The second Italian edition of the international format of the MIT Technology Review confirmed the success of the "Tech for Humanity" paradigm, hosting Nobel Prize Winner Philippe Aghion, practical demonstrations of advanced robotics, and discussions on the impact of AI on the health and energy transition sectors.The event brought together experts and institutional leaders, consolidating the role of the Italian ecosystem as a central hub for guiding scientific and algorithmic innovation towards fair and sustainable development models.
Rome, April 20, 2026 – The two days of the tournament ended with 1342 attendees EmTech Italy 2026, MIT Technology Review's flagship international event dedicated to emerging technologies.Organized together atUniversità Campus Bio-Medico di Roma and hosted in the spaces of the Cu.Bo (CUltural BOx), The event featured 24 panels and keynote speeches by 60 international experts, scientists, academics, and institutional leaders.
Following the common thread of this second edition, "Tech for Humanity," we analyzed how innovation must be designed to place collective well-being at the center of algorithmic and industrial development. World-renowned figures took the stage, starting with Nobel Prize winner Philippe Aghion, who urged Europe to lead the development of a new ethical AI thanks to its unique values linked to common welfare, democracy and climate. Together with him, international experts brought their contribution, including Thomas Poggio (MIT), Rocco Papalia (Rector UCBM), Andrea Rossi (CEO and DG UCBM), Robert Nistico (President AIFA), Sangeet Paul Choudary (World Economic Forum), Paola pisano (Professor and Former Italian Minister of Innovation, University of Turin) e Georgia Garganese (Director of the Women's Health Center for Digital and Personalized Medicine - W-MINED - Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore).
The event offered a wide range of Overview of artificial intelligence applied to medicine, industry, and energyThere was no shortage of practical demonstrations such as TWIN presentation, the new robotic exoskeleton for lower limbs created by IIT and INAIL, and of AlterEgo, the robot avatar for remote assistance in risk areas developed by IIT and the University of Pisa. On the second day, the focus was on perspectives of the quantum era, on the new frontiers of the energy transition and on the evolution of the world of work.
Among the distinctive elements of this edition, the introduction of the side event represented a significant innovation: hands-on sessions designed to immediately translate the insights emerging from the panels into practice. These more focused spaces for work and discussion allowed businesses, researchers, and institutions to explore use cases, share experiences, and initiate concrete projects, strengthening EmTech Italy's role not only as a forum for debate, but also as an active platform for experimentation and innovation activation.
An integrated vision for global challenges
With the conclusion of the second day, EmTech Italy 2026 confirms its role as an international platform for discussion, connecting research, industry, and institutions, offering a concrete and multidisciplinary vision of emerging technologies. From artificial intelligence to sustainability, from health to energy, to the future of work, the 2026 edition highlighted how innovation can no longer be considered in isolation but must be designed and governed based on its impact on society and the planet.
EmTech Italy 2026 strongly confirms the success of a journey that, in just two years, has brought Italy to the center of the international debate on emerging technologies. The significant growth in attendance and the extraordinary quality of the presentations demonstrate the strong demand for discussion on innovation, artificial intelligence, energy, and life sciences. We have built a platform capable of attracting global leaders, institutions, and businesses, demonstrating that our country can be an authoritative hub for driving technological transformations in a sustainable manner and geared toward the common good. This result is just the beginning of an even more ambitious journey. Tommaso Canonici, editor of MIT Technology Review Italia.
“The great success of the second edition of EmTech Italy - he underlined the Rector prof. Rocco Papalia - confirms the choice of theUniversità Campus Bio-Medico di Roma To address the challenges of the future in the present. Over these two days, we engaged with scientists, entrepreneurs, international managers, and representatives of the highest national institutions. We shared with all of them our vision of the university: a bridge between cutting-edge technologies and research and the world of business and institutions. Multidisciplinarity, discussion, and dialogue are the foundation of developing skills that keep pace with the times, in a period of great technological change and intense global competition, in which we need not only good ideas but also the ability to transform them into tools that truly contribute to the good of society. In this sense, our University, which for over thirty years has made "Science for Man" its motto, believes in an education that helps future professionals understand how science can shape people's lives and well-being today. And that supports them, guided by solid values, to operate with the dignity of the individual and the common good always as their guiding principle.
“This second edition of EmTech Italy 2026” adds Silvia Amato, General Manager of Opinno "it was a moment of real connection for the Italian ecosystem of innovation, an opportunity to build relationships, activate collaborations, and foster a mature dialogue between research, business, and institutions. At the same time, the exchange with speakers and global perspectives has opened up concrete directions for work, confirming that we are a full participant in an international conversation. Technologies are structurally redefining key sectors such as healthcare, longevity, energy, and well-being: EmTech Italy is the place where Italy is addressing these transformations alongside the rest of the world.”
The event's partners
EmTech Italy 2026 is made with the support of Intesa Sanpaolo e Takeda, the initiative's main partner and one of the key players in the innovation ecosystem. For theUniversità Campus Bio-Medico di Roma and the Banking Group was the occasion to present the first results of the Global Health Observatory "Tech4GlobalHealth”.
They are joined by a group of companies engaged in the digital and technological transition, which helps to outline the overall profile of the edition: argenx, A2A, Bracco, Cisco, eFM, Enel, Experis - brands of ManpowerGroup, Federchimica Assobiotec, Gruppo FS, IBM, LB Services for companiesde, Poste Italiane and ROAD – Rome Advanced District. The second Italian edition of EmTech is coordinated by knowledge partners Opinion, ADL Consulting e Good & Partners.
