MUSA (Multilayered Urban Sustainability Action) was born in Milan in 2022. The project’s aim is to face the challenges of the metropolitan reality in the transition to environmental, economic, and social sustainability. MUSA is an ecosystem of technology and innovation for urban regeneration, founded by the Ministry of University and Research as part of National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR). The project involves 24 public and private subjects including the four major universities in Milan (University of Milano-Bicocca, Politecnico of Milan, Bocconi University, University of Milan) who cooperate with partners from the industrial, research and technological world as well as with local authorities and foundations for the realization of this ambitious project.
The six spokes (i.e., thematic areas) that make up the project will allow to develop different smart solutions. This includes keys for renewable energy and waste management; more circular production processes in different sectors including design, fashion, luxury and wellness; the creation of digital platforms for the collection and use of biomedical data; the incubation/acceleration pole for start-ups; and the development of new sustainable finance solutions.
Spoke 5 (Sustainable Fashion, Luxury and Design) includes the activity and research of NanoBioLab within the NanoCosPha platform, a network of six integrated laboratories for the development of innovative nanostructured systems related to cosmetic and pharmaceutical sector. In line with the themes proposed by MUSA, NanoBioLab aims to develop cosmetic formulations with synergistic action promoting greater sustainability of the Lombardy supply chain. More precisely, our team is working on the search for new natural molecules derived from plant sources as sustainable alternatives to synthetic molecules for the realization of solid and semi-solid cosmetic formulations. The sustainability of this project does not exclusively concern the careful choice of raw materials but also the methods and technologies used, with the aim of minimizing waste production, reducing energy consumption and promoting the scalability of production processes.
Francesca Spena e Beatrice De Santes
