Junior assistant professor - Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences, University of Bologna
Verónica Arcas Pilz is a junior assistant professor at the Dept. of Agricultural and Food Sciences (DISTAL), University of Bologna, Italy. She holds a PhD in environmental sciences which she obtained in the Institute for environmental sciences and technology (ICTA-UAB) within the Sostenipra research group. Her thesis focused on reducing the environmental footprint of urban agricultural production within the framework of circular economy. Her main interests are on the search of alternative resources for the sustainable development of urban and peri urban agriculture, contemplating nutrient recovery and water recirculation strategies on a building and city level, as well as the quantification of resource flows and the determination of their environmental impact.
Full Professor, Department of Chemical, Biological and Environmental Engineering Institute of Environmental Science and Technology - ICTA-UAB
Dr. Gabarrell Durany is a Sostenipra's researcher specialized in circular economy, urban agriculture, life cycle assessment (LCA), material flow analysis (MFA), and waste management. He has also held several academic leadership roles throughout his career and is one of six guarantors of the prestigious "María de Maeztu" Unit of Excellence, accredited by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness. Since 2024 he also serves as the Campus and sustainability Vicerrector of the Universitat Autónoma de Barcelona.
Co-founder of Tectum Garden S.L.
Pietro Tonini has worked across diverse contexts in social urban agriculture. Trained as an agronomist with a PhD in Industrial Ecology, he has focused on food waste reduction, developing a holistic perspective on the food system. He is co-founder of Tectum Garden, a spin-off of the UAB, specializing in the design of green spaces through a circular approach. He is particularly interested in how urban agriculture projects can improve resource reuse and which dynamics can enhance the health and well-being of participants.
Leader of the architecture firm The Architects Barcelona. Director of Master in Architecture and professor in the MADE Master in Architectural Design Ecology at the ETSAV UPC Barcelona TECH.
Xavier combines his academic research with applied architectural practice. He has worked and researched on topics such as the post-industrial landscapes, the urban voids and the infrastructures in the context of the contemporary city. Conceiving architecture as an infrastructure able to perform diverse activities, Xavier has a particular interest in creating space strategies to promote the interaction between architecture and the city.
Challenge-Based Learning Facilitator at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona and ECIU University
Òscar Redondo works on the curricular development and implementation of Challenge-Based Learning (CBL) methodologies within higher education, both at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona and within ECIU University. He supports teaching staff in transforming their courses through participatory and interdisciplinary approaches connected to real-world challenges. He also collaborates with stakeholders from the quadruple helix — public institutions, civil society organizations, companies, and academia — to identify and address complex societal and sustainability-related challenges. His work focuses on fostering collaboration, critical thinking, and meaningful connections between the UAB and their surrounding territories.
PhD Student - Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences, University of Bologna
Riccardo Prandi is a PhD student in Agricultural, Environmental and Food Science and Technology at the University of Bologna, in collaboration with the IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute (Stockholm, Sweden). His research focuses on circular urban food provisioning, with particular attention to the reuse of growing substrates and the associated environmental benefits. His doctoral project investigates circular strategies for growing media in indoor and vertical farming, aiming to optimize environmental performance, reduce resource use, and improve waste circularity management.
PhD Student - Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences, University of Bologna
Andrea D’Aprile completed his academic carreer at the Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences (DISTAL), University of Bologna. Since 2022, he has been working at the same department, focusing on the cultivation and experimental testing of different plant species within vertical farming systems. He has contributed to several national and international research projects, including FOOD-e, Erasmus+ BEST Microgarden, VFarm, PRIMA FrontAg Nexus, REDESIGN: tRansformativE fooD valuE Systems reshapInG resilient urban laNdscapes, and LOFT (Local Food Trace). In addition, he has supported the organization of scientific and outreach events such as Vermifarm 2024, UrbanFarm 2024, and UrbanFarm 2025.