The CMCC Headquarters in Lecce, spanning over 3,300 sq.m., is home to a multidisciplinary and international task force of scientists, as well as the most powerful computational facility in Italy and among the most advanced in Europe, fully dedicated to Climate Change research. The new offices are designed to offer ample space for events and the involvement of people in a continuous dialogue between the scientific community, society and the local territory.
The CMCC Headquarters currently hosts an international team of about 90 people including researchers, administrative and communication staff. This is in addition to the network of offices distributed throughout the Italian territory including Bologna, Caserta, Milano, Roma, Sassari, Venezia and Viterbo. This network of Universities and Research centers represents a highly interdisciplinary collaboration that aims to develop and promote knowledge in the field of climate sciences.
The new offices, made possible with funds from the “Fondo regionale per lo sviluppo e la coesione 2014-2020” host a wide variety of experts in fields such as oceanography and sea modelling, from the global ocean to regional (Mediterranean Sea, Black Sea) and coastal scales, experts in advanced computing, data science, Artificial Intelligence, and experts on the impacts of climate change on terrestrial ecosystems and the agro-forestry sector. The research activities of this task force include activities on a global scale but also projects that are focused on the Puglia region, for the development of strategies and solutions connected to the local area.
An asset for the entire city: training and dissemination
The new headquarters are designed to benefit the entire community of Lecce, hosting events aimed at involving citizens in scientific research and the dissemination of its results. Public events, roundtable debates, and international research meetings offer a cultural asset for all and aim to enhance awareness of the main challenges we are facing. This also includes CMCC led initiatives that promote high-level training on climate change, as well as co-organizing PhD and Master courses with partner universities.
The inaugural event
The CMCC Headquarters in Lecce was inaugurated last June with the open meeting “Foresight Dialogues”.
Representatives of institutions and the world of research met for a public discussion on the crucial issues we face in the construction of a better future for both current and new generations: cutting-edge scientific research, the frontiers of technological innovation and computing, as well as food and water resources as a global and local challenge.
