Event program:

Monday 6 March at Palazzo Bo, Aula Magna of the University of Padua

–  from 10.30 to 12.00  the round table “Science and innovation: it is not a gender issue” on the female role in science, opened by the Undersecretary for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation,  Giorgio Silli , and moderated by the Corriere della Sera journalist  Giovanni Caprara .

Followed by speeches by:  Amalia Ercoli Finzi , aerospace engineer; Antonella Viola , Unipd teaching immunologist and scientific communicator; Chiara Montanari , first Italian expedition leader in Antarctica; Cinzia Zuffada , President of Italian Scientists and Scholars of North America Foundation (ISSNAF);

–  at 12.00  the “Science, She Says!” award ceremony to five female researchers “under 40” from as many areas of the world;

–  from 3.00 pm to 4.00 pm  institutional greetings, introduced by the Director General for the Promotion of the Country System,  Lorenzo Angeloni , by the Vice President of the Council of Ministers and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation,  Antonio Tajani , by the Minister of Business and of Made in Italy,  Adolfo Urso , of the Rector of the University of Padua,  Daniela Mapelli  and of the Astronaut  Luca Parmitano  (in video greeting);

This was followed by the presentation of the “Farnesina Award” and the “Innovation that speaks Italian” Award, awarded by Minister  Tajani ;

–  from 4.15pm to 5.45pm  the round table on “Space, the new frontier of internationalisation”, moderated by the journalist Giovanni Caprara, in which the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation,  Edmondo Cirielli , will speak ;

– introduced by the video message from  Giorgio Saccoccia , President of the Italian Space Agency, will also speak:  Marco Tavani , President of the National Institute of Astrophysics; Elena Grifoni Winters , Head of the PCM Space and Aerospace Policy Office; Erasmo Carrera , President of the Italian Association of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIDAA); Simonetta Di Pippo , Director of the Laboratory of Evolution of Space Economy, SDA Bocconi; Cristina Leone , President of CTNA-National Aerospace Technology Cluster.

Tuesday 7 March at Palazzo Liviano, Sala dei Giganti – Padua

The conference includes:

–  from 9.00 to 11.00  the Round Table on “Research as a driver of the competitiveness of the country system”, moderated by Giovanni Caprara, with speakers: Biodiversity –  Maria Chiara Carrozza , President of the CNR; Health –  Giuseppe Ippolito , Director General, Ministry of Health; Big Data –  Francesco Ubertini , President of CINECA; Strategic infrastructures –  Ettore Sequi , head of the Italian delegation to the Board of Government Representatives Einstein Telescope; The Trieste hub –  Caterina Petrillo , President of the Science Park Area;

– the speech of the Minister of University and Research,  Anna Maria Bernini ;

–  from 11.30 am to 1.30 pm  the round table on “The response of Italian innovation to new global challenges”, moderated by Giovanni Caprara, with speakers: Robotics –  Giorgio Metta , Scientific Director of the Italian Institute of Technology; Energy –  Francesca Zarri , Director of Technology, R&D and Digital, Eni; Life science –  Marco Baccanti , DG ENEA Tech and Biomedical; Artificial Intelligence –  Rita Cucchiara , Director of AI Research and Innovation Center UNIMORE; Computer Science –  Giorgio Ventre , Apple Developer Academy, Naples.