PartnersCNR ISMed
CNR (National Research Council) is the largest public research institution in Italy, with more than 8 thousand employees, 7 departments and 88 institutes located in 220 sites throughout the country, 3 interdepartmental centers and 3 permanent research bases at the Poles.
ISMed (Institute of Mediterranean Studies) is the only institute of the CNR that, within the Department of Human Sciences, has the Mediterranean as its focus in research and analysis of its socio-economic, historical, cultural and political dynamics. In this context, the institute also offers training, outreach and advice to support governance actions in the area, which is characterized by complex dynamics that often generate crises and conflicts, but also great opportunities for growth.
Located in Naples, in a strategic position at the center of the Mediterranean, ISMed has recently expanded with a new office in Palermo at the LUMSA University and two URT-Units for Territorial Research in Bagheria (Palermo) and Rome.
The mission of the Institute for Studies on the Mediterranean is to study the dynamics and nature of the growth and development processes of the countries in the area. The regional focus hinges on the strategic centrality of the Mediterranean, both geo-economic and political. At the intersection of three continents, this sea is the centre of gravity of trade in goods, energy resources, men and technology between North and South and between East and West. On a geopolitical level, the dialogue between Europe and the Mediterranean is essential to support the closely linked political transition taking place in the countries on the southern shore, the fight against terrorism and the management of migration flows. The reading of such a complex and rapidly evolving reality requires multidisciplinary analyses that intersect historical, economic, geographical and sociological models and methodologies with the aim of understanding the each country short and long term growth trajectories. Such dynamics, in fact, have peculiarities that can hardly emerge from analyses focused on individual countries or micro areas. The ultimate aim is to provide explanation of phenomena, projections on possible future scenarios and policy guidelines that can support targeted interventions to reduce imbalances and stimulate growth in the area.
The research activities are based on a number of fundamental thematic axes which, by enhancing the Institute's scientific expertise, aim to describe different aspects of the Mediterranean countries by means of:
- the analysis of development processes and regional dualism, which sees the functional dependence between poor and rich areas;
- the comparative and prospective analysis of governance and institutional building processes and their functioning in the European and Euro-Mediterranean context;
- the study of the territory, environment and landscape as factors of development and stability;
- the study of trade flows and logistics;
- the study of migration and socio-cultural phenomena.
