Francesca Parotti presented her paper, “ARCUAS: A 3D Printing of Regolith and Bio-based Material for Terraforming,” at NEFES 2026, the 11th International Conference on New Energy and Future Energy Systems, held July 7–10 in Macao, China. The conference brought together 40 delegates from 16 countries and regions to foster communication across fields connected to new energy and future energy systems.
Parotti’s paper appeared in a session on “Smart Grids, Low Carbon Conversion and Functional Energy Materials,” introducing ARCUAS, a project developed with ISIA Firenze design school and Supermateria, a research studio focused on computational design. The name—Acqua/Water, Regolith, Calcium, Urea, Alginate, Sporosarcina Pasteurii—describes a composite material combining Martian or Lunar regolith with a biologically activated binder, aimed at simplifying terraforming for future space exploration.
Reflecting on the work’s significance, Parotti noted, “The ambition to travel in space and establish a permanent human presence on the moon or on Mars is reshaping how design research approaches materials, fabrication, and infrastructure.” The Syracuse Florence community congratulates Professor Parotti on sharing this research on an international stage.