The rapid development and adoption of AI technologies are transforming various fields, and
with that comes an ever-growing demand for responsible AI systems. The need for
explainability in AI is more crucial than ever. When I came across the opportunity to visit Pisa
through the SoBigData program, I immediately applied. Pisa, for me, is the "capital of XAI"
due to the groundbreaking work being done by researchers in this beautiful city. The chance
to collaborate with some of the world’s leading experts in AI explainability was incredibly

In recent years, climate change has brought new challenges to communities around the world, particularly those dependent on agriculture for their livelihoods. Droughts, often more frequent and severe, can cause crop failures, pushing individuals to migrate in search of better opportunities. This blog draws on research - conducted in collaboration with Katrin Millock, Lucile Dehouck and Alix Debray - in West Africa, investigating whether irrigation access can mitigate incentives to migrate when faced with climate-induced droughts.

In August 2024, using the TNA program of the SoBigData project, I visited the prestigious KTH Royal Institute of Technology of Stockholm, Sweden, and worked with Prof. Aristides Gionis and his staff on topics regarding formal approaches to data analysis for Cognitive Buildings and their possible application to problems of smart environments in general.

Over the past two months, I have been conducting research at the Istituto di Scienza e Tecnologie dell'Informazione of the Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (ISTI-CNR) in Pisa, Italy. During this time, my research focused on quantification learning, specifically on developing methods using deep learning. The SoBigData Transnational Access (TNA) program provided an exceptional opportunity to collaborate with some of the most renowned experts in the field of quantification and, without a doubt, I encourage other researchers to take advantage of TNA opportunities like this one.

Thanks to the generous support provided by the Big Data Research Infrastructure’s Transnational Access (TNA) program, I had the incredible opportunity to carry out a portion of my research at one of the prestigious nodes of the SoBigData Research Infrastructure, located in Tartu, Estonia. 

This program opens doors for researchers like me to collaborate with world-class experts, access cutting-edge technologies, and push the boundaries of big data research. Reflecting on my time there, I can confidently say it was a transformative experience.

Data structures are part of the backbone of all data systems, data analytics and machine learning pipelines. These crucial components carefully organise information to make it efficiently accessible and usable by algorithms and applications, thus accelerating their performance and facilitating the discovery of new insights from data.

The third edition of ITADATA Conference (https://www.itadata.it/), organized by the CINI Big Data National Laboratory and ISTI CNR,  kicked off successfully on September 17th. This three-day event is dedicated to exploring the latest advancements in big data and data science.

The first day of ITADATA2024 was jam-packed with activities. It began with the thrilling finale of the ITADATAHack, where teams showcased their innovative solutions.

This past summer, I had the privilege of being one of the Transnational Access (TNA) visitors at the Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV) in Tarragona. I was invited by Dr. Josep Domingo-Ferrer to collaborate with his esteemed team in the CRISES Lab. 

On July 2024, using the TNA program of the SoBigData project, I visited the prestigious King’s College of London, UK, and worked with prof. Mohammad Reza Mousavi and his staff on topics regarding quantum computing algorithms and their possible application to the problems of the modern society, e.g., smart cities and cyber-physical systems.