Wired Next Fest 2025 Trentino

Since the first edition, Fondazione Bruno Kessler has been a member of the WNF Trentino scientific committee. This year, several of FBK’s scientific leaders will take the stage, contributing to the festival’s theme: “Energies” — understood as both tangible and intangible forces that drive society, research, and the future.

FBK researchers will participate in a series of events showcasing the Foundation’s work across numerous domains — a journey through green hydrogen and energy transition, citizen science, digital justice, artificial intelligence in medicine, complex systems, human-machine interaction, and robotics — demonstrating how scientific research can directly impact both the present and future of society.

“For FBK, taking part in a science communication event like Wired Next Fest Trentino 2025 is of strategic value. It enables us to share not only research results but also the passion and energy that fuel them. This year’s theme, ‘Energy,’ resonates strongly with us: the energy of research, which drives innovation and knowledge, and the energy of people — human capital — the true engine of transformation. Being part of this event means contributing to an open and inclusive conversation that looks to the future with responsibility and vision,”Paolo Traverso, Director of Strategic Planning at FBK and a member of the event’s scientific committee, said.

Dates and topics:

October 2, 2025 | 8:00 pm | Progetto Manifattura

Speck&Tech 78 “Watt’s next?”

Elena Crespi, researcher at the FBK Center for Sustainable Energy, will lead the session “Green Hydrogen: From Water to the Energy of the Future.” The audience will be guided inside an electrolyzer — the machine that transforms water and electricity into hydrogen — to explore the solutions, challenges, and potential of this technology for a decarbonized future.

October 3, 2025 | 10:30 am – 11:00 am | Piazza Malfatti

La scienza della porta accanto | The science next door

Dominique Cappelletti, researcher at the FBK Institute for Evaluation Research on Public Policies (IRVAPP), will join a conversation with Anna Berti Suman (LUISS University, founder of Sensing for Justice) and Chiara Fedrigotti (Conservation Biology researcher at MUSE, Trento). The session will focus on citizen science. Cappelletti will discuss how collaboration between citizens and scientists can open new avenues for research and strengthen public awareness in tackling key social and environmental challenges.

October 3, 2025 | 3:00 pm – 3:30 pm | Palazzo del Bene

Tribunale laboratorio | Laboratory Court

Gian Maria Campedelli, criminologist and researcher in the Mobile and Social Computing Lab (MobS Lab) at FBK’s Center for Augmented Intelligence, will speak alongside Martina Cagossi, lawyer and program manager at the Italy Innocence Project. The session explores how data and technology are becoming crucial tools in the justice system — from assessing social and environmental impacts to forensic applications that may help exonerate the innocent.

3 October 2025 | 4:00 p.m. – 4:25 p.m. | Palazzo del Bene
Il codice (gen)etico della privacy | The (gen)ethical code of privacy

Giada Sciarretta, researcher at the Security & Trust unit of the FBK Cybersecurity Centre, speaks with Enrico Ferraris, Head of Product Privacy & Ethics at PagoPA, about the ethical and privacy-conscious management of citizens’ data. Ensuring the secure interoperability of this data — so that all institutions can access it safely — is a key challenge that must be addressed in order to guarantee full digital citizenship

October 3, 2025 | 4:55 pm – 5:25 pm | Palazzo del Bene

Dalle diagnosi al prompt | From diagnosis to prompt

This session will examine how AI is entering hospitals and labs, supporting diagnostics, enabling neurotechnologies, and advancing brain-computer interfaces. Monica Consolandi, researcher in the Intelligent Digital Agents (IDA) Unit at FBK’s Center for Digital Health and Wellbeing, will explore both the opportunities and the ethical and legal challenges of this fast-evolving field, in conversation with Silvestro Micera, Professor of Bioelectronics at Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies and EPFL.

October 4, 2025 | 4:45 pm – 5:25 pm | Palazzo del Bene

Dialogando con le macchine | Conversations with Machines

Riccardo Gallotti, Head of the CHuB Lab at FBK’s Center for Digital Society, and Alfio Ferrara, Professor of Computer Science and AI Literacy Delegate at the University of Milan, will discuss human-machine interaction and the evolving role of AI models. The talk will examine how these systems can do more than just respond — they can also influence our thoughts and decisions. The conversation will reflect on how conversational data may become tools of persuasion.

October 5, 2025 | 12:30 pm – 1:00 pm | Palazzo del Bene

Amico robot | Robot Friend

Yiming Wang, researcher in the Deep Visual Learning (DVL) Unit at FBK’s Center for Digital Industry, will explore the latest developments in robotics and machine vision. The session will present advances in embodied AI — robots capable of navigating environments, recognizing complex scenes, and collaborating safely with humans. From lab prototypes to everyday applications in homes, healthcare, and logistics, Wang will offer a look at the future of robots as practical allies.

Please note: The program may be subject to change.  Visit the official website regularly for updates.

Additional Dates

• October 3–5 | Corso Bettini, RoveretoA demo of the robotic arm developed by TeV – Technologies of Vision, Unit at FBK’s Center for Digital Industry, will be on display in the Fondazione Caritro VRT space. The project is funded by Fondazione Caritro.
• October 4 | 4:30 PM | Santa Chiara Theatre, Trento In a public session organized by the Conscience Committee in collaboration with Wired Next Fest, Paolo Traverso, Director of Strategic Planning at FBK, will address the provocative question: Does artificial intelligence — which already surpasses human abilities in many areas — possess consciousness?

Links to the event page

The event is organized in collaboration with:The Autonomous Province of Trento – Department of Economic Development, Work, Family, University and Research, Trentino Marketing, Trentino Sviluppo, APT Rovereto, Vallagarina e Monte Baldo, and the Municipality of
Rovereto, in partnership with Audi. Program contributions are provided by the editorial staff of WIRED Italia, the University of Trento, Fondazione Bruno Kessler, Fondazione Edmund Mach, MUSE – Science Museum, IPRASE, and Fondazione Hub Innovazione Trentino.

The event will also be streamed live on the WIRED Italia website and social media channels.