September 2026 The reorganization process of the National Research Council’s (CNR) scientific network in the marine sciences sector has been completed. The expertise and activities of the former Institute for the Study of Anthropogenic Impacts and Sustainability in the Marine Environment (CNR-IAS) have merged into the Department of Earth System Sciences and Environmental Technologies (CNR-DSSTTA), split between the Institute of Marine Sciences (CNR-ISMAR), headquartered in Venice, and the Institute for Marine Biological Resources and Biotechnology (CNR-IRBIM), which is also moving its headquarters to Ancona. With the integration of the facilities and staff of the former IAS, CNR-IRBIM consolidates and expands its scope across biodiversity, ecology, biological resources, marine microbiome, and biotechnology. This operation locates IRBIM as the primary national scientific hub, because of critical mass, human capital, and infrastructure, entirely dedicated to marine biology and the sustainable management of living resources. The new structure seamlessly covers the entire research chain on life in seas and oceans, strengthening key sectors for the blue economy such as fisheries and aquaculture.
This integration ensures complete continuity for all ongoing research projects, services, and national and international partnerships, while opening up new synergies across the entire spectrum of applied life sciences in marine environments: from biodiversity conservation and microbiome studies to fisheries management and technology, sustainable aquaculture, human impact assessment, and oceanographic process analysis.
As Gian Marco Luna, Director of CNR-IRBIM, emphasizes, the creation of this “new unified hub builds upon existing expertise and boosts the country’s capacity to drive scientific and technological innovation in support of public policy and ocean health.” More than eight years after the previous restructuring, this initiative aligns with CNR’s broader strategy to functionally reconfigure the architecture of marine research, making it more cohesive, competitive, and closely aligned with the strategic priorities and trajectories promoted by the European Commission for ocean protection and governance. In brief, the Institute for Marine Biological Resources and Biotechnology (IRBIM) significantly expands its operational and scientific scope by integrating resources, staff, and facilities from both the former Institute for the Study of Anthropogenic Impacts and Sustainability in the Marine Environment (IAS) and the Taranto branch of the Water Research Institute (IRSA). In terms of territorial presence, IRBIM structures its activities across 9 operational sites in total; the headquarters will be based in Ancona, with active operational sites in Messina, Lesina, Mazara del Vallo, Capo Granitola, Palermo, Oristano, Genoa, and Taranto.
