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Beatrice Lerma

Beatrice Lerma's picture

Associate Professor (L. 240)
Department of Architecture and Design (DAD)

  • Vice Coordinator Collegio di Dottorato DESIGN E TECNOLOGIA. PERSONE, AMBIENTE, SISTEMI

Profile

Keywords

Innovative materials, support to smes, sensory design, materials archive, packaging design, design for territory, design for cultural heritage

Biography

Designer and PhD, since 2022, she has been an Associate Professor in Design at the Department of Architecture and Design of the Politecnico di Torino. Her primary research focus lies in the culture of materials for design, innovative technologies, and production processes, as well as their sensory and sustainable dimensions, and the perceived quality of materials. This scope expands by exploring their correlation with the local manufacturing and entrepreneurial fabric, aiming to foster innovation and develop new sustainable production scenarios that enhance regional manufacturing culture through design-driven processes. Design for local territories is also investigated to define project strategies for the valorisation of regional resources, identities, and cultural heritage at various scales. Her research activities also include packaging design. Since 2010, she has collaborated with the materials library MATto, which now includes over 1,000 innovative materials, and since 2016, she has served as its Executive Director. She conducts research and consultancy activities to stimulate and support innovation in industrial and artisanal enterprises, including projects funded by structural funds, such as two Horizon Europe initiatives dedicated respectively to transparent wood (AI-TW, 2024–27) and new biobased polymers (BIOMAPS, 2025–28). She teaches design and new materials courses in the Bachelor's program in Design and Communication, the first-level Master's program in Interior, Exhibit & Retail Design, and the Master's program in Eco Packaging Design at the Politecnico di Torino. She has also taught at SPD Scuola Politecnica di Design in Milan and internationally as a visiting professor at ECAM Lyon School of Engineering (Ecole Catholique des Arts et Métiers, Lyon, France), the University of Aveiro – ESAN (Escola Superior Aveiro Norte, Portugal), Universidad de los Andes (Bogotá, Colombia), and ELISAVA – Barcelona School of Design and Engineering (Barcelona, Spain).

Scientific branch

CEAR-08/D - Design
(Area 0008 - Civil engineering and architecture)

Skills

ERC sectors

PE8_11 - Environmental engineering, e.g. sustainable design, waste and water treatment, recycling, regeneration or recovery of compounds, carbon capture & storage
SH1_9 - Industrial organisation; entrepreneurship; R&D and innovation
PE8_10 - Manufacturing engineering and industrial design
PE8_9 - Production technology, process engineering

SDG

Goal 3: Good health and well-being
Goal 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
Goal 11: Sustainable cities and communities
Goal 12: Responsible consumption and production

Open badges

Awards and Honors

  • DESIGN E TERRITORIO 2013 conferred by ADI, Delegazione Piemonte e Valle d’Aosta., Italy (2013)
  • Young & Design conferred by Rima Editrice, Italy (2013)
  • Premio Selezione ADI Design Index, Sezione Ricerca Teorico, Storico, Critica e Progetti Editoriali conferred by ADI Design, Italy (2015)

Editorial boards

  • OFFICINA (2014-), Scientific Committee member

Teaching

Collegi of the PhD programmes

  • DESIGN E TECNOLOGIA. PERSONE, AMBIENTE, SISTEMI, 2025/2026 (41. ciclo)
    Politecnico di TORINO
  • DESIGN E TECNOLOGIA. PERSONE, AMBIENTE, SISTEMI, 2024/2025 (40. ciclo)
    Politecnico di TORINO
  • DESIGN E TECNOLOGIA. PERSONE, AMBIENTE, SISTEMI, 2023/2024 (39. ciclo)
    Politecnico di TORINO

Collegi of the degree programmes

Teachings

PhD

MostraNascondi A.A. passati

Master of Science

MostraNascondi A.A. passati

Bachelor of Science

MostraNascondi A.A. passati

Research

Research projects

Projects funded by competitive calls

Projects funded by commercial contracts

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Supervised PhD students

Publications

Publications by type

PoliTO co-authors

Last years publications

Latest publications View all publications in Porto@Iris

Knowledge Valorisation

Technology transfer

Patents and other intellectual properties