Mission
Sanremo’s Regional Institute for Floriculture (IRF) is an instrumental body of the Liguria Region whose purpose is to promote the economic development and competitiveness of the Ligurian system of floriculture businesses through the promotion, implementation and coordination of research, development and experimentation.
The IRF takes a multidisciplinary approach endowed with a variety of competences developed internally and collaborative relationships with public research bodies and companies. It is a nationally and internationally recognized body that aims to develop new products with a view to sustainable management and quality production.
The IRF has a cultivation area of about 1 hectare for open field and greenhouse cultivation tests, using insect-proof greenhouses for preserving the health of varieties and for creating stock-bases of rehabilitated materials, greenhouses for acclimatization of ex vitro materials, and greenhouses for crop selection and testing, with particular attention paid to energy savings, to the use of renewable energies and to sustainable phytosanitary management. In addition, the IRF has a 700 square metre area for laboratories, culture rooms, with a cultivation capacity of around in vitro 10,000 plants, and offices.
The IRF has supported production for over forty years, and, in the course of its activities, has achieved significant results and developed specialized services that companies use on a regular basis. Among the most significant results are:
- The development of new pot daisy varieties that have helped support production in the Albenga-Savona area, and boosted exports to Northern Europe.
- The development of new hellebore varieties suitable for cultivation in a Mediterranean climate, currently being capitalised by local businesses.
- The development of a micro-propagation protocol for ranunculus - a crop of particular interest for cut flower and flowering pots - which has contributed to launching the new “Ranunculus Clone” product on national and international markets.
- The development of a propagation protocol for foliage eucalyptus, making it possible to share valuable genotypes throughout the local territory and breath life into the important cut frond sector.
- A phytopathological analysis and crop management support service, which the IRF has offered since the very beginning of its activities to support both cultivators and nursery businesses. Diagnoses of flower and green crop diseases via traditional and cutting-edge diagnostic methodologies, such as molecular diagnostics. Sustainable plant defence testing.
- An in vitro pre-multiplication service aimed at developing micro-propagation protocols for ornamental species. The service is highly valued by companies aiming to launch new products on the market and wanting to take advantage of rehabilitation techniques. The IRF produces a phytopathologically controlled in vitro stock useful for industrial development, and performs ex vitro sampling of the micro-propagated genotypes.
- An in vivo and nursery multiplication service for various ornamental foliage products, such as eucalyptus, viburnum, banksia, rice flower (Ozothamnus diosmifolium), mimosa, laurel, pittosporum, and others specifically requested by companies.
Our historic headquarters
Villa Le Guardiole, the headquarters of the Regional Institute for Floriculture (IRF) is located on the hills behind the city of Sanremo, at the address of number 12, Via Carducci. The name “Le Guardiole” derives from the area’s fifteenth-century watchtowers built to observe the movements of Turkish ships.
The villa, with its impressive neoclassical façade, was built in the early 1900s by the engineer and architect Pietro Agosti. The main entrance features two balustrade-mounted stone lion statues and a wrought iron and glass roof fan above a wooden door with carved floral designs.
The side façade features a classic terrace with fish-sculpted eave supports and a covered balcony divided into three parts, with pavilion vaults and friezes on columns full of classic decorative and figurative elements and arch keystones decorated with female faces. The tympanum of the façade features a representation of a majestic eagle towering over the building.
The villa was first owned by the English Brodie family, and later by the American Gould family, before being passed on to the Milanese Lampugnani family. At the end of the 70s, the property was jointly acquired by the Liguria Region and the Municipality of Sanremo.
MEMBERS & GOVERNING BODIES
The IRF was established by Regional Law 22/76, and reorganized by Regional Law 39/06. The IRF is one of the regional institutions formally recognized for research, innovation and higher education development activities.
Any public body, cooperative or association involved in floriculture and nursery activities may become a member of the IRF. The Assembly is made up of six members appointed by the Region, a representative of each member public body, a representative of each member cooperative and member association, and six members designated by the professional organizations of the most representative agricultural businesses at the national level. The Assembly is constituted by a resolution of the regional council, through which membership must be requested.
Current members of the IRF include:
The governing bodies of the IRF are: the Assembly, the Steering Committee, the President, and the Single Auditor, in accordance with Regional Law 39/2006.
The Steering Committee is the technical body entrusted with the organizational and managerial responsibility of the IRF from an administrative and technical point of view.
The current President is Gianluca Boeri, appointed by Regional Executive Order No. 560 of 14th July 2017.
The Steering Committee was appointed by Assembly Resolution No. 4 of 6th September 2017, as per Regional Law 39/2006, Article 5, Paragraph 2.
The members of the Steering Committee are:
Gianluca Boeri (President)
Gianguido Ghione (Vice President, appointed by Assembly Resolution No. 5 of 6th September 2017, as per Regional Law 39/2006, Article 6, Paragraph 2)
Ennio Fazio
Domenico Pizzo
Domenico Pautosso
Staff
Here, we present our staff.
