CONSORZIO INTERUNIVERSITARIO PERLO SVILUPPO DEI SISTEMI A GRANDE INTERFASE

Their core work

CSGI is an Italian inter-university consortium specializing in colloid and interface science — the physics and chemistry of surfaces, nanoparticles, gels, and soft matter systems. They apply this deep materials science expertise to surprisingly diverse real-world problems: conserving artworks using nanomaterials, engineering biodegradable microcapsules for consumer products, developing biosensors for clinical diagnostics, and designing extracellular vesicle technologies for biomedical applications. Based in Florence, they bridge fundamental surface science research with applied product development across cultural heritage, healthcare, and green chemistry.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In their early H2020 period (2015–2017), CSGI focused heavily on nanomaterials and surface science applied to cultural heritage — nanocontainers, graphene coatings, gels for art restoration — alongside energy-related environmental assessments. From 2018 onward, a clear shift occurred toward biological applications: extracellular vesicles, bio-electronic sensors, biodegradable capsules, and microfluidics. The underlying surface and colloid science remained constant, but the application domains pivoted decisively from conservation and materials toward biomedical and consumer product innovation.

CSGI is moving from heritage conservation toward biomedical applications — particularly extracellular vesicle technologies and biosensors — making them an increasingly relevant partner for health-tech and diagnostics consortia.

How they like to work

CSGI leads projects nearly as often as they join them — coordinating 6 out of 14 projects shows strong consortium leadership capacity. With 174 unique partners across 27 countries, they operate as a well-connected hub rather than a closed-circle player. This combination of leadership experience and broad network makes them a reliable consortium anchor, capable of both building new partnerships and managing complex multi-partner projects.

CSGI has collaborated with 174 unique partners across 27 countries, giving them one of the broader networks for a mid-sized research consortium. Their partnerships span most of Europe with no single-country concentration, reflecting their ability to integrate into diverse multinational teams.

What sets them apart

CSGI's rare strength is their ability to apply the same core competence — colloid and interface science — across radically different sectors: from restoring Renaissance paintings to engineering drug-delivery vesicles to building organic biosensors. This versatility means consortium builders get a partner who brings deep materials know-how but adapts it fluidly to the application at hand. Few organizations combine this level of fundamental surface science with such a proven track record of translating it into applied, funded projects across heritage, health, and consumer goods.

Highlights from their portfolio

• NANORESTART
  Their largest single project (EUR 1.14M as coordinator), pioneering nanomaterial-based restoration tools for modern and contemporary art — a signature topic for CSGI.
• evFOUNDRY
  Marks their strategic pivot into extracellular vesicle engineering as coordinator, establishing a new biomedical research line that continued into BOW.
• SiMBiT
  An ambitious cross-disciplinary move into organic bioelectronics and single-molecule clinical diagnostics, coordinated by CSGI — demonstrating range well beyond traditional materials science.