History

The STAR “source” project and its supporting laboratory system at the University of Calabria campus (originally named the MaTeRiA project) was initiated in 2011 through a partnership between Unical and the National Interuniversity Consortium for the Physical Sciences of Matter (CNISM). The project was officially launched in 2012, with significant funding—approximately 15 million euros—secured through a competitive call under the PON Research 2007-2013 program.

The National Institute for Nuclear Physics (INFN) and Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste supported the executive design and implementation of STAR. In addition to the STAR source, facilities housing first- and second-level laboratories were built, equipped with the planned technological and scientific instrumentation. These were set up in the new spaces of the Technology Hub and the University’s departments. The research facility was officially established at the University of Calabria in 2016 upon the completion of the project.

In 2017, STAR was recognized as one of 18 national infrastructures with an international outlook in the National Plan for Research Infrastructures (PNIR) 2014-2020. It was aligned with one or more ESFRI (European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures) domains and played a significant role in advancing the National Strategy for Smart Specialization. This recognition led to additional funding of €17,556,294.40 in 2019 under Action II.1 of the PON Research and Innovation 2014-2020 program (project proposal PIR01_00008 STAR_2).

In 2020, the POR Calabria 2014-2020 program provided support for the training of specialized professionals in infrastructure management and the promotion of its services.

Later that year, the PRIN 2021-2027 program confirmed STAR’s role as a national infrastructure with an international outlook.

In 2021, following the successful consolidation of the initial project in partnership with the University, CNISM donated the X-ray source to Unical, entrusting the University with its ongoing development and management.

The infrastructure enhancement program, conducted under the supervision and with contributions from the INFN Frascati National Laboratories and Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste, was successfully completed on December 31, 2023.