The opening of the Casentino Tech Hub.

The public opening of the Poppi premises, with companies, independent professionals, universities, trade associations and institutions. A day of presentations, discussions and tours of the spaces that marked the start of the project's operational phase.

Go to the program Discover the Tech Hub

Date10 April 2026

TimeFrom 11:00 to 16:00

VenueVia Trento 3, Poppi (AR)

Round table during the opening of the Casentino Tech Hub — A moment from the dayThe public discussion during one of the sessions of the Casentino Tech Hub opening.

Setting

Who opened the proceedings.

The proceedings were opened by Paolo Mazzanti (NHAZCA — Sapienza University) and Emanuele Del Monte (S2R), representing Consorzio Resilia and the two companies that invested in the technology center. Institutional addresses came from Tuscany Region (Filippo Boni, Regional Councillor for Infrastructure) and from the Mayor of Poppi Federico Lorenzoni, President of the Unione dei Comuni del Casentino.

Message

An ultra-territorial technology laboratory.

The talk by Prof. Stefano Rolando (IULM University, Milan) framed the CTH as an engine of innovation coming to life: an ultra-territorial technology laboratory by definition, able to overcome the physical limits of the isolation that has marked the history of Casentino itself.

By Paolo Mazzanti (NHAZCA — Sapienza University) and Emanuele Del Monte (S2R, President of Consorzio Resilia).

Followed by institutional addresses from:

Filippo Boni — Regional Councillor for Infrastructure and Spatial Planning, Tuscany Region
Federico Lorenzoni — Mayor of Poppi and President of the Unione dei Comuni del Casentino
Invited: Eugenio Giani, President of the Tuscany Region

A sociological and cultural approach to place marketing.

Talk by Stefano Rolando (IULM University, Milan, professor of Public Branding).

Discussion and debate between representatives of companies, institutions, schools and research.

Moderator: Gianluca Baccani, journalist.

Giovanni Basagni — President of Miniconf S.p.A.
Elisabetta Batini — Principal of IISS Galileo Galilei, Poppi
Fabrizio Bernini — President of Zucchetti Centro Sistemi and Confindustria Toscana Sud
Francesca Bozzano — Vice-Rector, Sapienza University of Rome
Simone Chiordi — KTO Placement and entrepreneurship, University of Florence
Alessandro Ghinelli — Mayor of Arezzo, President of the ANCI Commission for European Policies
Maurizio Librizzi — Principal of ITIS Enrico Fermi, Bibbiena
Angelita Luciani — ERDF Managing Authority and Head of Inner Areas, Tuscany Region

Lunch break

Moderator: Francesca Bozzano, Vice-Rector, Sapienza University of Rome.

Marco Casucci — European Space Agency, IRIDE IPT Member
Luca Gori — Head of the Seismic Sector, Tuscany Region
Sara Padulosi — Head of Architecture, Environment and Territorial Enhancement, ANAS Rome
Serena Stefani — President of Consorzio Bonifica Alto Valdarno
Simone Viti — President of Ente Acque Umbre Toscane
Carmine Zappacosta — President of Distretto Tecnologico Regionale Ferroviario Toscano

Opening of proceedings

Project presentation, institutional addresses and the first academic talk.

The morning focused on the presentation of the project and the role of Consorzio Resilia, with contributions from NHAZCA, S2R, Tuscany Region, Comune di Poppi, Confindustria Toscana Sud and the talk by Prof. Stefano Rolando of IULM University, Milan.

Opening address by Paolo Mazzanti — Opening — NHAZCA, Sapienza UniversityPaolo Mazzanti opens the proceedings with a presentation of the Casentino Tech Hub project.

Opening address by Emanuele Del Monte — Opening — Consorzio Resilia, S2REmanuele Del Monte, President of Consorzio Resilia, presents the vision for the project.

Emanuele Del Monte with Fabrizio Bernini of Confindustria Toscana Sud — Confindustria Toscana SudEmanuele Del Monte with Fabrizio Bernini, President of Confindustria Toscana Sud.

Institutional address by the Mayor of Poppi Federico Lorenzoni — Comune di PoppiFederico Lorenzoni, Mayor of Poppi and President of the Unione dei Comuni del Casentino.

Address by Filippo Boni, Regional Councillor for Infrastructure, Tuscany Region — Tuscany Region — InfrastructureFilippo Boni, Regional Councillor for Infrastructure and Spatial Planning.

Address by Filippo Giabbani of Tuscany Region — Tuscany Region — International activitiesFilippo Giabbani, Head of the International Activities Sector, Tuscany Region.

The mayors Alessandro Ghinelli of Arezzo and Filippo Vagnoli of Bibbiena — Mayors of Arezzo and BibbienaAlessandro Ghinelli (Mayor of Arezzo) and Filippo Vagnoli (Mayor of Bibbiena).

Talk by Professor Stefano Rolando of IULM University — IULM MilanStefano Rolando (IULM Milan) on the Tech Hub as an ultra-territorial technology laboratory.

Journalist Gianluca Baccani moderating the round table — Moderator — Gianluca BaccaniGianluca Baccani, journalist, moderates the round table on the inner areas as technology hubs.

Afternoon debate

Environmental, structural and infrastructure heritage: a shared commitment.

The afternoon closed a day in which the rooms stayed full until the sessions ended. The debate brought together local authorities, the regional seismic sector, the land reclamation consortia and the railway district, addressing resilience as a shared commitment for the area.