Italy has often been at the forefront of renewable energy innovation, from solar rooftops and building façades to floating panels on lakes. Now Italian scientists are pushing the boundaries even further - below the surface of the sea.

The latest breakthrough comes from a research team working within CNR, the National Research Council of Italy, which has discovered how to adapt a special perovskite crystal so that it not only survives but actually thrives underwater. The spark came when simulations suggested that a perovskite known as FAPbBr₃ could generate more energy beneath the sea than in open air.