Preparatory activities are underway at the University of Calabria campus in Arcavacata di Rende (CS) for the setting up of the Industrial Ceramics Laboratory (LaCI). The laboratory was created as part of the START project and represents a key infrastructure to support the planned research activities.

The process of identifying the premises to house the new laboratory has recently been completed. LaCI will be located within the Department of Biology, Ecology, and Earth Sciences (DiBEST), on the ground floor of Cube 14B on the university campus. Dr. Silvio Ruffolo will be responsible for the scientific and operational aspects of the laboratory.

The Industrial Ceramics Laboratory will play a central role in the development of START's project activities. It will produce ceramic tile samples, obtained by varying both the raw materials used and the main process parameters. This experimental approach will allow for the systematic analysis of the influence of different variables on the final characteristics of the products.

The samples produced in the LaCI will then undergo specific characterization activities aimed at evaluating their properties. The data collected during these analyses will constitute a fundamental source of information, as it will be used as input for the development and training of the Artificial Intelligence models envisaged by the START project.

A significant step in the process of activating the laboratory took place last week with the delivery of all the technical and scientific equipment required. All the equipment has already been transferred to the laboratory premises, marking a concrete step towards its full operation.

Over the next month, activities will continue with the aim of placing each instrument and piece of technical equipment in its proper place. This phase will be dedicated to the functional organization of the spaces, so as to ensure an efficient working environment consistent with the needs of the planned experimental activities.

The setting up of LaCI is therefore a strategic step for the START project, strengthening the link between academic research and industrial development. Once the installation and fine-tuning of the equipment has been completed, the laboratory will be fully operational and will be able to continuously support the research, experimentation, and analysis activities planned in the project's development plan.