Antonio Calegari is the founding Director of AI4I. This was unanimously made by the Supervisory Board at its meeting on 2 December 2024. The appointment marks the conclusion of the Institute’s operational start-up phase.
The Selection Process
The choice of Calegari is the result of a selection process that started last summer with an international call for applications which attracted over 80 candidates from all over the world. AI4I was supported by the executive search firm ‘Key2People Srl’ and a search committee composed of experts in the scientific, technological, industrial and strategic fields. This resulted in an initial short list of 11 candidates, later reduced to 4, assessed through the support of the AI4I Scientific Committee, chaired by Simone Ungaro of Leonardo Spa. Finally, the choice among the last three shortlisted names was entrusted to the Supervisory Board.
Who is Antonio Calegari
Born in 1966, Antonio Calegari has a high-level education, with a degree in physics from the University of Milan and a MBA from INSEAD. His career path includes leading roles in national and international companies such as Vodafone, Sirti, Diners Club and Carlson Wagonlit Travel. In recent years, he has shown strong entrepreneurial skills by founding and consolidating “Artificialy”, a Swiss start-up specialising in Artificial Intelligence.
The comment of Fabio Pammolli, AI4I’s President
The arrival of Calegari is a sign of a precise choice to enhance the managerial and entrepreneurial skills of a competent, passionate and knowledgeable businessman”. Thanks to Calegari the institute aims to evolve into a hub that facilitates the meeting of supply and demand for solutions relevant to Italian industry, also assuming the role of a marketplace for small companies already operating in this sector.
Calegari, also thanks to the support and guidance of the Scientific Committee, will be able to work from now on to ensure that AI4I will be a place of attraction for young researchers who want to develop algorithms, solutions and services aimed at industrial applications, starting with those in the aerospace and automotive sectorsIn the coming months, also thanks to Antonio Calegari’s decisive contribution, the structures and processes that will support the full implementation of AI4I’s strategic plan will be completed.
