Istituto Nazionale di Oceanografia e di Geofisica Sperimentale – OGS

The National Institute of Oceanography and Applied Geophysics – OGS is a public research institution supervised by the Ministry of University and Research (MUR). It operates internationally in the fields of physical, chemical, biological, and geological oceanography, experimental and exploratory geophysics, seismology, and seismology applied to engineering.

The Institute’s expertise is applied to Earth, marine, and polar sciences to contribute to the dissemination of scientific knowledge and to address environmental, economic, and social challenges. The primary activities carried out include research projects, development, and technology transfer initiatives benefiting the territory, with particular attention to issues related to major global challenges. The Institute’s strategy aims at strong integration between research activities, innovation/technology transfer, training/education, and a synergy among various research funding tools.

Specifically, utilizing its research vessel Laura Bassi and other major research infrastructures, OGS works to safeguard and enhance natural and environmental resources, assess and prevent geological, environmental, and climate risks, and disseminate scientific knowledge and culture.
In this context, the Institute plays a pivotal and leading role in the Italian and international research system, contributing to the country’s technological and socio-economic development. It ensures the acquisition and global exchange of the most advanced knowledge and technologies, enabling their positive impact and benefits on local territories through a “glocal” approach.

The main research infrastructure of OGS is the icebreaker research vessel Laura Bassi, which is part of the European EUROFLEETS infrastructure. It is worth noting that the R/V Laura Bassi is currently the only national research vessel capable of operating in both oceanic and polar regions.

Within the framework of ESFRI (European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures), OGS is the national leader of the following infrastructures, two of which have been established as ERICs (European Research Infrastructure Consortium):

• EUROARGO ERIC
• PRACE
• ECCSEL ERIC

OGS also participates in other ERIC infrastructures coordinated by other EPRs and owns, manages, and promotes numerous infrastructures and laboratories, including:

• the Marine Organisms Collection
• the Oceanographic Calibration and Metrology Center (CTMO)
• the Experimental and Exploratory Geophysics Infrastructure
• Land and Marine Observational Systems
• the Geophysical Test Site of Piana di Toppo
• the Glider Station
• the Autonomous Underwater Vehicle Hugin
• the Research Aircraft

Additionally, OGS provides the following institutional data management platforms, fully available to the scientific community:

• the National Oceanographic Data Centre (NODC)
• the Antarctic Seismic Data Library System (SDLS)
• the Seismic Dataset Network Access Point (SNAP)
• Seismic, Accelerometric, and GPS Monitoring Networks in Northeastern Italy, managed under agreements with Civil Protection services of Regions and Autonomous Provinces

OGS has a strong vocation, which has grown over the years, for developing expertise and fostering international partnerships. Based on these premises, the institute has launched a strategy centered on the concept of knowledge exchange, with capacity building, understood as a continuous process of individual improvement, playing a prominent role.

It is worth emphasizing that OGS is part of a well-established network characterized by a high concentration of international institutes and universities. This contributes to creating an extremely dynamic work environment that attracts and facilitates the mobility of talent, while also fostering partnerships and international projects.

In fact, OGS actively participates in various research networks, associations, and consortia, whose quality and international reputation are highly significant.

Furthermore, the highly multidisciplinary approach to environmental studies offers opportunities to work in a very active and advanced field of research, enabling the transfer of scientific results from the research domain to the productive sector. This, in turn, contributes to technological and socio-economic development.

The enhancement of human capital, career development, technology transfer, as well as international and intersectoral mobility, are among the Institute’s top priorities. OGS actively promotes the training and mobility of researchers, both Italian and foreign, at various stages of their careers through training networks, visits, scholarships, and research grants.

In line with the latest European strategies and thanks to various funding schemes and international programs (e.g., Marie Skłodowska-Curie, COST Actions), OGS hosts foreign researchers and fellows.

The Institute co-finances and promotes doctoral programs in collaboration with Italian and foreign universities. As part of the Blue Skills initiative, a concrete contribution by Italy to the Forum of Dialogue 5+5 on Research, Innovation, and Higher Education, OGS also organizes an annual Summer School and the Advanced Master in Sustainable Blue Economy, in collaboration with the University of Trieste. The program, now in its seventh edition, aims to enhance and strengthen professional skills in the fields of the blue economy (marine and maritime sectors), with particular attention to international cooperation and science diplomacy. For more details, please refer to the website dedicated to the activities under the Blue Skills initiative: https://blueskills.ogs.it/.

OGS is also a co-promoter of the Mucciarelli Award, dedicated to graduates in Geology, Physics, or Engineering who have completed a master’s thesis on topics related to seismology, geophysics, or seismic engineering in the year 2023.

• Main Office: Hosts the offices of the Presidency, Administrative and Technical Departments, and three scientific sections: Oceanography, Geophysics, and Infrastructure. It is located in the municipality of Sgonico, 12 km from the center of Trieste.
  Address: Borgo Grotta Gigante 42/C – 34010 Sgonico (TS)
• Santa Croce Office: Hosts the marine biology laboratories of the Oceanography Section.
  Address: Via Auguste Piccard, 54 – 34151 Trieste (TS)
• Miramare Campus: Hosts part of the working groups of the Oceanography Section.
  Address: Via Beirut 2 – 34151 Trieste (TS)
• Udine Office: Hosts the Seismological Research Center Section.
  Address: Via Treviso, 55 – 33100 Udine (UD)
• Panarea Office: Located on the Island of Panarea, hosting the ECCSEL NATLAB ITALY laboratory, part of the European ECCSEL infrastructure.
  Address: Via San Pietro SNC – Lipari (ME) 98055, Panarea
• Milazzo Office:
  Address: Via dei Mille 28 – 98057 Milazzo (ME)
• Livorno Office:
  Address: Via del Cedro (c/o Dogana d’Acqua) – 57122 Livorno