Agenda

October 14 | October 15 | October 16

14 OCTOBER
Policy & Geo-politics

Agenda updated as of today. The timing and scheduling of the sessions may be subject to changes and additions.

PLENARY DAY 1

9:00 Registration of participants and speakers

9:00–10:00 Welcome coffee

10:20 Welcome remarks

10:30 Opening of the session

Message from Pope Leo XIV
Institutional Greeting
  • Adolfo Urso, Minister of Enterprises and Made in Italy (video address)
  • Maria Elisabetta Alberti Casellati, Ministro per le riforme istituzionali e la semplificazione normativa  
Interview
  • Alessio Butti, Undersecretary to the Presidency of the Council of Ministers for Innovation
Italian and European AI, and AI for Europe

Panel

  • Valeria Sandei, Chief Global AI Officer, Almaviva Group – President & CEO, Almawave Labs
  • Roberto Loro, Chief Technology Officer, Dedagroup
  • Uljan Sharka, Founder and CEO, Domyn
  • Claudio Bassoli, President and CEO, HPE Italia
  • Lucilla Sioli, Head, AI Office, European Commission (video address)

Topics: Making better use of European capabilities to become an “AI Continent”; the new regulatory framework and incentives; how to boost private investment in order to overcome Europe’s structural barriers to AI development; and how to build a European artificial intelligence market.

European Digital Independence and Geopolitics

Panel

Topics: European cloud infrastructure, AI and cybersecurity, High Performance Computing (HPC), data centres, AI Factories, AI Gigafactories, international tensions and hybrid warfare.

Rethinking the telecommunications sector: essential for frontier technologies, while revitalising investment

Panel

Topics: Digital Networks Act; revitalising investment in the telecommunications sector through the development of intelligent networks; rethinking the strategic role of tower companies; enhancing FTTH fibre-optic networks to enable new digital services.

Moderators

  • Nicola Porro, Host, “Quarta Repubblica” and “10 minuti”
  • Luigi Garofalo, Editor-in-Chief, Key4Biz and Cybersecurity Italia

13:30–14:30 Lunch

 
Day 1 – Working Sessions

ROOM 1

15:00 How can we create european champions or technology hubs, including from Italy?

  • Cecilia Colasanti, Chief Information Officer, Istat (Chair and Moderator)
  • Vincenzo Di Nicola, Head of the Artificial Intelligence Fund, CDP Venture Capital
  • Giorgio Metta, Scientific Director, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT)
  • Ivan Parisi, Director General and Chief Executive Officer, COMONExT – Innovation Hub

Topics: Startups, scaleups, venture capital and new regulations aimed at encouraging European and international investment in technological innovation, following the example of Silicon Valley in the United States; and potential improvements to the “EU Inc. – 28th Regime” proposal.

16:00 European digital and energy independence: building resilient digital infrastructure and connectivity in the geopolitical context

Topics: Energy security; energy transition; strategic digital and connectivity infrastructure; reducing energy costs through AI and digital technologies; autonomy in critical raw materials and rare earths; supply-chain security; industrial resilience.

ROOM 2

15:00

Digital Public Administration and healthcare: is Italy a model for Europe?

Topics: App IO and IT Wallet, SEND, Cie ID, Age Verification for social media, public-private partnerships in Italy and abroad, attracting investment, Digital Healthcare and FSE.

16:00 AI for Europe’s competitiveness

  • Fabio Bassan, Professor of International and EU Law, Roma Tre University (Chair and Moderator)
  • Cristiana Papiri, Digital Technology Director, Innovaway
  • Emilio Tosi, Full Professor (ASN) of Private Law and Private Law of New Digital Technologies, University of Milano-Bicocca

Topics: Making better use of European capabilities to become an “AI Continent”; how to boost private investment to overcome Europe’s structural barriers to AI development; and how to build the artificial intelligence market.

SPECIAL SESSION – PLENARY

students and universities RESERVED SESSION

University Research, Startups and Students

3:00 PM Speech

3:15–4:00 PM From the Lab to the Startup: Strategies and Experiences in Technology Transfer for Digital Networks and Services – organized by Fondazione RESTART

A discussion with startups originating from university laboratories within the RESTART programme, including how to detect deepfakes, how to create a digital twin of a network, and how to monitor the environment.

4:00–6:00 PM Capture The Flag – National Cyber Challenge

A national competition dedicated to cybersecurity and advanced digital skills, featuring a team of 5 students from each of the 23 ITS ICT Foundations, for a total of 100 young talents from across Italy – organized by Rete ITS ITALIA.

On the Jury: Barbara Strappato, Police Commissioner of Macerata, Polizia di Stato, and Marco Valerio Cervellini, Head of the Awareness Division, Agenzia per la Cybersicurezza Nazionale

October 14 | October 15 | October 16

15 OCTOBER
Investiments and Venture Capital

Agenda updated as of today. The timing and scheduling of the sessions may be subject to changes and additions.

PLENARY SESSION DAY 2

8:30–9:30 Registration of participants and speakers

9:00–10:00 Welcome coffee

09:30 Opening of the session

Moderator: Lorenzo Lo Basso, TV host and TG2 correspondent

Who will be the “architects” of technological innovation over the next 10 years?

Panel

  • Elena Maria Baralis, Vice-Rector, Politecnico di Torino
  • Silvia Conforto, Vice-Rector for Technology Transfer Policies, Roma Tre University
  • Davide Dattoli, Founder and Executive Chairman, Talent Garden
  • Euclide Della Vista, National Coordinator of the ICT Sector, ITS Academy Network
  • Mario Carpentieri, Pro-Rector for Research, Politecnico di Bari
  • Maria Pierro, Rector, University of Insubria
  • Fabio Petroni, Group Leader, European Molecular Biology Laboratory in Rome (EMBL)

Topics: Paradigm shifts in education and training; talent; skills; the labour market; university use cases and corporate patents.

Keynote Speech: Italy’s Quantum Opportunity: From National Ambition to Industrial Advantage

Awards Ceremony for the Teams that placed in the top 3 of the National Cyber Challenge, held on Day 1

Awards presented by: Barbara Strappato, Questore of Macerata, Polizia di Stato, and Marco Valerio Cervellini, Head of the Awareness Division, Agenzia per la Cybersicurezza Nazionale.

Digital Public Administration: is Italy a model for Europe?

Keynote Speech

  • Mario Nobile, Director General, Agenzia per l’Italia Digitale

Panel

Speech

Topics: IO App and IT Wallet, SEND, CIE ID, cloud services for public administration.

Strategies for energy independence, critical raw materials and rare earths

Keynote Speech

  • Chiara Criscuolo, Head, Productivity, Innovation and Entrepreneurship Division, OECD
     

Panel

Topics: Energy security; energy transition; reducing energy costs through AI and digital technologies; autonomy in critical raw materials and rare earths; supply-chain security; industrial resilience.

Frontier Technologies: Future Challenges for Italy and Europe?

Panel

  • Cosma Belli, Country Manager Italy, IQM
  • Antonio La Gatta, Department for Technological Innovation and Digital Transition
  • Massimo Morini, Digital Economy Research Lead at ADIA Lab. Professor at USI Lugano, Bocconi and Milan Polytechnic
  • Ugo Moschella, Full Professor of Theoretical Physics, Università dell’Insubria, Como
     

Topics: Projects and infrastructure already implemented and those planned for the near future; university use cases and corporate patents.

AI, Cybersecurity and Post-Quantum Cryptography. Are We Ready to Face the Next Generation of Cyber Threats?

Panel

  • Aldo Bisio, CEO, Engineering
  • Alessandro Colucci, President, Parliamentary Intergroup for Cybersecurity and Technology, Chamber of Deputies
  • Ivano Gabrielli, Director, Italian Postal Police and Cybersecurity Service
  • Mario Gaudino, Navy Captain, Head of the C4 and Security Department, Italian Navy General Staff
  • Davide Taibi, Full Professor, University of Southern Denmark
Interview
  • Andrea Quacivi, Director General, Italian National Cybersecurity Agency (ACN)
Interview
  • Alfredo Mantovano, Undersecretary of State to the Presidency of the Council of Ministers and Delegated Authority for the Security of the Republic – joining live remotely

Screening of the short film “19 secondi” produced by Mead in collaboration with Polizia di Stato

Topics: Cybersecurity and post-quantum cryptography: comparing the most advanced cryptographic techniques in preparation for Q-Day.

Moderators

13:30–14:30 Lunch

Ore 15:00 – SPECIAL SESSION

Space as a strategic domain and infrastructure: from the Space Economy to the Space Society

Interview

  • Luca Parmitano, ESA Astronaut and crew member of NASA’s Artemis III mission – joining remotely from Houston
  • Marco Ferrazzani, Director of Resources and Services, ESA – delegated by the Director General

Moderator

Topics: Italy, Europe and the United States as key players in the return to the Moon; strategies for autonomous European access to space; the EU Space Act; the Space Economy and New Space Economy; defence in space and defence from space.

Working Sessions Day 2

ROOM 1

16:00 AI, Quantum and cybersecurity for a common european defence

  • Edoardo Balestra, Admiral, Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, General Command of the Italian Coast Guard (Corps of the Port Captaincies)
  • Barbara Caputo, Advisor on Artificial Intelligence to the Minister of Defence and Professor, Politecnico di Torino (Chair and Moderator)
  • Matteo Corso, Legal, Compliance & Regulatory Affairs, Cellnex Italia
  • Vincenzo Pinto, Director of the Local Public Administration & Utilities (PAL) Market | Head of Cyber Security Line of Business (LoB) – Almaviva Group
  • Marco Pistoia, Chief Executive Officer, IonQ Italia, and SVP, Special Projects
  • Edoardo Carlo Raffiotta, Professor of Artificial Intelligence Law, University of Milano-Bicocca
  • Sharareh Afsharian, Head of PAS, Lutech
  • Federico Santi, Security Director DXC Technology Italia

Topics: Common European defence; Italy’s Defence Digital and Cyber Strategy; space and satellites; AI for cybersecurity; cyber defence; national security and cybersecurity; drones and dual-use technologies; innovative procurement.

ROOM 2

16:00 Frontier Technologies: quantum computing, HPC for quantum computing, Supercomputers and Blockchain

Topics: Projects and infrastructure already implemented and those planned for the near future; university use cases and corporate patents.

October 14 | October 15 | October 16

16 OCTOBER
The 10 Actions for a Europe Driving Digital Innovation

Agenda updated as of today. The timing and scheduling of the sessions may be subject to changes and additions.

PLENARY DAY 3

8:30–9:30 Registration of participants and speakers

9:00–9:30 Welcome coffee

9:30 Opening of the session

Healthcare that truly delivers through Innovation

Panel

  • Andrea Di Santo, CEO, Gpi Group
  • Silvestro Micera, Full Professor of Bioelectronics and Neural Engineering, The BioRobotics Institute, Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies, Pisa

Topics: Use cases on how to address real healthcare challenges, Electronic Health Record (FSE), AI for diagnosis and prevention, telemedicine and personalized medicine, data interoperability to reduce waiting lists, and the European Health Data Space (EHDS) Regulation.

Defence, National Security and Cybersecurity in the Age of Frontier AI and in the Geopolitical Context

Panel

Topics: Common European defence; Italy’s defence digital and cyber strategy; AI for cybersecurity; cyber defence; national security and cybersecurity; drones and dual-use technologies; innovative procurement.

How can we create european champions or technology hubs, including from Italy?

Panel

Topics: Startups, scaleups, venture capital and new regulations aimed at encouraging European and international investment in technological innovation, following the example of Silicon Valley in the United States; and potential improvements to the “EU Inc. – 28th Regime” proposal.

Interview – Social media: how can we protect minors? The italian proposal
Address
  • Alessio Butti, Undersecretary to the Presidency of the Council of Ministers for Technological Innovation
How can we ensure information integrity on social media in the age of AI and during election campaigns?
  • Alberto Barachini, Undersecretary to the Presidency of the Council of Ministers for information and publishing
  • Luana Lavecchia, Head of Government Relations for Italy, Greece, Malta and Cyprus, TikTok
  • Fabrizio Silvestri, Full Professor of Computer Science, Sapienza University of Rome

Topics: Generative and agentic AI; media; intellectual property; content protection; deepfakes and information integrity on social media; the creator economy; video and audio streaming platforms; employment.

Digital and frontier AI programmes of italy’s main political parties

Strategies for Italy and for a digital Europe in the electoral programmes of Italy’s main political parties.

Panel

  • Stefania Bonaldi, Head of Innovation, Professions and Public Administration, Democratic Party (PD)
  • Antonino Iaria, IX Commissione – Trasporti, Poste e TLC – Camera dei Deputati
  • Ivan Scalfarotto, Senator, Italia Viva

Topics: Making better use of European capabilities to become an “AI Continent”; the next two years will be crucial for Europe to establish a leading position in frontier AI, also through cooperation with trusted partners outside the EU; the new regulatory framework and incentives; how to boost private investment to overcome Europe’s structural barriers to AI development; and how to build the artificial intelligence market.

Closing session: The 10 Actions for a Europe driving Innovation

Presentation of the 10 Actions for a Europe driving Digital Innovation, developed from the contributions and key insights provided by the main speakers throughout the Forum. These actions will form the basis of the Manifesto for a Europe driving Innovation.

The Manifesto for a Europe driving Innovation, by the Digital Innovation Forum 2026, will serve as a practical tool to support policymaking by the European Commission, the European Parliament and EU Member States.

Moderators

Ore 13:00 – SPECIAL SESSION

Italy at the Forefront of Quantum Computing

At the conclusion of the Digital Innovation Forum, the inauguration of Italy’s first Quantum Supercomputer will take place at Villa Saporiti – with a live link to Villa Erba – the inauguration of “Volta B1”, Italy’s first industrial quantum annealer and one of Europe’s most advanced quantum infrastructures. The initiative is part of the celebrations marking the bicentenary of the death of Alessandro Volta.

* Awaiting confirmation

October 14 | October 15 | October 16