UK Science & Innovation Network in Italy
The Science and Innovation Network counts more than 110 officers based in over 40 countries/territories around the world. We engage with the local science & innovation community in support of UK policy overseas and also create strategic relationships to harness the value of science & innovation discoveries and investments overseas, leading to mutual UK and host-country benefits.
Science and innovation underpin the economies of both Italy and the UK. Encouraging work between the two countries therefore produces benefits for both.
To promote international collaboration the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office jointly fund the UK Science and Innovation Network in 40 countries around the world.
There is a dedicated Science and Innovation team in Italy, based at the British Embassy in Rome and at the British Consulate General in Milan; Italy is considered a key partner to the UK on science and innovation and it is the UK’s 4th research partner.
For an introductory brief which covers the local Science and Innovation landscape, UK priorities and successes in Italy, read the UK Science and Innovation Network Country Snapshot.
Our Services - Italy
- influence science and innovation policies of government, industry and academia to benefit the UK
- improve UK policy based on international experience and emerging opportunities and challenges with Italy
- stimulate strategic science collaborations and deliver wider policy goals
- harness Italian international technology partnerships and investment to grow UK innovation capability
We work in close collaboration with the Italy teams of the UK’s Department for Business and Trade and the British Council.
Our recent successes
Fighting Scientific Disinformation
In March 2022, SIN Italy invited the UK Science Media Centre to present their organisation and experience at the Ambassador’s Residence to a selected audience of journalists, communicators and scientists. The event sparked conversations between Italian experts and SMC, which SIN continued to facilitate. SIN supported the engagement of the National Science and Technology Museum in Milan with SMC, which resulted in the launch of the project “Fatti per Capire” (Made to Understand), a science communication venture which is closely modelled on the UK experience and intends to provide the media and the general public with the tools to make informed decisions about science and technology. Helen Jamison, Global Coordinator and Science Communications Consultant of the Science Media Centre and Mike Nithavrianakis, UK Consul General & Director of Trade & Investment, were present at the launch.
Environment and Technology
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in March 2021, the SIN Italy Team and Imperial College organised a UK-Italy virtual workshop on climate change mitigation and health benefits.
The event was part of the “All4Climate Italy 2021” official calendar of events. Roberto Cingolani - Minister for the Ecological Transition, Anne-MarieTrevelyan – Minister for Business, Energy and Clean Growth and UK International Champion on Adaptation and Resilience for COP26 and Nick Bridge FCDO Special Representative for Climate Change opened the event.
Discussion continued amongst a selected panel of Italian and UK scientists, practitioners and government officials, who analysed some fundamental issues such as how science can best inform policy decisions, how scientists and policy makers can interact and the presentation of some interesting local initiatives which provide health benefits while reducing CO2 emissions. The meeting was a unique opportunity for bilateral engagement ahead of COP 26, and produced an agenda which was presented to Italian and British governments. -
UK-Italy AI and robotics research collaboration workshop - over the last years, SIN Italy has fostered UK-IT bilateral exchange in Artificial Intelligence and Robotics by supporting multiple initiatives connecting experts and government officials. In March 2022, SIN and the Alan Turing Institute organised a workshop to look at the funding landscape and strategic priorities across both countries.
Participants identified themes of common interest, such as AI and robotics for healthy ageing, autonomous systems applications for extreme environments, and AI approaches to healthcare. The meeting also focused on Industry 5.0, which puts humans at the centre of technological and industrial developments. The outcomes of the workshop will contribute to identify a sub-set of scientific challenges and application domains where the two countries have a complementary and distinctive profile.
Global Health
In November 2022, SIN Italy, in collaboration with the Health Team at the Rome British Embassy, organised a two-day conference focussed on genomics and pandemic preparedness at the Ambassador’s Residence in Rome. Main topics were introduced in a plenary sessions, and further debated in 3 working groups:
- Sustainable surveillance systems
- Genomics for Vaccine, Therapeutics and Diagnostics Development
- New Pathogens Detection and Capability Building.
Chief Medical Adviser Susan Hopkins led a four-person delegation from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA). Italian Ministry of Health’s Research Director Giuseppe Ippolito, the President of the Italian National Health Institute Silvio Brusaferro, and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization’s Chief Veterinary Officer Keith Sumption also attended. Participants were keen to continue collaboration and exchanges with more bilateral visits between Government departments, which SIN and the Embassy will continue to facilitate.
Fostering Bilateral Links
- In February 2023, SIN Italy officially concluded the UK-IT BEST+SHAPE project (Bilateral Exchange in Science and Technology + Social Sciences Humanities & the Arts for People and the Economy), with the presentation of its final report (link). SIN Italy ideated this project with the aim of offering an overview of the current status of research collaborations between Italy and the United Kingdom in STEM, Health and SHAPE, in order to identify critical issues and propose solutions to improve cooperation.
The launch took place in the presence of Ambassador Ed Llewellyn, Maria Chiara Carrozza, President of the Italian National Research Council, Susie Kitchens, Vice Director Global Research & Innovation, UK Department for Science Innovation & Technology, and many of the Presidents of National Research Bodies and University Vice Chancellors. The event opened with a video by George Freeman, Minister of State in the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.
Contact details for SIN Italy team
Alessandra Ferraris
British Consulate General Milan
Tel +30 02 72300213
alessandra.ferraris@fcdo.gov.uk
Laura Nuccilli British Embassy Rome Tel +39 06 4220 2284 laura.nuccilli@fcdo.gov.uk
Follow us
Our Ambassador @EdLlewellynFCDO and @UKinItaly on Twitter.
UKinItaly on Facebook.