‘Agorai Innovation Hub’ kicks off in Trieste: a unique ecosystem of basic and applied research leveraging advanced Data Science and Artificial Intelligence to improve the quality of human life

• Agorai Innovation Hub is promoted by Friuli Venezia Giulia Autonomous Region, Generali, Fincantieri and Fondazione Fincantieri, illycaffè, University of Trieste, International School for Advanced Studies (SISSA), University of Udine, MIB Trieste School of Management, Italian Institute of Technology (IIT), with the participation of the Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP)
• Google Cloud will be the strategic innovation partner for the Hub
• Deloitte will support by business side and Goldman Sachs will be the research partner in relation to finance and financial markets
• Palazzo Carciotti, a symbol of Trieste and the original headquarters of Generali, will become the Hub's headquarters, featuring an innovative design by Carlo Ratti
• Agorai Innovation Hub will train talent, promote knowledge transfer, and foster the creation of innovative startups
• Key research areas will be: health and wellbeing; regenerative agriculture and food; mobility and transport; finance and capital markets

Trieste – ‘Agorai Innovation Hub’ was presented today in Trieste, an ecosystem formed by leading organizations created to establish one of the most important centers for applied and basic research on Data Science and advanced Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Italy and Europe, as well as a cutting-edge training center at the European level.

The initiative will leverage the potential of technology to guide technological and scientific development towards goals that focus on the quality of life, serving humanity and communities, and contributing to the well-being of a free, sustainable, and regenerative society. The headquarters will be in Trieste, a historic meeting point for cultures and commerce with a consolidated entrepreneurial and scientific tradition, creating an international reference point for research, open to new collaborations and synergies.

The Hub involves significant local and international economic and entrepreneurial entities, with a public entity, academic institutions and internationally renowned research centers: Friuli Venezia Giulia Autonomous Region, Assicurazioni Generali together with Banca Generali and Generali Italia, Fincantieri and Fondazione Fincantieri, illycaffè, Goldman Sachs, University of Trieste, International School for Advanced Studies (SISSA), University of Udine, MIB Trieste School of Management, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), Deloitte, with the participation of Abdus Salam International Center for Theoretical Physics (ICTP).

The participants in the project will contribute with funding, personnel, expertise, and case studies, in order to maximize the synergies and benefits of collaboration within the innovative ecosystem.

Google Cloud, as strategic innovation partner for the Hub, will make some of its most advanced Artificial Intelligence resources available to the project. This support will take shape through the provision of cutting-edge cloud platforms and infrastructure and access – including early access – to large language models (LLMs) like Gemini and solutions such as AlphaFold, the Artificial Intelligence system developed by Google Deepmind that can predict the three-dimensional structure of proteins.

Deloitte, a leader in strategic, managerial, and technological consulting, will support the initiative on the business side by providing the necessary services to support the research and go-to-market of the developed solutionss. This collaboration is based on a deep sharing of values and ambitions.

Goldman Sachs will be the research partner in relation to finance and financial markets.

THE STRUCTURE OF ‘AGORAI INNOVATION HUB’

The ecosystem includes the establishment of a Foundation, which will primarily focus on basic research, and a joint-stock 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, a center 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 Group Academy, which is based in Trieste.

THE HEADQUARTERS AT PALAZZO CARCIOTTI

The headquarters of ‘Agorai Innovation Hub’ will be Palazzo Carciotti, a symbol of Trieste and the original headquarters of Generali, which 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. Purchased 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 the adjacent Palazzo Berlam, already home to the Generali Academy.

WHY ‘AGORAI INNOVATION HUB’

The word “Agorai” represents the bond of past and future, combining the meaning of the agorà, a place of exchange and collective growth in Greek cities, with innovation as the engine of tomorrow. This connection intertwines with the history of Palazzo Carciotti, a crossroads of economic and social exchanges, which today is renewed in continuity with the past.

From commercial space to a hub of ideas, research, and technology, “Agorai” expresses a historical continuity where knowledge and innovation intertwine to build a future in which technological transformation serves humanity. The name indicates the ecosystem as a whole but also emphasizes the theme of AI (the alpha and iota at the beginning and end of the word). The colors represent the partners who created the project.

AN ECOSYSTEM OF EXCELLENCE PARTNERS

The project sees the participation of key players in the Italian and international landscape, divided into three sectors:

• Private: in addition to the Generali Group, with Assicurazioni Generali, Banca Generali, and Generali Italia, leading companies such as Fincantieri, Fondazione Fincantieri and illycaffè are participating, along with Goldman Sachs, as the research partner in relation to finance and financial markets. Deloitte will support on business side both the research activities and the go-to-market of the developed solutions. Google Cloud joins the project as a strategic innovation partner for the Hub, providing cutting-edge AI technologies, databases, analytics capacities, an AI-optimized infrastructure and training on the use of the most advanced AI models;
• Public: Friuli Venezia Giulia Autonomous Region, an important partner in the project, actively supports the initiative, recognizing its strategic value for the territory;
• Academic, research and education: a network of prestigious universities and research institutions, including the Universities of Trieste and Udine, International School for Advanced Studies (SISSA), Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), MIB Trieste School of Management and Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP), guarantees a solid scientific foundation for the project.

"HUMANAIZE THE FUTURE": THE MISSION OF THE SCIENTIFIC HUB

The goal of the ecosystem is to place the crucial challenges for the future of humanity and the planet at the center of scientific and technological research. The claim "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 in partnership with Agorai Innovation Hub 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 to ensure valuable longevity, for example, through the modeling of tumor 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 a virtuous circle between those who produce and those who consume coffee;
• 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 markets, for a secure and sustainable financial future.