On January 13th at Expo Dubai IFAB talks about the Italian Data Valley and future perspectives during the event ‘The Data Valley meets EXPO’ co-organized with ART-ER and Associazione Big Data.

Through the last years, the Emilia-Romagna Region, thanks to the extraordinary concentration of supercomputing capacity and the traditional presence of an ecosystem based on research, knowledge and innovation, is now a leader in the Big Data sector. It is not a case that Bologna will host the Big Data Technopole, the new European research hub, where the ECMWF (European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts) and the Leonardo high performance computer are going to be settled.

The event provides for a technical-scientific forum, held at the Amphitheatre and Studio of the Italian Pavilion, and a networking event, held at the Cibus Pavilion “M-EAting Italy”.

The Artificial Intelligence Forum, that has a technical-scientific nature, presents the birth and development of of the Bologna Big Data Technopole by focusing on its scientific value and its potential for international attraction.

The debate will involve national and regional institutions as Maria Cristina Messa and Stefano Bonaccini. See the programme below.

The Italian Data Valley and future perspectives

Thursday, 13 January 2022
h. 2.15 – 6.00 pm GST (11.15 am – 3.00 pm CET)
Italy Pavilion – Amphitheatre

Moderator: Barbara Carfagna, Journalist

Welcome address and launch of the event

• Stefano Bonaccini, President of the Emilia-Romagna Region (online)
• Maria Cristina Messa, Minister for University and Research of the Italian republic (online)
• Vittorio Colao, Minister of Technological Innovation and Digital Transition of the Italian republic (online)
• Gianluigi Consoli, Director General, Internationalization and Communication, Ministry of University and Research of the Italian republic (online)
• Roberto Viola, Director General, Directorate General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology of the European Commission – DG CONNECT (online)
• Dubai Future Foundation (tbc)

Screening of the video “Data Valley Emilia-Romagna”

Introduction
Barbara Carfagna, Journalist

Round Table on Big Data and AI: the value of supercomputing for the development of science and society

• Francesco Ubertini, President of IFAB International Foundation Big Data and Artificial Intelligence for Human Development
• Muataz Al Barwani, Senior Director of the Center for Research Computing, New York University – Abu Dhabi
• Antonio Zoccoli, President of INFN – National Institute for Nuclear Physics, President of ABD – Big Data Association

Conclusions
Paola Salomoni, Regional Minister for Education, University, Research and Digital Agenda, Emilia-Romagna Region

Big Data and AI: tools to understand and imagine the future

3.30 pm – 4.45 pm GST (12.30 – 1.45 pm CET)
Moderator: Michela Milano, Full Professor, Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of Bologna.

Welcome address
Manlio Di Stefano, Under Secretarie of State, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Italian republic (video message)

Discussion panel

• Matteo Dell’Acqua, Director of the Bologna Data Centre of the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts
• Carlo Cacciamani, Director of the National Agency for Meteorology and Climatology ItalyMeteo
• Giovanni Roti, Professor, Department of Medicine, Parma University
• Sanzio Bassini, Director of the SuperComputing Applications and Innovation Department (SCAI) of CINECA, Technical Scientific Coordinator of IFAB – International Foundation Big Data and Artificial Intelligence for Human Development
• Giacomo Silvestri, Group Head of Digital, Sergio Zazzera, Head of Technical Computing for Geosciences & Subsurface Operation, ENI
• Leda Bologni, Head of Scale up Research Infrastructure, ART-ER

Conclusions
Vincenzo Colla, Regional Minister for Economic Development, Green Economy, Labour and Vocational training, Emilia-Romagna Region

Big data and AI Talents in Emilia-Romagna-Italy

h. 5.00 – 6.00 pm GST (2.00 – 3.00 pm CET)
Moderator: Barbara Carfagna, Journalist

Welcome address

• Giuseppe Finocchiaro, Italian Consul General in Dubai
• Paola Salomoni, Regional Minister for Education, University, Research and Digital Agenda, Emilia-Romagna Region

Talents in the Research and Innovation ecosystem of Emilia-Romagna
Morena Diazzi, Director General of the General Directorate for Knowledge Economy, Labour and Enterprise, Emilia-Romagna Region

Screening of the video “it-ER”

it-ER – International Talents Emilia-Romagna Program: tools and opportunities
Lara Porciatti, Participation and Attractiveness, ART-ER

Round table with Italian and EAU students / researchers / professionals and representatives of academia/local authorities/business

Conclusions
Vincenzo Colla, Regional Minister for Economic Development and Green Economy, Labour and Vocational Training, Emilia-Romagna Region

Talks on Big Data and AI and their impact on our future

h. 6.30 – 10.00 pm GST (3.30 – 7.00 pm CET)
M-Eating Italy Pavilion
Moderated by Barbara Carfagna, Journalist

Welcome address
Emma Petitti, President of the Legislative Assembly of Emilia-Romagna

• Rita Cucchiara, Full Professor University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Director of AIRI (Artificial Intelligence Research and Innovation Center)
• Antonio Navarra, President of CMCC – Euro-Mediterranean Centre on Climate Change
• Eric Poe Xing, President of Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (TBC)

Networking and Dinner