The Italian Chemical Society is proud to announce the first edition of the Maria Bakunin Medal and its award to Catia Bastioli—chemist, President, and CEO of Novamont—internationally recognized for her pioneering work in the development of innovative and sustainable materials.
The award ceremony will take place on October 24, 2025, at 3:00 p.m., at the University of Naples Federico II.
A Portrait of Catia Bastioli
Born in Foligno in 1957, Catia Bastioli graduated in Chemistry from the University of Perugia and has since become a prominent scientist and entrepreneur. Since 2005, she has been the CEO of the Novamont Group, a company built upon her groundbreaking research into bioplastics and biochemicals derived from renewable sources. Her vision of a Circular Bioeconomy—centered on territorial regeneration and the preservation of soil and water quality—has shaped not only Novamont’s mission but the broader field of green innovation. Since the acquisition of Novamont by ENI Versalis in October 2023, she also serves as President of Novamont and Head of the Bio Chemistry Business Unit at Versalis.
Bastioli has chaired the Italian Cluster for Circular Bioeconomy (SPRING) since 2014 and led the Kyoto Club from 2009 to May 2024. Between 2014 and 2020, she was also President of Terna. Her expertise has been sought by various high-level groups of the European Commission, including the Bioeconomy Panel, the High-Level Panel on Decarbonization Pathways, and the Mission Board on Soil Health and Food.
She is the inventor of several families of patents related to biopolymers and renewable raw material processing technologies. In 2007, the European Patent Office and the European Commission honored her as “European Inventor of the Year” for her work on starch-based bioplastics developed between 1991 and 2001.
Over the years, Bastioli has received multiple honorary degrees: in Industrial Chemistry (University of Genoa, 2008), Materials Engineering (University of Palermo, 2016), Business Administration (University of Foggia, 2018), and a PhD honoris causa in Civil, Chemical, Environmental, and Materials Engineering (University of Bologna, 2019).
In recognition of her contributions to science and industry, she was appointed Knight of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic in 2013 by President Giorgio Napolitano, and Knight of Labour in 2017 by President Sergio Mattarella.
Most recently, on February 11, 2025, Catia Bastioli was named International Member of the US National Academy of Engineering (NAE) for her leadership in industrial bioplastics and her contribution to advancing the circular bioeconomy. She is the only Italian to receive this honor in 2025, and the only recipient in the fields of bioeconomy and bioplastics.
The Maria Bakunin Medal: A Tribute to Science and to Women
The Maria Bakunin Medal is a new award established by the Italian Chemical Society to honor women scientists who have charted new directions and envisioned innovative paths for the advancement of Chemical Sciences.
Named after Maria Bakunin (1873–1960)—the first woman to hold a professorship in Chemistry in Italy, at the University of Naples Federico II—the medal celebrates those who, like her, have expanded the boundaries of research and scientific culture, while fostering both the progress of knowledge and the inclusion of women in academia, science, and industry.