‘Green’, energy-independent sensors as small as a coin have been developed for wireless networks and real-time monitoring. These are the results of the MetaVEH (Metamaterial Enabled Vibration Energy Harvesting) project, which has just ended, following funding of €4 million under the Horizon 2020 ‘Pillar 1 – Excellent Science’ call to reduce CO2 emissions. The research was conducted by a consortium consisting of three universities — Imperial College London, the Politecnico di Milano and ZHAW Zürich as lead institute — together with Multiwave Technologies and STMicroelectronics. The initial idea was simple: to exploit the movement of vehicles on structures such as bridges and motorways, feeding the harvested energy into sensors used to monitor those same structures. The sensors are now widely used but often difficult (or impossible) to reach for battery replacement, as they are situated in inconvenient places, perhaps at the top of an antenna or on the girders of a viaduct. The real challenge lays in creating a small device and solving the issue of the power needed by the sensors for both operation and data transmission, thus limiting battery waste and the environmental impacts of dead battery disposal. The prototype developed by MetaVEH after nearly five years of studies is based on the concept of ‘energy harvesting’, that is, using the vibrational energy available in the environment and relying on piezoelectric materials to convert mechanical energy into electrical energy. The most effective piezoelectric materials currently used in existing sensors, however, contain lead, an environmentally toxic element. Instead, the project focused on developing and testing ‘green’ piezoelectric materials free of rare earths, using a standard, readily available element: aluminium nitride. At the same time, technology was developed to produce mechanical metamaterials — materials specially ‘engineered’ for certain properties and reactions — that can manipulate the propagation of elastic waves, greatly amplifying the performance of energy harvesters. The resulting metamaterials, manufactured using innovative 3D printing techniques, have particular mechanical properties due to which they can ‘catch’ the wave passing through them, forcing it to concentrate on the piezoelectric material, a phenomenon known as ‘rainbow trapping’. The technology developed for engineering the metamaterials was patented by Imperial College London and the Politecnico di Milano. This allowed the energy harvesters to be prototyped on various scales, down to the MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems) scale. The device has a total length of 300 microns, i.e. less than half a millimetre, and it all fits within a 1-cent coin. ‘In MetaVEH we have shown that vibration harvesters can move from concept to a complete autonomous sensing platform – says Andrea Colombi, professor at ZHAW Zürich and MetaVEH coordinator – By coupling advanced metamaterial structures with nonlinear energy management and wireless transmission, we demonstrated that sensors can operate without batteries and still deliver reliable data, even in environments where replacing batteries is difficult or impossible. This opens the door to sustainable monitoring solutions for infrastructures and the Internet of Things’. ‘MetaVEH has also been a rich mathematical challenge, where we tackled the complexity of nonlinearity, metamaterial modelling and multiphysics coupling – says professor Richard Craster, Dean of the Faculty of Natural Sciences at Imperial College London – These advances in theory and simulation have been essential to guide the prototypes and demonstrate their potential in real applications’. ‘We are dealing with a wide range of structural mechanics, especially for this type of sensor,’ says Raffaele Ardito, professor at DICA – Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering of the Politecnico di Milano. ‘With colleagues in the university’s Department of Mechanical Engineering, we have worked hard to find a ‘green’ alternative. At the end of the project, we now have a prototype for a microscale energy harvester based on a piezoelectric material without lead or rare earths, and therefore neutral with respect to ethical and environmental sustainability’. This device holds a strong potential for practical applications, namely in two domains: as high-quality resonators for 6G telecommunications and as autonomous sensors for structural health and environmental hazard monitoring. By harvesting energy from ambient vibrations, such devices can be deployed in inaccessible locations, becoming active only when needed and transmitting real-time data to safeguard infrastructures. For example, they could provide early warnings of earthquake-induced motions, terrain instabilities, or fatigue damage in critical structures such as bridges and tunnels. For the project, STMicroelectronics has created micrometer-scale prototypes by integrating lead-free piezoelectric materials directly into the MEMS manufacturing process. This innovation has improved conversion efficiency of mechanical energy into electrical energy and has paved the way for new applications, potentially useful in the fields of 6G communications and Internet of Things (IoT). Furthermore, the MetaVEH project was selected within the EU Innovation Radar Platform initiatives for its high innovative content. L'articolo ‘Green’, Coin-Sized Sensors from the MetaVEH Project for 6G and Seismic Monitoring proviene da DICA - Polimi.

Alberto Guadagnini, professor of the Dipartimento di Ingegneria Civile e Ambientale – Politecnico di Milano and Vice Rector for Research at Politecnico di Milano, has been awarded the prestigious International Honorary Fellow Award by the Geological Society of America (https://www.geosociety.org), one of the oldest and most authoritative scientific institutions in the field of geosciences. Established in 1909 by the GSA Council, the award honors international geoscientists who have distinguished themselves through outstanding research in the geosciences, the promotion of environmental awareness, the linkage between science and society, and their contributions to public policy in natural resource management. The award ceremony took place during the 2025 GSA Annual Meeting, held in San Antonio, Texas. For more information: https://lnkd.in/emp3HDxK L'articolo Alberto Guadagnini recives the International Honorary Fellow Award – GSA proviene da DICA - Polimi.

Maurizio Crispino, full Professor of Roads, Railways and Airports at our Department, has been appointed Global Coordinator of Strategic Theme 4 – Resilient Infrastructures by the PIARC World Road Association. For over thirty years, Prof. Crispino has been actively involved in national and international PIARC activities, serving as Chair of the Technical Committee 4.1 Pavements for PIARC Italy and as a member of the corresponding international committee. This appointment recognizes his outstanding scientific and professional contributions to transport infrastructure and sustainable mobility. L'articolo Maurizio Crispino appointed as the new Global Coordinator of Strategic Theme 4 – Resilient Infrastructures of PIARC International proviene da DICA - Polimi.

Zhewen Huang, PhD candidate in Structural, Seismic and Geotechnical Engineering at our Department, under the supervision of Prof. Liberato Ferrara and Prof. Estefania Cuenca Asensio, received the Outstanding Presentation Award at the ArtIStE – 1st International Conference on Artificial Intelligence Applications to Structural Engineering, held in Turin, for his work entitled “Modeling the chloride transport into cracked concrete through Physics-informed Neural Network.” The event, promoted by the ArtIStE research group, brought together international experts exploring the potential of artificial intelligence applied to structural engineering, aiming to develop increasingly smart infrastructures and cities. L'articolo Zhewen Huang receives the Outstanding Presentation Award proviene da DICA - Polimi.

On July 28, 2025, Professor Monica Riva was elected Dean of Class IV (Natural Sciences) and member of the Senate of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts. The European Academy of Sciences and Arts (https://euro-acad.eu/), founded in 1990, is committed to promoting scientific and societal progress. Its members include leading scientists, artists, and governance practitioners dedicated to innovative research, interdisciplinary and transnational collaboration, and the exchange and dissemination of knowledge. The Academy is organized into seven Classes covering a wide range of disciplines, creating a unique transdisciplinary and international environment. L'articolo Monica Riva elected Dean of Class IV (Natural Sciences) and member of the Senate of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts proviene da DICA - Polimi.

From 22 to 29 August 2025, the 79th RILEM Annual Week and ICONS 2025 took place in Hanoi, Vietnam, an international event dedicated to research and innovation in construction materials and structures. On this occasion, Prof. Liberato Ferrara was appointed Convener of Cluster B (Transport and Deterioration Mechanisms), while Niki Trochoutsou was elected Chair of the RILEM Youth Council. Both are members of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (DICA). RILEM is an international association founded in 1947 that promotes scientific cooperation in the field of construction materials and structures, fostering the exchange of knowledge among experts, laboratories, academics, and institutions worldwide. L'articolo Prof. Liberato Ferrara and Niki Trochoutsou at the 79th RILEM Annual Week and ICONS 2025 proviene da DICA - Polimi.

Michele Rosso, researcher at our Department, has been awarded the GADeS Award 2025 for his doctoral thesis. The prize was assigned with the following motivation: “In recognition of his contribution in the field of energy harvesting through the design of nonlinear piezoelectric vibration-based systems with magnetic interaction, by means of a deep theoretical analysis and experimental validations.” GADeS (Gruppo AIMETA di Dinamica e Stabilità) established this competition with the aim of rewarding young researchers who have distinguished themselves for their contributions in the field of Dynamics and Stability. L'articolo Michele Rosso riceve il GADeS Award 2025 proviene da DICA - Polimi.

Pietro Mazzon has been awarded the “Giovanni Maria Zuppi” 2025 PhD Prize. The awarded thesis, entitled “Reactive transport modelling of a chlorinated solvent plume and uncertainty analysis: a case study”, was evaluated by the Italian Committee of the International Association of Hydrogeologists (IAH-Italy) and the Institute of Environmental Geology and Geoengineering of the CNR (IGAG-CNR). The prize recognizes research works addressing hydrogeological topics, with particular focus on the application and development of hydrogeochemical and isotopic methodologies. L'articolo Pietro Mazzon has been awarded the “Giovanni Maria Zuppi” 2025 PhD Prize proviene da DICA - Polimi.

Professor Enrico Masoero from the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Politecnico di Milano has received an important recognition from the Journal of Advanced Concrete Technology (JACT), which selected his article among the outstanding papers of the year 2025 (August 2024 – July 2025). JACT (Journal of Advanced Concrete Technology) is a gold open access international journal that publishes high-quality articles on concrete materials, concrete structures, and related subjects, contributing to the advancement of the concrete engineering field. The awarded article, entitled “Creep of Calcium Hydroxide from Stress-induced Dissolution: Kinetic Monte Carlo Simulations”, was selected through the joint vote of the journal’s Advisory Board and Editorial Board. This recognition also leads to the recommendation of the paper for the JCI Award 2026. L'articolo Professor Enrico Masoero recognized by the Journal of Advanced Concrete Technology proviene da DICA - Polimi.

Federica Dei has been awarded first prize at the 8th edition of the ISWA (International Solid Waste Association) YPG (Young Professionals Group) Online Conference 2025 for her research titled: “Modeling Future Waste From the Energy Transition: A Forecast-Oriented Approach For Italy.” The ISWA YPG had invited young professionals under the age of 35 to submit abstracts for the conference, held under the theme “Towards a Wasteless Future or Wasteful Planet.” All submitted abstracts were reviewed by the Conference Scientific Committee. A total of 45 abstracts were received, of which 44% were rejected. Reflecting on the award, Federica commented: > “The ISWA YPG Online Conference has been an incredible opportunity to connect > with scientists and waste experts from around the world, leaving me with such > positive energy. > > I’m honoured to receive this recognition for my work on forecasting waste from > the energy transition. Assessing and quantifying these complex, > resource-intensive waste streams is essential to truly close the loop and turn > future challenges into opportunities — not only for the sector, but far > beyond. > > For me, it’s about realizing that despite our distances and differences, we > face similar issues and share a common commitment to finding solutions. It’s > powerful to see how science and technology can bring us together for a better > future on our planet.” L'articolo Federica Dei Wins First Prize at the 8th ISWA YPG Online Conference 2025 proviene da DICA - Polimi.