ASviS Sustainable Development Festival Parma
The Parma week dedicated to Agenda 2030 and sustainability
About Sustainable Development Festival Parma
A week for sustainability in the heart of Parma
The ASviS Parma Sustainable Development Festival is the Parma branch of the largest Italian initiative to raise awareness on sustainability issues, promoted nationally by ASviS (Italian Alliance for Sustainable Development). In Parma, the event is organized and coordinated by the University of Parma, with the patronage and collaboration of the Municipality of Parma, the RUS — Network of Universities for Sustainable Development, and the EU GREEN Alliance.
For several days, the Science and Technology Campus and various city spaces transform into a dense mosaic of events that intertwine academic research and citizen participation, focusing on the 17 Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations' 2030 Agenda.
A program that unites science and the city
The schedule alternates conferences, seminars, round tables, workshops with schools, film and documentary screenings, and the characteristic "knowledge aperitifs." Topics range from biodiversity to water resource management, from social justice to artificial intelligence applied to smart cities, from agroecology to environmental law, from bioplastics to science journalism.
- Conferences and seminars with university professors and researchers
- Workshops and citizen science activities open to students and citizens
- Film screenings and meetings with authors
- Round tables on environment, society, and economy
A widespread and free festival
The heart of the event is the Sant'Elisabetta Center at the University of Parma's Science and Technology Campus, but events also involve libraries and other city locations. All events are free admission; for some workshops and conferences with limited seating, online booking is required.
Included in the national calendar of the Sustainable Development Festival, the Parma event confirms the role of the Emilia city and its University as an active laboratory on ecological transition issues, in the Province of Parma and throughout Emilia-Romagna.
Sustainable Development Festival Parma — edition 2026
The 2026 edition of the ASviS Parma Sustainable Development Festival, organized by the University of Parma, took place from May 18 to 22, 2026 with a focus dedicated to biodiversity, citizen science, and urban ecosystems. More than fifteen events — conferences, seminars, workshops with schools, screenings, and round tables — involved the Science and Technology Campus and various city spaces. The opening, on Monday, May 18, included the inauguration of the University's hydrometeorological observatory. The events, all free, touched on topics such as water resource management, social justice, artificial intelligence for smart cities, agroecology, and bioplastics.
Programme Sustainable Development Festival Parma 2026
Monday, May 18
- 11:30 AM — Festival presentation and inauguration of the University of Parma's hydrometeorological observatory, at the Sant'Elisabetta Center (Science and Technology Campus), with Rector Paolo Martelli
- Round table "Sustainability and social justice"
- Knowledge aperitif on artificial intelligence and smart cities
- "Sguardi in musica" (Glances in music)
Tuesday, May 19
- BioUniversity workshop with Liceo Gioia and IPSA Primo Levi
- Meeting "Contemporary environmental law"
- Dialogue on the Po River and renaturation
- "Corti e sostenibili" (Shorts and sustainable) — short film screening
Wednesday, May 20
- Citizen science at school
- Photovoltaics in the peri-urban area
- Screening of the film "Chernobyl year zero"
Thursday, May 21
- Book exhibition at the Central Library
- Campus garden and agroecology
- Biodegradable plastics
- Screening of the film "Le terre alte" (The high lands)
Friday, May 22
- Presentation of the book "Il clima dell'informazione" (The climate of information)
- Biodiversity oasis — concluding meeting
Special guest connecting remotely: climatologist and science communicator Luca Mercalli.
Highlights Sustainable Development Festival Parma 2026
Prices Sustainable Development Festival Parma 2026
Practical information — Sustainable Development Festival Parma
Where
Main venue: Sant'Elisabetta Center, University of Parma Science and Technology Campus (Parco Area delle Scienze). Some events take place in libraries and other city locations.
Getting there
Parma is well connected by train on the high-speed Milan-Bologna line. The Science and Technology Campus can be reached by bus from the city center or by car (Parma exit of the A1 highway).
Admission and booking
All events are free and open to the public. For workshops and conferences with limited seating, online registration may be required through the University's website.
Information
University of Parma — U.O. Rapporti con il Territorio, Sport e Public Engagement. Email: [email protected]. Instagram: @festivalsostenibilita.unipr
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Where does it take place — Sustainable Development Festival Parma
Centro Sant'Elisabetta — Campus Scienze e Tecnologie, Università di Parma
Parco Area delle Scienze, 43124 Parma