September 2026: FBK projects making headlines

October 1, 2026

From artificial intelligence in health care to systems security, from new energy sources to the history of missions, FBK research is making headlines in local and national media.

Intelligenza Artificiale e sanità

Artificial Intelligence and Healthcare

How can you tell whether an artificial intelligence system is truly useful for doctors and patients? In AboutPharma, Federico Cabitza, Director of FBK’s Center for Digital Health & Wellbeing, urges readers to look beyond the reported performance of machine learning models: what is needed are high-quality data, independent validation, and evidence of their benefits in real-world care settings. In the September issue of Le Scienze, Giuseppe Jurman, head of the Data Science for Health unit at the DHWB Center, discusses FBK’s work in precision medicine, including the analysis of clinical data and the digitization of pathology slides, while Mauro Dragoni, head of the Intelligence Data Agents (IDA) Unit, discusses the prospects for using artificial intelligence in the healthcare sector.. On the Rai Leonardo show, Cabitza also highlighted the opportunities AI offers for discovering new drugs and supporting treatment. However, the digital transformation of health care involves the entire system, not just individual algorithms. Andrea Nicolini, FBK’s Chief Public Administration Strategy Officer, interviewed by Rai TGR Trento about IT service disruptions, explains how challenging it is to ensure continuity for services ranging from X-rays to emergency care and telemedicine. Addressing this challenge requires investment, technical assistance, and data protection, along with an awareness of the complexity behind every digital service.

Understanding AI and managing its risks

In the wide-ranging debate surrounding the “Anthropic case,” several voices from FBK have weighed in on the issues raised by the development of artificial intelligence in areas ranging from how we learn and work to the safety and reliability of systems. In an interview with Corriere della Sera, Cabitza reflects on the risk of losing skills we have already acquired and failing to develop new ones when the activities through which we learn are delegated to machines. On the security front, Paolo Traverso calls for the development of systems capable of verifying and enforcing the limits placed on autonomous agents. In his interview with il T, he emphasizes the role of rules and research in keeping AI under control. Silvio Ranise, interviewed by Rai TGR Trento and in an article for L’Adige, calls for the responsible use of these tools, caution when entering sensitive data into services, and careful verification of the responses they generate. Caution is also needed when it comes to what we see online. In an interview published by L’Adige, Cecilia Pasquini, a researcher at FBK’s Center for Cybersecurity, uses a fake image of a bear circulating on social media as a starting point to explain how difficult it is to recognize an AI-generated image with the naked eye. Checking the source and looking for further confirmation before sharing content are essential steps in limiting its spread and avoiding unnecessary alarm. Another frontier raises technological and ethical questions. Commenting for il Dolomiti on tests involving computing systems based on cultured neurons, Paolo Traverso distinguishes their potential from their current limitations and calls for reflection on the boundary between biological systems and machines.

Corriere della Sera | Una forma nuova di intelligenza tutta da capire | 11 settembre 2026
L’Adige | Per le foto verificate la fonte | August 26, 2026
il Dolomiti | A Singapore un data center alimentato da neuroni umani vivi per l’IA. Traverso: “Si sfoca il confine tra organico, vivente e meccanico. Cosa significherebbe spegnerlo?”| 6 settembre 2026
il T | Rallentare lo sviluppo AI? Solo marketing. Ma servono regole chiare | September 15, 2026
il T | Traverso (Fbk): “L’intelligenza artificiale non va fermata, ma servono sistemi per evitare che sia fuori controllo” | September 15, 2026
Rai TGR Trento | Intelligenza artificiale. Ranise, Fbk: “Allarme esagerato, ma serve cautela” | September 16, 2026
L’Adige | Ranise: “AI, il panico è inutile ma serve più consapevolezza” | September 17, 2026

SophIA, the New National Hub for AI and Cybersecurity

Transforming research results into market-ready technologies and new businesses: this is the goal of SophIA, the national technology transfer hub dedicated to artificial intelligence and cybersecurity. Promoted by CDP Venture Capital together with Scientifica Venture Capital, the hub has initial funding of €27.5 million and aims to support more than twenty entrepreneurial ventures over the next three years, from initial feasibility studies to the early stages of growth. FBK is one of the scientific promoters, along with the University of Naples Federico II, the Polytechnic University of Milan, the Italian Institute of Artificial Intelligence, and the Italian Institute of Technology. FBK will help identify and select deep-tech projects in the fields of AI and cybersecurity. The launch of the hub was covered by the national press, with articles in Il Messaggero, La Stampa, and Borsa Italiana, as well as by the Trentino media, with in-depth reports in L’Adige and il T also focusing on FBK’s role.

Il Messaggero | SophIA, il polo nazionale per l’IA e la cybersicurezza | September 24, 2026
L’Adige | SophIA, nasce il polo nazionale per intelligenza artificiale e cybersecurity: FBK tra i partner scientifici | September 23, 2026
L’Adige | Fbk partner nel nuovo polo nazionale per l’IA | 24 settembre 2026
il T | Fbk tra i promotori scientifici del nuovo Polo nazionale sull’AI | 24 settembre 2026
Euroborsa | Nasce SophIA: asse da 27,5 milioni tra CDP e Scientifica Venture Capital per la leadership italiana nell’IA | September 23, 2026
La Stampa | CDP Venture Capital: nasce SophIA, il Polo nazionale per IA e cybersecurity |September 23, 2026
Borsa Italiana | CDP Venture Capital: nasce SophIA, il Polo nazionale per IA e cybersecurity | September 23, 2026

Young talent in research labs

Thirteen university students took part in the second edition of Pioneers in Research, FBK’s summer school dedicated this year to energy technologies. From September 7 to 11, they worked alongside researchers on advanced materials, batteries, hydrogen, and the choices required for the energy transition. The experience was covered by L’Adige, il T, and Rai. Another training program continues to yield results even after its conclusion: the European community website MLCast, developed with contributions from WebValley students, brings together resources for very short-term weather forecasting. On il T, researchers Mattia Varagnolo and Luca Coviello explain their work on nowcasting and its potential applications for increasingly localized warnings.

History, society, and the future of the region

Christian missions between 1500 and 2000 were the focus of the 67th Study Week of FBK’s Italian-German Historical Institute. In a Rai program, Claudio Ferlan showed how studying past encounters, conflicts, and mutual perceptions can help us understand coexistence today. On the public policy front, FBK researcher and Science Ambassador Greta Sofia Lampis spoke to il T about research analyzing 923 questionnaires collected from citizens, students, and businesses during the Autonomy Tour. The responses show appreciation for the region, but also highlight the importance of housing and opportunities for young people: among the students involved, only 18% say they are certain they will stay in Trentino.

Rai TGR Trento | Report on the 67th FBK-ISIG Study Week | September 18, 2026
il T | Autonomy and the future: housing is a shared concern | September 15–16, 2026