In 2019, thanks to a dedicated funding program by the Ministry of University and Research (MUR), Italy acquired a research ship with ice-breaking capabilities to conduct research activities in the polar regions. The research vessel was named after Laura Bassi, the first woman in the world to obtain an official academic professorship, and she did this at the University of Bologna in the 18th century.

The vessel is owned by the National Institute of Oceanography and Applied Geophysics (OGS) in Trieste and receives funds to conduct research activities from the National Research Program in Antarctica (PNRA). It also serves the polar scientific community thanks to an agreement between the major Research Institutes in Italy working in the polar regions and those managing the polar infrastructures (OGS, CNR and ENEA). The use of the R/V Laura Bassi has also been included in the strategic planning of the Italian Arctic Research Program (PRA).

The R/V Laura Bassi made its first expedition to the Ross Sea (Antarctica) in the austral summer of 2019-2020.
An extensive instrumental upgrade to the vessel is currently underway, with the contribution of the ISP staff, to convert it into a modern multipurpose scientific platform that can serve different scientific communities working on various research fields, including physical, chemical and biological oceanography, paleoceanography, geophysics, marine geology and atmospheric physics and chemistry.

For more information please refer to the OGS website.