Institutional Framework
All scientific diplomacy initiatives are aimed at strengthening relations in Sweden, Europe and the Scandinavian countries, particularly in strategic geographic areas such as the polar areas. The Italian Strategy is based on promotion of economy (and industry), culture and science as parts of an integrated system for which it is essential to ensure the internationalization of research both bilaterally and multilaterally. Scientific research is in fact the indispensable tool to support policymakers and collaborations among states, an indispensable instrument for improving international relations, promoting dialogue, strengthening peace and guaranteeing the sustainable development.
The scientific office is the main element, but not the only one, for developing scientific diplomacy and supporting the extraordinary network of Italian researchers working and living abroad. Collaborations among Italian and Swedish researchers will be promoted through the support to Bilateral Research Projects under the new Executive Protocol, and initiatives involving the network of Research Bodies, Italian Academies and industries. Cultural and scientific collaboration with Sweden is in fact regulated by the Agreement on Cultural, Educational, Scientific and Technological Cooperation. The implementation tool of the Agreement is the Executive Program for Scientific and Technological Cooperation (P.E.) whose renewal is in progress.
Particular attention will be dedicated to domestic and international research infrastructures operational in Sweden and managed multi-laterally and to the network of Cultural Institutes supporting initiatives of science and technology. The office of the Scientific Attaché will support the promotion developing also a communication strategy starting from Innovitalia (https://innovitalia.esteri.it/), the portal of Italian researchers working outside Italy, and through Swedish media.
Sweden is one of the permanent members of the Arctic Council and Italy contributes to the council as an observer country. The scientific commitment of Italian researchers in the Arctic covers many sectors: environmental chemistry and physics, marine biology, climatology, and medicine. In the Arctic Sea we organize periodic oceanographic expeditions planned by our Italian Navy Hydrographic Institute and scientific research on sea currents and sea ice now also supported by the Italian icebreaker Laura Bassi.
In the multilateral field, Italy actively cooperate with Sweden at CERN (of which both countries were founders), SESAME, the synchrotron radiation laboratory in Jordan, the Kilometer Array Team (SKA) and Europe Southern Observatory (ESO). Nowadays, the main scientific infrastructure where Italy and Sweden cooperate is the European Spallation Source (ESS). This project (http://europeanspallationsource.se/) is a large European research infrastructure dedicated to high-flux neutron spectroscopy, strategic to mantain Europe at the frontier of many researches and industry.
In August 2022 the Italian researcher Dr. Giovanna Fragneto was appointed as the next Scientific Director of ESS (https://innovitalia.esteri.it/notizia/giovanna-fragneto-prossimo-direttore-scientifico-dello-european-spallation-source) .
Relevant sectors for Italy
The collaboration between Italy and Sweden is intense in all Research and Technology areas. Dozens of agreements between Italian universities and research bodies and Swedish institutions exist (https://accordi-internazionali.cineca.it/).
The Embassy of Italy in Stockholm triggers and supports cooperation between Italy and Sweden in all areas, promotes the Italian scientific and technological system, stimulates and encourages any new form of S&T collaboration.
The presence of a Scientific Attaché is one of the main tools to support the existing cooperations and to facilitate new opportunities among Italian and Swedish institutions and companies.
Thanks to the Scientific Diplomacy, and to planned scientific initiatives the Italian Embassy works to sustain image and scientific relevance of our research system and to support the economic recovery of the country. Within the Horizon Europe framework and in the perspective of the internationalization of research, the Italian Scientific Diplomacy will address global issues that cannot be addressed and/or resolved by a single nation, with the perspective of contributing to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations in these priority areas:
- Health
- Climatic change
- Agro-food safety
- Water and sustainable production to protect planet’s resources
- Sustainable development (urban sustainability, circular economy, ecological transition, renewable energy)
- Space
- Cultural Heritage
- Natural disasters
- Sea and Oceans
- Big data, Cyber-Security, AI