The Third Mission refers to the set of activities through which universities engage in direct interaction with society, complementing their traditional missions of teaching and research.
According to ANVUR (the Italian National Agency for the Evaluation of Universities and Research Institutes), the Third Mission represents the “propensity of academic structures to open up to the socioeconomic context, exercised through the valorization and transfer of knowledge.” It is articulated into two main areas:

• Cultural and social mission: The production of public goods that enhance societal well-being. These may have a different focus depending on content: Cultural (cultural events, heritage management, scientific communication), Social (public health initiatives, professional and technical consulting), Educational (adult education, lifelong learning, continuing education), or Civic awareness content (public debates, dissemination of scientific expertise);
• Economic valorization of research: The goal is to foster economic growth by transforming research-based knowledge into knowledge useful for productive purposes. This includes activities such as intellectual property management, business creation, contract research, industry–research collaborations, and the management of intermediary and support structures, usually at the local or regional level; 

In addition, according to the vision of our Department, the Third Mission includes collaboration with schools, also encompassing teacher training and professional development and the design and testing of innovative teaching methods.

This page collects information about the permanent or recurring Third Mission activities carried out by the Department of Physics. News regarding individual initiatives organized within the Department or by its members can be found in the Events section of the homepage.

IPSP – INDUSTRIAL PROBLEM SOLVING WITH PHYSICS

Industrial Problem Solving with Physics (IPSP) is a one-week event organized by the Department of Physics, the PhD Program in Physics, and the University of Trento’s Research and Knowledge Valorization Office, in collaboration with Confindustria Trento, Trentino Sviluppo, and Hub Innovazione Trentino..

IPSP aims to build a bridge for the transfer of technological knowledge and human resources between the University, Department of Physics in particular, and industry. Participating researchers will have the opportunity to tackle challenges on practical applications, making use of their scientific training. In turn, companies will benefit from potential solutions to their proposed problems, explore alternative approaches to achieving their goals, and have the chance to connect with talented young researchers, possibly paving the way for future collaborations.

DEPARTMENT ASSEMBLY

The Department Assembly takes place annually and represents a key moment in the life and development of our community. It is an opportunity for discussion and engagement both within the Department and with the network of local collaborations. Participants include members of the Department Council, emeritus and senior faculty, postdoctoral researchers, PhD candidates, technical and administrative staff, department affiliates, as well as representatives of local institutions and research organizations with which ongoing or future collaborations are envisaged.

During the Assembly, the Director presents the Department’s current status, multi-year strategic plan, and the actions undertaken to achieve set objectives. The event also highlights relationships with other university structures and collaborations with external research institutions.

Each edition features a lectio magistralis focused on the central theme of the year and of general scientific interest.
The program of the most recent edition is available at the following link.

LABORATORY OF THE COMMUNICATION OF PHYSICAL SCIENCES (CSF)

For over 35 years, the CSF Laboratory has been a reference for most of the Department’s science communication activities and its engagement with the education system at all levels. It supported the design of the Physics Area and interactive laboratories of the MUSE Science Museum in Trento and collaborates with agencies and organizations promoting public engagement events such as Researchers’ Night, Science and Gender, Sustainability and Scientific Citizenship, as well as permanent and traveling exhibitions, YouTube video productions, and the “Theatre of Wonder” and “Jet Propulsion Theatre” science theatre festivals.
Local coordinator: prof. Stefano Oss
Useful links:
Sito del laboratorio
Comunità virtuale docenti in formazione e aggiornamento
Teatro scienza

INTERNATIONAL COSMIC DAY

The International Cosmic Day is a well-established annual worldwide initiative that involves high-school students, accompanied by their teachers, in a hands-on research experience on cosmic rays. The event includes introductory seminars, an experimental session using particle detectors, and activities for data analysis and discussion. It is organized by researchers from INFN–TIFPA and the Department of Physics, University of Trento, and is part of the OCRA network (Outreach Cosmic Ray Activities), which coordinates cosmic ray education and outreach initiatives throughout Italy.

Date for 2025: November 13
Local coordinator: dott. Francesco Maria Follega
Useful links:
Edizione 2024 a Trento
Pagina TIFPA–OCRA
Evento internazionale ICD

INTERNATIONAL MASTERCLASSES - HANDS ON PARTICLE PHYSICS

The “International Masterclasses – Hands on Particle Physics” initiatives involve high school students from all over the world, coordinated by the International Particle Physics Outreach Group (IPPOG) and locally organized by researchers from the Physics Department and INFN-TIFPA.

Participating students have the opportunity to experience a day as researchers: after introductory lectures on particle physics, they analyze real data from some of the most important experiments at CERN in Geneva, and discuss their results with other participants from around the world in a video link with CERN.

Planned date for 2026: to be defined, likely between February and April
Local contact: Dr. Daniela Mascione
Useful Links:
Edizione 2024 a Trento
IPPOG-Trento
Masterclasses-IPPOG
Masterclasses ATLAS (in italian)

Continuous monitoring of Third Mission activities

The Department also carries out an internal survey and continuous monitoring of its Third Mission activities through a structured data collection questionnaire.