Researchers from the Institute of Physics Belgrade collaborate with colleagues from two eminent European research institutions, the Friedrich Schiller University in Jena and the Italian National Research Council (CNR) within the BioQantSense twinning project, and with the Faculty of Biology, University of Belgrade as one of the project partners. A new multidisciplinary field, quantum biophotonics, is being developed within this project, and the main goal is to raise the scientific excellence of the Institute of Physics’ Photonic Center with the development of a state-of-the-art Center for Quantum Biophotonics.
We spoke with Giulia Adembri, project manager from the National Institute of Optics at CNR and asked her to share with us their view on project’s development.
What is the role of CNR in BioQantSense project implementation?
GIULIA ADEMBRI: The National Research Council (CNR) is the largest public research institution in Italy, the only one under the Research Ministry performing multidisciplinary activities.
CNR participates to BioQantSense activities through the National Institute of Optics in Florence with the aim of supporting the Photonic Center at the Institute of Physics Belgrade to increase scientific excellence in biophotonics and project management capacity.
The scientific training takes place in CNR-INO laboratories located at the European Laboratory for Non-Linear Spectroscopies (LENS) at “Sesto Fiorentino University Campus”, while management training takes place at the offices of CNR-INO headquarters in Arcetri.
Do you believe that a project like this can genuinely transform and enhance a research organization such as the Center for Photonics at the Institute of Physics Belgrade?
I think that this project represents an excellent opportunity for the IPB Photonics Center to analyze its position in the European scientific panorama in relation to biophotonics and quantum biophotonics, comparing itself with two different European realities of scientific excellence, such as CNR-INO and FSU- JENA. The intense program of transfer of scientific skills allows us to implement new methodologies for imaging and sensing to be integrated into the already available set-ups of the IPB Photonics Center and to set up new facilities for completely new lines of research. The project also constitutes an opportunity to reflect on how to strengthen the organizational aspects of the IPB Photonics Center to increase the ability to attract and manage external funding, European in particular. The fact that the training program involved not only young and senior researchers but also the management and administrative staff of IPB will allow IPB-PC to achieve the transformation it has set itself, that is to extent the skills and capacity of the Photonics Center also to Quantum Biophotonics and to consolidate scientific advancement in new lines of research in the coming years.
What do you think about the progress of the Institute of Physics Belgrade?
IPB is the recipient of important structural investments that will facilitate the scientific excellence and the capacity to attract funding. Moreover, the organizational structure has been retailored and strengthen to better support researchers in search funding and collaborating with national and international stakeholders. BioQantSense project has come at a favorable time for the advancement of IPB-PC.
What can you tell us about working with colleagues from the Institute? What do you think about this cooperation?
I found a lot of willingness to collaborate on the part of the IPB staff with whom I interfaced, both with the research and administrative staff. In addition to the numerous online meetings, the physical interaction offered by the exchange visits was fundamental.
About my management exchange visit in Belgrade, I found an excellent welcome. I could explore working people in the institute and expose them CNR and CNR-INO practices in the whole life cycle project management. I believe that the exchange of management practices in the BioQantSense collaboration is particularly important for both institutes, CNR-INO and IPB: explaining the functioning of an organizational-managerial structure to people external to the organization is a very useful exercise to identify critical issues and improve processes.
What is the greatest comparative strength of the IPB?
The fact of being the national reference center for physics in Serbia and also the recipient of large investments at the national level, and at the same time having researchers who have an excellent international reputation, constitutes a strong competitive advantage of IPB to be an attractor of ever-increasing European funding.
How do you see future collaboration with the Institute in terms of management and administration?
I believe that the experience of the exchange visits has laid the foundation for other possible future collaborations beyond that of BioQantSense. I would like to continue collaborating with IPB management staff also in other projects, for example aimed at valorizing research results, for innovation and technology transfer.