Data Valley

DAMA Technopole - Data Manufacturing Emilia-Romagna
www.damatecnopolo.it

The DAMA Technopole is the international Data Valley Hub in Bologna, an innovation park which boasts supercomputers including LEONARDO, the 9th most powerful in the world (Top500, 11/2024), and is home to organisations such as Cineca, ECMWF (European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts) and INFN (National Institute of Nuclear Physics) with their data centers, the UNU-AI University of the United Nations, the AI Factory IT4LIA that will provide services to companies. Other entities to be hosted by the Technopole include the Competence Center Industry 4.0 BI-REX, the bio-banks of the Rizzoli Institute of Bologna, CMCC - Euro-Mediterranean Center on Climate Change, ITALIAMETEO agency, ENEA (National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development), ART-ER Attractiveness Research Territory, ICSC - Italian Centre of Super Computing, IFAB International Foundation Big Data and AI for Human Development. The partners of the hub include the local universities (UNIBO - University of Bologna, UNIFE- University of Ferrara, UNIMORE - University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, UNIPR - University of Parma), the research system (CNR - National Research Council of Italy, INAF - National Institute for Astrophysics), LEPIDA (the broadband network of the regional public administrations), the Municipality and the Metropolitan City of Bologna. 

European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) Data Centre - www.ecmwf.int

The new ECMWF data centre has been in operation since September 2021 at the DAMA Technopole in Bologna and represents a key asset of the regional Data Valley. The ECMWF is an intergovernmental organisation supported by 34 states with headquarter in the UK, a data centre in Bologna and offices in Bonn. The Emilia-Romagna Region was the winner of a call for proposal to host the data centre, as it offers “high-level services and logistics infrastructures” and “important opportunities of technical and scientific synergies”. The centre performs research in the field of machine-learning in numerical weather prediction, as well as the use of advanced high-performance computing, big data and AI methodologies to create a digital twin of the Earth with breakthrough realism. 

Big Data Association - www.associazionebigdata.it

The Associazione Big Data was set up to interconnect and jointly exploit the knowledge, research and innovation potentials of high performance computing, big data analysis, deep and machine learning algorithms, high bandwidth networks. The Association is open to national and international stakeholders from the scientific, research and business communities and aggregates public organisations managing facilities and possessing skills and knowledge relating to big data, their applications and possible impact on the daily lives of citizens.

Supercomputer Leonardo - leonardo-supercomputer.cineca.eu

EU chose the DAMA Technopole in Bologna as location of the new supercomputer Leonardo, worth 120 million euros, positioning the region among the world’s top computing hubs.

Bi-Rex Competence Center - www.bi-rex.it

BI-REX (Big Data Innovation and Research Excellence) is one of the 8 national Competence Centers founded by Ministero delle Imprese e del Made in Italy (ex MISE) within the Industry 4.0 National Plan. It is a public-private consortium, born in 2018, that has its headquarter in Bologna (Italy) and gathers in partnership over 60 players among Universities, Research Centers and Companies of excellence. BI-REX is the only industry-led Competence Center and  it includes among its stakeholders five regional universities (Bologna, Ferrara, Modena-Reggio, Parma, La Cattolica), organizations part of the regional research system such as CINECA, CNR, ART-ER, IOR, INFN as well as companies including IBM, Philip Morris, Siemens, Manz and many other regional excellences.

CINECA - www.cineca.it

CINECA is as a consortium of 118 publicly held entities, including 70 Italian universities and 46 national public institutions (such as research institutions, university hospital companies-IRCCS, AFAM institutions, agencies, and other institutions), led by a Board comprising the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of University and Research. Cineca stands as one of Italy's largest computing centers and it is globally recognized for its leadership in High Performance Computing (HPC). Simultaneously, Cineca serves as a crucial provider of solutions and services for universities, research centers, ministries, and other institutions.

IFAB - International Foundation on Big Data and Artificial Intelligence for Human Development - www.ifabfoundation.org

The Foundation aims to be an independent and influential international point of reference for the scientific and cultural debate on human development, sustainability, and new science, operating as a “bridge” between technology, research and their concrete applications in the industrial and social spheres. Its main challenges are the following: reinforcing, enhancing and promoting scientific research and its cross-disciplinary implications, with particular focus on BD and AI; designing scenarios related to economic and social transformations in connection with climate change, health crisis and other great challenges of our time; disseminating the role and potential of AI and BD in addressing global issues with an impact on people’s lives.

Regional High Technology Network - www.retealtatecnologia.it

Discover the High Technology Network industrial research offering in ‘Digital’ competences.

ER2Digit - www.er2digit.it

ER2Digit is the European Digital Innovation Hub (EDIH) of the Emilia-Romagna region born from the collaboration of ART-ER, LEPIDA and CINECA to promote the improvement of the offer of public services and the adoption of innovative digital solutions in the Public Administration and businesses. The hub operates in various areas: energy, construction, tourism, health, transport and culture.