At the O-Conference, the first international conference on orienteering in scientific research and higher education, the agency presented the three-year project on research, sport and tourism undertaken with SSD PWT Italia
Building an international forum bringing together researchers, educators, professionals and the wider orienteering community to exchange ideas, methods and results. This was the goal of O-Conference 2026, the first international conference on orienteering in scientific research and higher education, organised by Chalmers University of Technology, which Sardegna Ricerche attended over the weekend in Gothenburg to present the progress of the Sport & Wellness 4 Research and Orienteering 4 Research Sardinia projects, born from the collaboration with the sports club PWT Italia, one of the most decorated in the country.
Held on the occasion of O-Ringen, a race with 125,000 participants across five stages, the conference featured speakers including Dario Carbini, Head of the O4R Sardinia Project at Sardegna Ricerche; Prof. Lucia Cugusi and Prof. Andrea Manca of the Department of Biomedical Sciences at the University of Sassari; and Jessica Lucchetta, researcher at the University of Trento and multiple-champion orienteer with PWT Italia. The team, led by Gabriele Viale, also took to the field in the historic competition, fielding Caterina Dallera, Annarita Scalzotto, Guenda Zaffanella, Jessica Lucchetta, Fabio Amadesi, Lukas Patscheider and Sebastian Inderst, equipped for scientific purposes by Sport e Salute Sardegna with H.I.T. 4Life nanotechnology devices.
SARDINIA AS A GLOBAL LABORATORY FOR INNOVATION AND WELLBEING
In Sweden, Sardegna Ricerche presented the path it has taken to establish itself as a leading international hub in sport science and healthy ageing, capable of combining scientific research, technological innovation and territorial development, while at the same time positioning Sardinia as a global Living Lab for the development of new models of health, sport and quality of life. Since 2023, it has run the Sport & Wellness 4 Research project, dedicated to promoting sport science and outdoor sports, with orienteering as the flagship discipline.
Since 2025, with Orienteering 4 Research, it has studied the relationship between physical exercise, environment and psychophysical wellbeing, demonstrating how sport can drive innovation for health and active ageing. With the involvement of PWT Italia, the Gutturu Mannu Nature Park, and the Universities of Cagliari, Sassari and Verona, physical, cognitive and psychological tests were carried out during the 5+5 Sardinia event, which saw more than 500 competitors from over 25 countries: the research analysed both athletes’ performance — through factors such as spatial orientation, strength, reaction times and posture — and cognitive-motor functions in complex natural environments, such as decision-making, memory and attention. Wearable devices were also tested to monitor physiological parameters, along with the effects of the activity on health and injury prevention. While the results are still being analysed, the value of orienteering as a context for research and innovation in wellbeing and physical and cognitive performance has already been demonstrated.
THE LINK BETWEEN ORIENTEERING AND THE WORLD OF WORK
The talk given by Jessica Lucchetta focused on introducing orienteering into higher education to develop professional skills among STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) students. “Especially in these fields,” said the athlete and University of Trento researcher, “the gap between the skills required by the professional world — which is increasingly looking for transversal abilities such as resilience, problem-solving, communication and team building — and those offered by traditional university courses keeps growing. This is why active learning methodologies are spreading, including Challenge-Based Learning (CBL), which involves students in solving real problems proposed by external parties, fostering collaboration, creativity and critical thinking.”
The integration of CBL and orienteering — recognised as an educational tool capable of developing strategic planning, time management, resilience and decision-making skills — represents an innovative approach still largely unexplored in STEM student training. In 2024, the University of Trento, together with PWT Italia, trialled this model with a four-week programme involving 20 international students, who took on practical orienteering challenges alongside a CBL project, working in a real and collaborative setting. The results confirmed the approach’s potential to narrow the gap between university and the job market and to effectively assess transversal skills.
NEXT STEPS FOR THE PROJECT: THE 2026 EDITION
Orienteering 4 Research Sardinia continues in 2026 with a programme of promotional and training events on orienteering, alongside research activities and conferences for the scientific outreach of outdoor sport, supported by the Autonomous Region of Sardinia, the Municipality of Pula, the Gutturu Mannu Regional Nature Park, the Universities of Cagliari, Sassari and Verona, Sport e Salute, and FISO – the Italian Orienteering Sports Federation.
In schools, training courses have been planned for teachers, coaches and orienteering instructors, as well as students from the Universities of Cagliari and Sassari, together with the organisation of student events and races in partnership with FISO Sardegna. During provincial school competitions, hands-on “learning by doing” sessions were held, open to local stakeholders, in Pula (CA), Cagliari, Oristano, Sassari, Badesi and Sorso (SS). Sardegna Ricerche will also involve its own employees in the Orienteering Experience team-building initiative, combining on-the-ground activities with discussion sessions on sports medicine research in the outdoor sector. During European Sport Week, a conference on research and innovation will be held in the natural area of Piscinamanna, in Pula (28 September), featuring the Universities of Cagliari and Sassari as well as international speakers, cognitive psychologists, neuroscientists and coaches. A round table will also be held in Sassari, focusing on research and innovation in cognitive testing for older adults.
A key priority will be updating and expanding the existing mapping of the Gutturu Mannu park, along with the creation of three permanent “Code Hunter” installations in Pula, at Piscinamanna, Batteria Boggio, and along the river trail. The technology, developed by PWT Italia, uses a single free-to-download app to turn any location into a low-environmental-impact challenge, drawing on the principles and values of orienteering: anyone can register and, once they’ve found the nearest installation, use the corresponding map to take part, searching for checkpoints scattered across the area, interpreting symbols tied to the natural setting, and navigating with a compass.
The calendar of events will culminate in the touring event Five + Five Sardinia “2nd Mattia Debertolis Memorial”, from 28 September to 9 October, organised by PWT Italia and recognised by FISO as an International Open Meeting. The stage locations will be: the historic centre of Cagliari (Sunset Sprint, 29 September), Piscinamanna (Sprint, 30 September), the historic centre of Pula (Sprint, 1 October), the Is Arenas Forest (Middle, 2 stages, 3 October), the historic centre of Badesi (Sunset Sprint, 5 October), Baia Paradiso (Middle, 6 October), the Sorso Forest (Middle, two stages, 7 October), Castelsardo (Sprint, 8 October), and the Alghero Grand Prix (Sprint, 9 October).