The Agorai Innovation Hub has been established in Trieste as a new center for research and education, with the goal of developing AI- and data science-based solutions to address major contemporary challenges. The project brings together scientific institutions, public entities and leading industrial players within an organizational model designed to integrate basic research, industrial innovation and talent development.
Alongside SISSA, the initiative involves key economic and industrial players at both local and international levels, a public institution, academic partners and world-class research centers. These include: the Autonomous Region of Friuli Venezia Giulia, Assicurazioni Generali together with Banca Generali and Generali Italia, Fincantieri and Fondazione Fincantieri, illycaffè, Goldman Sachs, the University of Trieste, the University of Udine, MIB Trieste School of Management, the Italian Institute of Technology (IIT) and Deloitte, with the participation of the Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP).
The Hub will be based in Palazzo Carciotti, an iconic building in Trieste currently undergoing major renovation by Generali Real Estate under the architectural direction of Carlo Ratti.
The structure of the Hub includes a Foundation, which will focus primarily on basic research, and a joint-stock company named Agorai Innovation Hub, responsible for applied research through the implementation of case studies across multiple sectors, aimed at developing innovative solutions powered by advanced AI algorithms and big data technologies. A third component, the Open Academy, will serve as an educational and outreach platform open to the local community and the scientific ecosystem, leveraging the expertise of both academia and the corporate world.
As strategic partner, Google Cloud will provide cutting-edge cloud infrastructure optimized for AI, as well as access to advanced language models and predictive systems such as Gemini and AlphaFold. Deloitte will support the project’s development from a managerial and strategic perspective, while Goldman Sachs will serve as the key partner in finance and capital markets.
With the claim “Humanaize the Future”, the project aims to promote a form of intelligence that is not only artificial, but also capable of generating a positive social impact, grounded in sustainability and collective well-being. The activities of the Agorai Innovation Hub will initially focus on four main areas: health and well-being, regenerative agriculture and nutrition, mobility and transportation, and finance and financial markets.