From the Superlaser to Saturn: CNR-INO at the European Researchers’ Night in Pisa
September 21, 2026
The talk ‘The Economy of Light’, organised and curated by Firenze Fiera as part of Bright Night in collaboration with Il Sole 24 Ore, the University of Florence, CNR-INO, INAF (National Institute for Astrophysics), INFN (National Institute of Nuclear Physics), INRI (National Institute of Metrological Research) and LENS (European Laboratory for Non-Linear Spectroscopy).
The event marked the first step on a journey that will lead, in May 2027, to the launch of a new festival dedicated to science and light.
The meeting, which featured a presentation by Alessandro Zavatta on behalf of CNR-INO, highlighted how research into light is being applied in key sectors of the Tuscan economy: energy and photovoltaics, health and diagnostic imaging, advanced microscopy, the analysis of works of art and quantum computing, thereby generating tangible economic value for the region.
The talk opened with institutional addresses by Lorenzo Becattini, President of Firenze Fiera, and Marco Pierini, Vice-Rector of the University of Florence, and was moderated by Filomena Greco, a journalist with Il Sole 24 Ore. Speakers included: Francesca Di Turo (University of Florence), Carlo Sias (National Institute of Metrological Research and European Laboratory for Non-linear Spectroscopy), and Alessandro Zavatta (CNR – National Institute of Optics and QTI S.r.l.), Cinzia Talamonti (University of Florence / INFN) and Simone Esposito (INAF-OAA).
The event concluded with an inspirational talk by Massimo Temporelli, a physicist and science communicator.
The talk formed part of the Tuscan leg of ‘Innovation Days 2026 – The challenges of a changing world and new growth trajectories’, the national roadshow organised by Il Sole 24 Ore in collaboration with Confindustria and Firenze Fiera, dedicated to local entrepreneurship, innovation and the energy transition.
