Research areas, SSD e ERC

The Jonian Department of Mediterranean Legal and Economic Systems – “Society, Environment, Cultures” was established at the initiative of professors from the University of Bari's Taranto-based Faculties of Law and Economics. Its mission is to promote interdisciplinary research addressing the distinctive features of the local territory while focusing on issues of national and international relevance, including migration flows, environmental impact and health protection, and the law and economics of the sea.

The Department brings together its academic staff around these defining research themes in order to develop advanced educational programmes—including master's degrees, doctoral programmes, and advanced training schools—and research units capable of producing significant outcomes for the enhancement of the human, environmental, economic, and cultural resources of the Jonian area.

The Jonian Department promotes, coordinates, and supports research activities in the disciplinary fields represented within the Department, with particular emphasis on issues related to the Mediterranean region. Its main research areas include:

1. Environmental Management, Industrial Ecology, Health Protection, and Territorial Sustainability

The Department conducts research in the fields of commodity science, law, economics, and taxation aimed at the management and protection of environmental resources threatened by human activities, including air, water, soil, plant resources, and biodiversity. Particular attention is devoted to the green economy, environmental product and process management, industrial ecology and its analytical tools (LCA, SFA, MFA, IOA, IPA, GPP, ISO 14000, EMAS, Ecolabel, Environmental Product Declarations – EPDs), environmental damage, common land rights, and the legal and economic aspects of renewable energy sources. These activities are carried out in collaboration with national and local organisations, including the Italian LCA Network, the Magna Grecia Science and Technology Hub, the Environmental and Recycling Industrial District, and the Environmental Education Centre.

2. Migration Studies and the Enhancement of Migration Flows

Due to its strategic geographical location, the Jonian area is a key gateway for migration across the Mediterranean. The legal and economic issues related to migrants, particularly the protection of human dignity and fundamental rights, constitute a distinctive area of research within the Department. The Department promotes research aimed at fostering intercultural integration and supporting the social and professional inclusion of migrant communities.

3. The Sea: Maritime Law and Blue Economy

The Department promotes, coordinates, and supports research on the law and economics of the sea, strengthening its long-established collaboration with the University of Bari, the Italian Navy, and the Port Authority. Particular attention is devoted to port governance, maritime logistics, and customs-related issues.

4. Promoting Knowledge and Cultures in the Euro-Mediterranean Area

The Department encourages research aimed at identifying and enhancing areas endowed with valuable environmental, productive, historical, and cultural resources. It supports the inclusion of these research initiatives in international funding programmes and in the development policies promoted by local institutions, thereby contributing to the sustainable development and international visibility of the Euro-Mediterranean region.