On September 4, 2026, La Repubblica Torino dedicated a feature to Daniele Gammelli, 31, Director of AI4I’s Physical AI and Autonomous Systems Laboratory, focusing on his decision to continue in Turin a research career developed across leading international academic institutions.
Originally from Rome, Gammelli studied engineering before moving to Denmark, where he earned his PhD at the University of Copenhagen. He later joined Stanford University’s Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics. His research focuses on Physical AI and autonomous systems, ranging from autonomous vehicles and satellites to rovers and robots designed to operate in complex environments.
From Stanford to Turin
Speaking to La Repubblica, Gammelli explains his decision to join AI4I and move to Turin, highlighting both the Institute’s scientific potential and the opportunities offered by one of Italy’s strongest industrial ecosystems. The combination of major industrial players and a dense network of small and medium-sized enterprises creates an environment in which advanced research and industrial applications can develop in close connection. At AI4I, Gammelli aims to build a laboratory with the critical mass needed to compete internationally, while developing research capable of generating tangible impact beyond academia.
A growing international research community
Gammelli’s story is part of AI4I’s broader effort to attract international researchers and expertise to Turin. AI4I currently has 13 R&D Laboratories and a growing international scientific community. As of February 2026, the Institute had 51 contracted collaborators: 32 Italians, 9 from other EU countries and 10 from outside the EU. Gammelli’s move from Stanford to Turin is therefore one of the stories behind AI4I’s broader ambition: to build in Italy an Artificial Intelligence research hub capable of competing for and attracting talent on an international scale.
