Agorai Innovation Hub
In Trieste, a new research ecosystem is born, leveraging the most advanced Data Science and Artificial Intelligence technologies to improve human quality of life.
Formed by excellence entities, Agorai Innovation Hub is establishing one of the most important centers for applied and basic research on Data Science and advanced Artificial Intelligence in Italy and Europe, as well as a cutting-edge training center at the European level.
"Humanaize the Future": the hub's mission
Agorai's objective is to place the crucial challenges for the future of humanity and the planet at the heart of scientific and technological research. The motto "Humanaize the Future" summarizes the ambition to cultivate an intelligence that is not only artificial but also carries a true cultural transformation. In this context, technology is not an end, but a means to achieve goals that concretely improve people's lives.
The activities of the hub will be articulated in three main areas:
- Basic Research: developed by scientific institutions to explore the frontiers of AI and its applications;
- Applied Research: conducted by companies to translate scientific discoveries into concrete and innovative solutions;
- Open Academy: an academic initiative for the training of talent, the transfer of knowledge, and the creation of startups.
Ethics and the measurement of the impact of technological development will be fundamental guiding principles for all the hub's activities.
Key Research Areas to address the great challenges of the future
The research center will focus on key areas, which may expand in the future, drawing on the expertise of partners to generate new business models that have a positive impact on people's lives:
- Health and Wellbeing: develop technologies ensuring valuable longevity, for example, through the modelling of tumours evolution and drug response through machine learning;
- Regenerative Agriculture and Food: research and promote regenerative agronomic practices aimed at conserving biodiversity, renewing ecosystems, seeking well-being in cultivation areas, and fostering, regarding coffee production, a virtuous circle between those who produce and those who consume;
- Mobility and Transport: apply AI to improve the impact of mobility and transport, for example, through generative design and the optimization of logistics;
- Finance & Financial Markets: utilize AI and machine learning to innovate finance, investments, risk management, and cyber security, in support of the development of capital market, for a secure and sustainable financial future.
The Partners
The project sees the participation of key players in the Italian and international landscape, divided into three sectors:
- Private: in addition to Generali Group, with Assicurazioni Generali, Generali Italia and Banca Generali, leading companies such as Fincantieri and Illy are participating, along with Goldman Sachs and Deloitte. Google joins the project as a strategic innovation partner, providing cutting-edge AI algorithms, databases, machine learning, processors and dedicated personnel for training on the use of the most advanced AI models;
- Public: Friuli Venezia Giulia Autonomous Region actively supports the initiative, recognizing its strategic value for the territory;
- Academic: a network of prestigious universities and research institutions, including the Universities of Trieste and Udine, SISSA (International School for Advanced Studies), Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, MIB Trieste School of Management and ICTP (International Centre for Theoretical Physics), guarantees a solid scientific foundation for the project.
The structure
The ecosystem includes the establishment of a Foundation, which will primarily focus on basic research, and a company called 'Agorai Innovation Hub,' which will be dedicated to applied research through the implementation of case studies in various sectors, developing innovative solutions that leverage advanced AI algorithms and the potential of Big Data. Based on these solutions, the Hub will promote the support and development of start-ups, the attraction of talent, and the promotion of a digital culture, enhancing the excellence of the territory in an international context. In addition, an Open Academy will be developed for the provision of training and dissemination services for members and third parties, based on the skills and network of academic institutions and corporate training schools, such as the Generali Academy, which is based in Trieste.
The headquarters
Palazzo Carciotti, a landmark for Trieste and the original headquarters of Generali, will once again represent the city's innovative spirit. The Hub's headquarters will be located in the seafront portion of the Palace and will be conceived as a research center, a meeting place and exchange for researchers, entrepreneurs, and students. Acquired by Generali in early 2025, Palazzo Carciotti will undergo a major renovation and restoration project, managed by Generali Real Estate.
To bring the vision of 'Agorai Innovation Hub' to life, the architect, engineer, and urban planner Carlo Ratti, director of the MIT Senseable City Lab and curator of the 2025 International Architecture Exhibition in Venice, has been appointed. His approach is particularly attentive to the intersection between architectural and urban design and its relationships with other disciplines, particularly with regard to the themes of technology and science.
During the restoration and enhancement work, the Hub's headquarters will be in Palazzo Berlam in Trieste, already home to the Generali Academy.
