Generali unveils the new “Agorai Innovation Hub”
The research centre will be based in Palazzo Carciotti, a symbol of Trieste and Generali's first historic headquarters, where historical and artistic heritage meet innovation for people and communities
On April 8th, 2025, “Agorai Innovation Hub” was unveiled in Trieste, as a unique ecosystem of basic and applied research that will make use of the most advanced Data Science and Artificial Intelligence technologies to improve people's quality of life.
Bringing it to life together with Generali are major economic and business entities, both local and international, with the participation of internationally renowned academic institutions and research centres.
Artistic heritage, returned to the community
The “Agorai Innovation Hub” will be based in Palazzo Carciotti, landmark of Trieste and first headquarters of Generali, where the Company was founded in 1831.
Following the bid won by Generali, the building will be renovated and redeveloped by Generali Real Estate through a project led by Architect Carlo Ratti, also curator of the 2025 Architecture Exhibition in Venice.
As a historic meeting point of cultures and trade, Trieste boasts a well-established business and scientific tradition. Thanks to this operation, Generali will restore a building that has been a protagonist of the architectural and social history of the city to give it a new centrality as an international hub for scientific research, open to new collaborations and synergies.
Palazzo Carciotti: a landmark of history and architecture
Built between 1798 and 1805 according to the design by architect Matteo Pertsch, Palazzo Carciotti is the result of the vision of one person – the client Demetrio Carciotti, whose nephew, sharing the same name as his uncle, was among one of the first shareholders of Generali.
The original building combined a brilliant and innovative house-warehouse solution with a dedicated artistic and sculptural programme reflecting Trieste’s spirit of ambition, international openness, and patronage.
The palace boasts two monumental facades and a rich decorative and sculptural ensemble, symbolising the industriousness and commercial activities closely tied to the maritime port, through which the nouveau riche Carciotti had built his fortune.
Where history meets the future
Today, Palazzo Carciotti is where heritage becomes intertwined with innovation. The aim of the renovation is to maintain the integrity of the intersection of architectural and urban design and its relationship with other disciplines – especially with respect to technology and science, as the new “Agorai Innovation Hub” will be a meeting and exchange place for researchers, entrepreneurs, and students, where basic and applied research will be conducted using the most advanced Data Science and AI technologies.
Thanks to the “Agorai Innovation Hub” project, the artistic and historical heritage embodied by Palazzo Carciotti will be returned to the community as a centre for networking and innovation, reinforcing the ever-strong bond between art and society, through progress.
Serving humans and communities
The “Agorai Innovation Hub” is born to be one of the most important centres of applied and basic research on Data Science and advanced Artificial Intelligence in Italy and Europe, as well as cutting-edge training at the European level.
It will leverage the potential of cutting-edge technologies to drive technological and scientific development and improve the quality of life, contributing to the well-being of a free, sustainable and regenerative society.
Key research areas to address future challenges
The research hub will focus on key areas to develop new business models with a positive impact on people’s lives:
- Health and Wellness: technologies to ensure valuable longevity;
- Regenerative Agriculture and Food: regenerative agronomic practices, aimed at biodiversity conservation, ecosystem renewal, seeking well-being in growing areas;
- Mobility & Transportation: AI to improve the impact of mobility and transportation;
- Finance & Financial Markets: AI and machine learning to innovate finance, investment, risk management, and cyber security.
Partnering for innovation
The Hub involves significant local and international economic and entrepreneurial entities, as well as academic institutions and internationally renowned research centres:
- Friuli Venezia Giulia Autonomous Region
- Generali Group - with Assicurazioni Generali, Banca Generali, and Generali Italia
- Fincantieri
- illycaffè
- Google Cloud, as the strategic innovation partner
- Goldman Sachs, as research partner in relation to finance and financial markets
- Deloitte, supporting the initiative on the business side
- University of Trieste
- International School for Advanced Studies (SISSA)
- University of Udine
- MIB Trieste School of Management
- Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, with the participation of ICTP (International Centre for Theoretical Physics).
This network of partners does not only provide institutional, entrepreneurial, and academic support, but also a dynamic and interconnected fabric that actively contributes to shaping the Hub’s ecosystem. Each actor brings unique expertise and perspective, strengthening a collaborative space where innovation grows through exchange and shared purpose.
Technology for the future
The goal of this ecosystem is to promote scientific and technological research focusing on crucial challenges for the future of humanity and the planet.
The claim “Humanaize the Future” sums up the ambition to cultivate an intelligence that is not only artificial, but the bearer of true cultural transformation. In this sense, technology is not an end, but a way to achieve goals that concretely improve people’s lives.
