A physical model capable of analyzing the behavior of seismic faults with great precision on the basis of geological, seismological data and data from the latest generation satellites, as well as on the basis of simulations conducted on high-performance computers. This is the objective of the innovative agreement signed today in Trieste between the Generali Group and theICTP, Abdus Salam International Center for Theoretical Physics (UN) – the first and most important global scientific institution in the field of research and knowledge transfer towards emerging and developing countries, based in the Julian capital, and operating under the aegis of the Italian Government, the IAEA and the Unesco – to support a three-year project for the study, analysis and prevention of seismic phenomena.
The data collected and the simulations that the ICTP scientists will carry out on a fault system present in the area located in the North-East of the Italian peninsula, between Friuli Venezia Giulia and Istria, will be used to validate the model and will allow its application in other areas of the world exposed to seismic risk, with the aim of developing a scientific culture of prevention and mitigating the consequences of this risk on the territory. For the Generali Group the project will also be an opportunity to evaluate exposure to seismic risk in the countries where it is present and to respond more and more promptly to the specific needs of customers in specific territories. The partnership project, presented today in Trieste, at the headquarters of the Generali Group, in the presence of the Group CEO Mario Greco and the Director of the ICTP Fernando Quevedo, is among the most significant examples of cooperation in Italy between an insurance group and a 'Scientific institution in the study of earthquakes. The study will end in 2018 with the presentation of the research results.
The Group CEO of Generali Mario Greco commented: "The importance and peculiarity of the agreement between our insurance Group and the ICTP lies in pooling their respective skills, creating synergies to develop a better knowledge of seismic risk in exposed areas and produce benefits from a greater diffusion of the culture of prevention. Studying earthquakes and developing evolutionary models is one of the best ways to address the problem of major global risks and is certainly the right way to think about tomorrow's citizens, their well-being and their protection". ICTP Director Fernando Quevedo commented: “This project has indisputable scientific value for us and allows us to broaden our mission to support developing countries. Furthermore, the agreement between two leading global institutions in the respective fields of science and insurance represents a successful collaboration model for a society more prepared for natural disasters”.
