Energy transition, the evolution of healthcare systems, sustainability, and the unprecedented potential of the Quantum Era: these are the main themes addressed in the debut edition dedicated to "Tech for Humanity"
Rome, April 14, 2026 – The meeting was held today first day of EmTech Italy, the flagship international format of MIT Technology Review dedicated to emerging technologies. Organized together with theUniversità Campus Bio-Medico di Roma and hosted in the spaces of the Cu.Bo (CUltural BOx), the event brought together leading figures from the scientific, academic, industrial, and institutional worlds to analyze the major transformations underway driven by innovation. The event was intended as a space for open dialogue, guided by the paradigm of "Tech for Humanity".
The goal of the day was establish how innovation should be designed, from the outset, to respond to global societal challenges, placing collective well-being at the center of scientific, algorithmic, and industrial development. During the course of the work, the following speakers alternated: keynotes, round tables and in-depth discussions which saw the participation of numerous world-renowned experts. They brought their contributions to the stage figures of extraordinary importance, including, Thomas Poggio (MIT), Rocco Papalia (Rector Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma), Robert Nistico (President of the Italian Medicines Agency - AIFA), Sangeet Paul Choudary (World Economic Forum, Global Future Council, Director Platformation Labs) e Mercedes Balcells-Camps (Massachusetts Institute of Technology).
The contents of the first day
Today Much attention has been paid to the role of artificial intelligence as a lever for change on a global scale in the health, energy and industrial sectors, addressing the essential ethical and social implications related to its diffusion. Other central elements of the day were practical demonstrations ("live demos") such as the project TWIN - a new robotic exoskeleton for lower limbs, the result of the collaboration between the Italian Institute of Technology and the Inail Prosthetics Centre in Budrio (Rehab Technologies IIT – INAIL) - and AlterEgo, also developed by IIT and the “E. Piaggio” Center of the University of Pisa, is a remotely controlled robot avatar, designed to act as a human alter ego to provide remote assistance, for example to contain the risk of contagion or to explore dangerous areas such as those affected by earthquakes.
The dichiarations
For over 120 years, we have always had a goal: to inspire and guide decision makers towards a conscious use of technology, with a constant focus on the impact it can have on the society we live in. MIT Technologies Review Italia is not only a window on the world, but also a showcase for Italy's excellence. We have so much of it; we are truly a leading country in the scientific and academic fields. said Tommaso Canonici, editor of MIT Technology Review Italia.
"The theme of this second edition of Emtech Italy, "Tech for Humanity," represents for our university an assumption of cultural, scientific, and institutional responsibility. We face an era in which technology is increasingly impacting society, questioning not only how far it can advance but, above all, what idea of humanity and society it is helping to generate. Within this horizon, theUniversità Campus Bio-Medico di Roma In the context of Emtech Italy 2026, for us, the word "Humanity" takes on its most authentic meaning as the ethical and cultural orientation of scientific and technological development toward human dignity and the common good. It also directs the ability to train people capable of operating in complex systems where science, technology, and public decision-making are increasingly interdependent. We are not only called to innovate, but also to guide innovation, to create a more humane, equitable, and sustainable future.” he noted Rocco Papalia, Rector ofUniversità Campus Bio-Medico di Roma.
What characterizes the social context we live in today is speed. The time between the discovery of a new technology and its adoption has become increasingly shorter: just consider that it took the telephone 73 years to reach 50 million users, while an artificial intelligence tool reached 100 million users in just two months. This means that companies must be increasingly ready to integrate technology to grow their services and products, improving their market positioning. An event like EmTech 2026 provides an international, open, and up-to-date view of innovation: not abstract innovation, but extremely concrete, presented through practical and measurable cases that also highlight the real challenges of integrating it into projects. All this gives the Italian ecosystem the opportunity to prepare for the emerging technologies that will transform every sector—from health to energy to quantum—ensuring faster research and greater predictive capacity as drivers for the development of our companies. This perspective, offered by international representatives, Nobel Prize winners, and MIT professors, allows our ecosystem to align with global trends and be ready for those challenges that won't arrive tomorrow, but have already arrived." says Silvia Amato, General Manager of Opinno.
Tomorrow's program
Work will resume tomorrow, April 15, for the second and final day of EmTech Italy. The program will continue to explore the "Tech for Humanity" paradigm by exploring the further frontiers of innovation, with a particular focus on sustainable development, transformations in the world of work, and new challenges for the energy transition.
To discover and follow in summary all the panels and keynotes scheduled for tomorrow: https://emtechitaly.com/#agenda
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 will be an opportunity 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 Servizi per le aziende, Poste Italiane and ROAD – Rome Advanced District.
The second Italian edition of EmTech is coordinated by knowledge partners Opinion, ADL Consulting e Good & Partners.
To learn more about the event, speakers, and agenda: www.emtechitaly.com
