Dr. Chiara Turco is a researcher in the field of sustainable construction materials, circular approaches and nature-based solutions. She received her PhD from the Institute for Sustainability and Innovation in Structural Engineering (ISISE) at the University of Minho, Portugal, where she worked on the development of optimised earth-based mixtures using natural fibres, agro-industrial by-products, and biopolymers, for the advancement of compressed earth building materials. Chiara has experience in university-industry collaboration, and has carried out research at Columbia University’s Natural Materials Lab. Her expertise ranges from materials characterisation, performance testing, non-destructive evaluation, data-driven modelling and life cycle assessment. She is a reviewer for leading journals, vice-chair of the ESREL 2026 scientific committee and member of RILEM TC 318-BEC. Through the Med-IREN project, she is currently addressing climate resilience in EU communities.
