Cross-Cutting Activity 3
Cross-Cutting Activity 3 (CC3) represents an occasion for innovation to meet community engagement in Northeastern Italy. Designed to foster inclusive communication, CC3 goes beyond traditional outreach by actively involving citizens, local communities, and civil society in the research and innovation process. Indeed, by gathering people’s insights on disruptive technologies—such as artificial intelligence and Digital Twins, the core focus of Spoke 9 initiatives—it is possible to make them understand the impact of research and innovation on their daily lives and increase trust in science.
For Spoke 9, it is essential to disseminate key topics related to Digital Twins within scientific and academic communities as well. This effort aims to foster digital transformation in research sectors where its full potential has yet to be unlocked and where it is often seen as a complex and challenging subject.
Local community engagement
Immaginario Scientifico exhibit
At Trieste’s Immaginario Scientifico, SISSA, with the support of iNEST, has created an interactive, game-based exhibit that brings scientific discoveries to life through the personal stories of its researchers. Their direct involvement enriches the experience, strengthening the connection between science and society.
Players explore the four main areas of SISSA’s research—physics, mathematics, neuroscience, and science communication—by solving random questions. As they uncover the right answers, they gain a deeper insight into both research and the scientists behind it. Photos and videos are incorporated for an immersive, dynamic experience.
Credits: Michele Scozzai
European Mobility Week 2024
From 16th to 22nd September 2024, the European Mobility Week (EMW)—the European Commission’s largest awareness campaign on sustainable urban mobility—took place. This initiative provides local authorities with a platform to test innovative planning strategies and promote new infrastructures and technologies. The theme of the 2024 edition was “Public Space Sharing”.
As part of the effort to encourage behavioral shifts toward active mobility, public transportation, and other sustainable and smart transportation solutions, iNEST Spoke 9 took part in Trieste’s EMW. On 17th September, Prof. Gianluigi Rozza delivered a speech during Argonauts—A Journey for Life, an event for high school students held at Porto Vecchio’s Magazzino 26 in collaboration with the Municipality of Trieste. His talk explored the future of cities and complex systems, highlighting Digital Twins as a transformative technology poised to reshape urban environments.
Trieste Next 2024
Trieste Next is a three-day Festival of Scientific Research held annually in Piazza Unità d’Italia, Trieste. The 2024 edition, taking place from 27th to 29th September, focused on “The Horizons of Knowledge.” Representing iNEST Spoke 9, the SISSA mathLab research group explored this theme through the lens of AI with an engaging two-part activity at SISSA’s exhibition space: Challenge Artificial Intelligence!
People of all ages confronted AI in two interactive challenges: playing the Snake videogame and distinguishing pictures of animals from those of objects that resembled them. The first activity encouraged participants to reflect on the learning capabilities of artificial intelligence, while the second tested the accuracy of image recognition algorithms in comparison to human abilities. Beyond the fun and challenge, the activity served as a springboard for researchers to introduce key concepts related to Digital Twins and the research of Spoke 9.
Credits: AI Forum Tavagnacco
Artificial Intelligence Forum
From 18th to 20th October 2024, Tavagnacco—a town in the province of Udine—hosted the first edition of Artificial Intelligence Forum: Generative Cities and Contemporary Societies, a new science festival organized with the contribution of SISSA and iNEST. The festival aims to stimulate reflection on the evolving relationship between artificial intelligence and society.
As part of the AI Forum, AI: research and innovation in the territory—a session curated by SISSA in collaboration with iNEST, SMACT Competence Center, and Maritime Technology Cluster FVG—took place on 19th October. The session featured two roundtable discussions. The first one, with Prof. Gianluigi Rozza and representatives from Danieli and Electrolux, offered citizens valuable insights into the positive impact of AI research and innovation on the industrial and academic landscape of Friuli Venezia Giulia.
The festival also featured the Generative Cities Hackathon—a challenge to design creative solutions for future smart cities using advanced AI technologies. The Vox Connect team, consisting of four SISSA PhD students, ranked third in the Hackaton.
Scientific community engagement
13th National Conference on Science Communication
From 28th November to 1st December 2023, SISSA’s Interdisciplinary Laboratory organized the 13th edition of the National Conference on Science Communication. Supported by iNEST, the conference served as a platform for more than 300 professionals and students in the field of science communication to exchange ideas and perspectives.
As part of the conference, a panel discussion titled Can There Be Innovation Without Communication? took place on December 1st at the Revoltella Auditorium. The panel featured media, institutional, and academic representatives—including Prof. Gianluigi Rozza—who answered the initial rhetorical question by stating that communication is at the heart of innovation. Indeed, innovation thrives through teamwork, valuing ideas from diverse fields, and engaging with customers, citizens, partners, and scientists. The discussion also included references to iNEST and other projects that are part of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR).
SIAM UQ24—Conference on Uncertainty Quantification
From 27th February to 1st March 2024, a new edition of SIAM UQ24—Conference on Uncertainty Quantification—organized by SISSA with the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (SIAM) and sponsored by iNEST—took place at Trieste’s Stazione Marittima and Savoia Excelsior Palace. With over 1,000 participants, SIAM UQ24 attracted a diverse array of professionals from various fields, including physicists, engineers, computer scientists, and data scientists. This broad spectrum of attendees ensured a rich exchange of ideas and encouraged interdisciplinary collaboration.
The conference was anticipated by Power of Diversity in Uncertainty Quantification, held at SISSA on 26th February. This event focused on the pivotal role of inclusivity within the scientific community.
To showcase the impact of iNEST to an international audience, the mini-symposium MS101, named Models, Methods, Computational Technologies for Digital Twin in iNEST: Innovation Ecosystem, was held on 28th February at Stazione Marittima. Among the speakers were Prof. Gianluigi Rozza and Spoke 9 researcher Laura Meneghetti. This mini-symposium offered a significant opportunity to reach out to the community of applied mathematicians, even those not directly involved in innovation.
Scientific Machine Learning, Emerging Topics 2024
From 18th to 21st June 2024, Scientific Machine Learning, Emerging Topics—an international conference on mathematics, machine learning, and their applications in scientific computing and engineering—took place at SISSA.
A panel discussion on iNEST provided a platform to present Spoke 9 research outcomes and key initiatives, such as the development of TCube. This discussion offered an opportunity to raise awareness of the industrial impact of research within the international academic community, positioning iNEST as a leading example.
Young Applied Mathematics Conference 2024
From 16th to 20th September 2024, the fourth edition of the Young Applied Mathematicians Conference (YAMC)—an event co-funded by SISSA and iNEST—took place in Rome. The conference was coordinated by Spoke 9 researcher Federico Pichi, recipient of a Young Researcher Grant, and co-organized by Giuseppe Alessio D’Inverno.
The conference, centered on topics such as numerical modeling, machine learning, and statistical analysis, actively engaged young mathematicians and computer scientists. Participants had the opportunity to present their research findings, as well as attend introductory courses and parallel sessions, fostering a collaborative and dynamic environment for learning and innovation.
Learning on Graphs 2024—Italy meetup
From 4th to 6th December 2024, the Italy meetup of Learning on Graphs 2024 (LoG), sponsored by SISSA and iNEST, was held in Siena. The meetup was organized by Spoke 9 researchers Federico Pichi and Giuseppe Alessio D’Inverno, with the aid of Pichi’s funds coming from his Young Researcher Grant.
Mathematicians from Italy working in geometry and graph machine learning had the chance to connect with one another and engage with leading Italian experts in these fields. This provided a unique opportunity for collaboration, knowledge exchange, and building professional networks.