from the INF-ACT network and focuses on innovative diagnostic technologies and 4P medicine—predictive, preventive, personalised and participatory—for a wide range of communicable and non-communicable diseases.

The second project, MARE, brings together the INF-ACT Foundation, e.INS SCARL (the NRRP Hub of the eponymous innovation ecosystem) and 15 public and private partners from the two networks established through MUR NRRP funding. MARE aims to develop and strengthen strategic healthcare technology value chains from a One Health perspective, with particular attention to the integration and management of digital data, epidemiological and parasitological monitoring, and the development of new innovative therapeutic solutions.

ACT4 and MARE will therefore enable a virtuous process to build on and further develop the achievements made through MUR NRRP investments in the two Hubs, the INF-ACT Foundation and e.INS SCARL: from strengthening the ability to turn research into tangible innovation to implementing technology value chains and innovative approaches to address the modern healthcare challenges facing our country.

“Today marks the launch of two projects that will enable us to develop the infrastructure and human capital of our public and private partners located in Southern Italy. The INF-ACT Foundation will complement this work with a significant investment benefiting organisations located in other parts of our country that share the same strategic research and innovation objectives. “Thanks to these major investments, which represent only the beginning of our network’s plan to implement post-NRRP activities, we are confident that over the next two to three years we will be able to generate impacts that far exceed the level of expenditure,” concludes Federico Forneris, President of INF-ACT.

ACT4 (Innovative Diagnostic Technologies, Technology Platforms and Advanced Training Pathways for the Implementation of 4P Medicine for Communicable and Non-Communicable Diseases)

The project is structured around three main lines of action.

The first, ACT4HEALTH, focuses on innovative diagnostic technologies for the implementation of 4P medicine, supporting the development of the most promising projects through to their practical application.

The second, ACT4TECH, aims to establish a distributed technological innovation hub for the development of new diagnostic techniques for communicable and non-communicable diseases. The initiative will create a system of highly specialised laboratories equipped with accessible technologies, together with an efficient data-sharing system connecting researchers across the multiple institutions involved.

Finally, ACT4TRAIN will establish advanced training pathways, offering theoretical and practical courses on the use of healthcare technologies and innovative diagnostics, with particular attention to the advanced training of research personnel from the private sector. The initiative will strengthen skills and knowledge exchange within a new generation of researchers, building on the successful experience of the INF-ACT project.

MARE (Research Ecosystem for Monitoring and Analysis)

Through the MARE project, the experience of the INF-ACT Foundation (Hub of the MUR-NRRP Extended Partnership on infectious diseases) and e.INS SCARL (Hub of the MUR-NRRP Sardinian Innovation Ecosystem) come together to strengthen national research capabilities in health, technology and data governance. The project is structured around two main lines of action, both focused on the development and implementation of integrated technology value chains, with particular emphasis on the integrated management of digital data from a One Health perspective.

The first line of activity, DOMARE, will combine applied research and experimental development to implement a plan for strengthening the project network’s research capabilities in innovative digital and laboratory technologies serving biomedicine from a One Health perspective. The objective is to develop validated products and methodologies that are ready for implementation in the field by potential end users, with potential impact at both national and international level. The second line of activity, PLASMARE, provides the technological infrastructure needed to transform the developments achieved through DOMARE into a widespread and highly interconnected technological and innovation ecosystem. It will facilitate technology transfer in the healthcare sector, address the gap between research and practical application, and enhance the generation, analysis and management of data. By operating across complementary areas—implementation and infrastructure—MARE will promote the adoption of intelligent technologies in public and regional contexts, strengthening prevention, preparedness and response to potential health crises, as well as the development of innovative therapeutic solutions.

Gianni Fenu, Leader of PLASMARE and member of the e.INS Board of Directors – “The Sardinian Innovation Ecosystem (e.INS), funded by MUR as part of the NRRP, had the primary objective of creating and strengthening a structured territorial system of expertise and developing research leadership, in order to build an ecosystem capable of transferring knowledge, skills and technologies from scientific institutions to businesses and the wider territory. “The experience gained through active cross-disciplinary collaboration and the strengthening of key research areas in medicine, digital transformation and biopharmacology will be combined with the expertise developed within INF-ACT to promote, through M.A.R.E., a new system of predictive scientific investigation aimed at safeguarding the health of citizens and communities: a streamlined, efficient and flexible system.”

Manuel Bertin – Communications Coordinator, INF-ACT Foundation
comunicazione@inf-act.it

Francesca Siriu – Press Office, University of Cagliari
comunicazione@unica.it

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