The National Research Council (CNR) (www.cnr.it) is a public organization. Its duty is to carry out, promote, spread, transfer and improve research activities in the main sectors of knowledge and its applications for the scientific, technological, economic and social development of the country. To this end, the activities of the organization are divided into macro areas of interdisciplinary scientific and technological research, concerning several sectors: biotechnology, medicine, materials, environment and land, information and communications, advanced systems of production, judicial and socio-economic sciences, classical studies and arts. CNR is distributed all over Italy through a network of institutes aiming at promoting a wide diffusion of its competences throughout the national territory and at facilitating contacts and cooperation with local firms and organizations.