Alessandra Micozzi

Full Professor in Applied Economics, Università Mercatorum.

Alessandra Micozzi is a Full Professor of Applied Economics at Universitas Mercatorum and Dean of the Faculty of Social and Communication Sciences. She is a Visiting Associate Professor at the University of Ostrava. Her research focuses on high-tech and female entrepreneurship and technology transfer, and she has co-founded five innovative start-ups.

Cecilia Metra

Full professor in Electronics, University of Bologna.

Cecilia Metra received the Ph.D. in electronic engineering and computer science from the University of Bologna, Italy, where she is a Full Professor of Electronics and former President of the Engineering School. She is the 2025–2026 IEEE Director, Division VIII, and past IEEE Computer Society President (2019). She has also served as Editor-in-Chief of IEEE Transactions on Emerging Topics in Computing and Computing Now.

Fiorenza Succu

Chief Evangelist, AI4I.

Fiorenza Succu is Chief Evangelist at AI4I where she leads strategic communication and contributes to the development of the SUK ecosystem, connecting companies with AI solutions. An aerospace engineer educated at Politecnico di Torino and KTH Royal Institute of Technology, she has experience across multiple industrial sectors and supports organizations in translating Artificial Intelligence into concrete industrial and business value.

Lucia Floresta

Education Manager, Supercomputing ICSC.

Lucia Floresta is Education Manager at the National Center for Research in High Performance Computing, Big Data, and Quantum Computing, where she coordinates skills development projects in AI and HPC aimed at researchers, public institutions, companies, and startups.
With over ten years of experience in designing and managing training programs in the IT and Engineering domains, she has led initiatives in AI, data science, cybersecurity, and e-mobility, collaborating with companies, universities, and innovation stakeholders.

Matteo Bertocchi

CEO and co-founder, Novac S.r.l.

Matteo Bertocchi is the CEO and co-founder of Novac Srl, a company pioneering the development of advanced supercapacitors for high-performance applications in electric mobility and aerospace. Matteo was born in Genova, in Italy. With a background in Vehicle Engineering from the University of Modena, Matteo has extensive experience in the automotive industry. Finally, Matteo has participated in several acceleration programs for startups, at the Italian level and especially in international contexts, such as those of Berlin, San Francisco, Houston, Hong Kong and Tokyo.

Fabio Penzo

Entrepreneur and Start-up consultant.

Fabio Penzo is a serial entrepreneur and startup operator with two successful exits totaling over $150M. He has also supported eight companies as an advisor, contributing to combined exits exceeding $380M. Former Global Sales Director at Arduino, where he led more than 60% of global revenue, he is now the founder of Execution Partners, an operating model that supports European deep-tech founders in transforming promising technologies into scalable companies. His focus is on pre-seed and seed stages, with hands-on involvement in execution, fundraising, and go-to-market strategies. His current portfolio includes startups in AI, data infrastructure, and olfactory digitization. He is developing a €50M fund planned for launch in 2028.

Alvise Bonivento

Co-Founder & Investment Director, Indaco Venture Partners SGR.

Alvise Bonivento is one of the founders of Indaco Venture Partners, a primary venture capital firm operating in Italy, where he is a Partner and Investment Director of the funds Atlante Ventures, TTVenture and Indaco Ventures I. His investment focus is deeptech where he gained experience as an investor, board member, and was able to secure several successful exits with crossborder M&A and IPO. Previously, Alvise had several othe professional experiences as a researcher in Silicon Valley, and management cosulting experience at McKinsey & Co. Starting from 2009 he operates as a venture capital professional where he managed several successful investments both domestic and international. He holds a Laurea degree in Communication Engineering from the University of Padova in 2002, and a PhD in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from the University of California at Berkeley in 2007.   

Antonio Prigiobbo

Innovation Designer, civic activator, and serial innovator.

Author and co-author of books and works dedicated to New Media and cultural innovation, including New Media (adopted in university curricula since 2000 and later updated under the title Theory and Technique of New Media) and InNoveTempì, a mobile art app developed with Giovanni Anceschi and presented in international contexts. An expert in Design Management and business development, he works as a temporary manager in Italy and abroad, supporting public and private organizations in strategic innovation processes. He has gained extensive experience in development policies and innovation within Public Administration. For over twenty years, he has been actively engaged in teaching at undergraduate programs, master’s courses, and workshops, collaborating with major universities in Campania (University of Naples, L’Orientale University of Naples, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, University of Salerno), as well as with institutions such as the Scuola Normale Superiore in Pisa, the University of Parma, and IUAV University of Venice. He has also delivered international lectures in Lisbon and Paris, contributing to the education of new generations of innovation professionals. Founder and Director of NAStartUp, he is among the key accelerators of the startup ecosystem in Southern Italy, fostering connections between entrepreneurship, research, and local communities.