Hi, I’m Tommaso Giorgi, an Architecture-Engineering student at the University of Bologna, and I’m currently in Narvik as an IVY volunteer at UiT (The Arctic University of Norway). I’m here volunteering on the EU-MAT project, a strategic initiative that drives innovation in construction materials and promotes sustainability by bringing together European universities and regional institutions. The project is all about building a bridge between academic research and real-world applications, pushing forward the circular economy in the building sector.
Over these first few weeks, I’ve gotten involved in both the practical and theoretical sides of this transition. This past Monday, for example, I visited the old Narvik hospital to scout out technical equipment that could be salvaged and reused in the university labs. On top of that, my hands-on volunteering has included lab tests on reinforced concrete samples and an innovative “salmon slags mortar,” exploring how local industrial by-products can find their way back into the construction cycle.
Alongside the lab and fieldwork, my supervisor Sofija and I are also putting together a scientific paper on selective urban mining and secondary material recovery in Nordic and Arctic environments. I really believe that a solid, scientifically grounded piece like this is one of the best ways to contribute to interregional cooperation: it gives us a rigorous, shareable framework that can guide future sustainable projects and make it easier to exchange knowledge across European borders.
Volunteering in such an international environment, surrounded by colleagues from all over the world, is incredibly inspiring. Add to that the daily contact with the stunning Arctic nature and the great weather I’ve had so far in Narvik, and this journey is turning out to be an unforgettable chapter in both my academic and personal growth.
– Tommaso, IVY Project Partner at UiT Norges Arktiske Universitet – UiT, The Arctic University of Norway, for the Interreg Aurora project EU-MAT – Effective Urban Material Mining in Cities
