Bologna Ambassadors: meet the personalities who contributed to the growth of Bologna in 2025
April 14, 2025
The 7th edition of the Bologna Ambassador Awards took place on Monday, April 14, in the stunning setting of the Cappella Farnese at Palazzo d’Accursio. The initiative, promoted by Bologna Convention Bureau, shines a spotlight on individuals who help raise the international profile of Bologna by bringing major events to the city.
A New Edition, a New Class of Ambassadors
This year, 15 new Ambassadors were honored—outstanding figures from the academic, medical, scientific, business, and institutional fields who played a key role in bringing high-profile congresses and events to Bologna. These efforts have significantly benefited the city’s economy and reputation as a leading destination for international events.
With the 2025 edition, the total number of Ambassadors awarded since 2018 has reached 100.
This year’s event celebrated achievements across a wide range of sectors—from artificial intelligence to public management, from medical research to international relations—highlighting once again the vibrant scientific and cultural ecosystem of Bologna.
A special mention went to a figure from the world of sports: Joey Saputo, President of Bologna Football Club 1909, who accepted the award on behalf of the team for giving international visibility to the city with their historic qualification for the 2024–25 UEFA Champions League.
Institutional Support
The ceremony featured a number of guest speakers and representatives from local institutions, who painted a positive picture of the city’s continued development as a MICE destination. Among them were Mattia Santori, President of the Bologna-Modena Tourist Board, Roberta Frisoni, Councillor for Tourism, Trade, and Sport of the Emilia-Romagna Region, and Maria Letizia Guerra, Delegate for Public Engagement at the Alma Mater Studiorum – University of Bologna. Also speaking were Daniele Ravaglia, President of Fondazione Bologna Welcome, and Celso De Scrilli, President of the Bologna Convention Bureau’s Technical Coordination Committee.
The closing remarks were delivered by one of the newly awarded Ambassadors, Roberta Vicentini Magro, who shared her experience organizing a major international event in Bologna.
The 2025 Bologna Ambassadors
The following professionals were awarded this year:
- Michela Milano
Full Professor of Intelligent Systems at the University of Bologna
Executive Board Member of the Italian Association for Artificial Intelligence
Board Member of the European Association of Artificial Intelligence (EurAi)
➜ For the 28th European Conference on Artificial Intelligence – EurAI - Sonia Lucarelli
Full Professor of Political Science at the University of Bologna
➜ For the 18th EISA Pan-European Conference on International Relations - Roberta Vicentini Magro
Coordinator of Digital Citizenship Education at IAIA Italia
CEO of Algebra A.I. Srl
➜ For the 44th Annual Conference of the International Association for Impact Assessment – IAIA - Clelia d’Anastasio
President of ARAD Bologna (Dementia Research and Support Association)
Vice President of Alzheimer Uniti Italia – ALIFICA
➜ For the 35th Alzheimer Europe Conference – Connecting Science and Communities: The Future of Dementia Care - Valerio Cozzani
Full Professor of Chemical Plants and Director of the Department of Civil, Chemical, Environmental, and Materials Engineering, University of Bologna
➜ For LP2025 – 18th International Symposium on Loss Prevention and Safety Promotion in the Process Industries - Massimiliano De Paolis
Director of the Orthopaedics and Traumatology Unit, IRCCS University Hospital Sant’Orsola, Bologna
➜ For the 43rd Annual Meeting of the European Bone and Joint Infection Society - Emanuele Padovani
Coordinator of the PhD Program in Public Governance, Management, and Policy, University of Bologna
➜ For the IRSPM 2025 Annual Conference - Paola Canestrini
Research fellow at the Department of Business Sciences (DISA)
Adjunct professor in Sociology
Teaching tutor in Methodology and Techniques of Social Research at the University of Bologna
➜ For the IRSPM 2025 Annual Conference - Dario Croccolo
Full Professor of Mechanical Design and Machine Construction, University of Bologna
➜ For ICEM21 – International Conference on Experimental Mechanics - Marialuisa Lavitrano
Full Professor of General Pathology, University of Milano Bicocca
Director of the Specialization School in Clinical Pathology and Laboratory of Molecular Medicine
Director of BBMRI.it – Italian Node of the European Research Infrastructure BBMRI-ERIC
Vice President, European Open Science Cloud Association (EOSC-A)
➜ For Europe Biobank Week 2025 - Monica Forni
Associate Professor, University of Bologna – Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences
Director of the Interdepartmental Center for Industrial Research – Life Sciences and Health Technologies
QM Lead, BBMRI.it
➜ For Europe Biobank Week 2025 - Roberta Decaro
Critical Care Nurse in the Postoperative and Transplant ICU, IRCCS University Hospital of Bologna Sant'Orsola-Malpighi
Italy Representative for EfCCNa through Aniarti
➜ For the 10th European Congress of EfCCNa – "Navigate the Future: Realise Sustainability in ICU" - Matteo Corbucci
President of OMEP Italy aps – Italian Committee of the World Organization for Early Childhood Education
➜ For the 77th OMEP World Assembly and Conference – “Arts and Culture in Early Childhood Education: Play, Expression, Participation” - Mario D. Anglani
Founder of HackInBo®
➜ For HackInBo® – Cybersecurity in the Shadow of the Towers - Joey Saputo, on behalf of Bologna Football Club 1909
President of Bologna FC 1909
➜ For the club’s qualification for the 2024–25 UEFA Champions League
The evening concluded with a celebratory cocktail at the beautiful Palazzo Re Enzo, catered by La Casona Group.
Once again, the Bologna Ambassador Awards served not only as a celebration of the individuals who make Bologna thrive but also as an opportunity to reflect on the city's continued growth and the power of collaboration between institutions, universities, and the thriving intellectual capital that defines our community.
