About us
The Institute for Competitiveness (I-Com) is a think-tank founded in 2005 by a group of scholars, professionals and managers, with offices in Rome and Brussels. The objective of I-Com is to promote debates and analyses on competitiveness concerning innovation, in the Italian, European and international politico-economic contexts. The main areas of interest of I-Com are: digitalization, energy, innovation, health and institutions. In 2017, I-Com joined the Global Trade and Innovation Policy Alliance, a worldwide network of 25 independent think-tanks from five different continents, each active in the fields of innovation and international trade. The president of I-Com is the economist Stefano da Empoli.
Stefano DA EMPOLI
President
Stefano DA EMPOLI, President
Stefano da Empoli is the president and principal policy analyst at I-Com, the Institute for Competitiveness, a think tank based in Rome and Brussels which he founded in 2005. He currently teaches political economy and economic policy at the Roma Tre University in Rome. Stefano is a graduate of the Coripe Consortium for Research and Continuing Education in Economics (Piemonte, Italy), where he received a Master’s degree in economics, and George Mason University (Virginia, USA) where he also obtained an MA (Economics). Stefano has served in key advisory or expert positions on a number of taskforces or scientific boards. He has authored numerous publications on economic themes, particularly on policy and regulation of the energy market and infrastructural services and institution governance, and his opinions and analysis have featured in major Italian newspapers including Il Foglio, il Sole24 Ore, Huffington Post Italia. Stefano has also undertaken study and consultancy assignments for Italian and international public institutions, including the Senate of the Republic, the Department for EU policies, the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, the OECD and other leading companies and non-profit organisations.Franco D’AMORE
Deputy Vice President
Franco D’AMORE, Deputy Vice President
Franco D’Amore is the Vice President of the Institute for Competitiveness that he helped to establish. He is a member of the Scientific Committee of UNCEM (Unione Nazionale Comuni Comunità Enti Montani). He works and has worked as a consultant for public institutions and private authorities on issues of local development, innovation and European planning. He has carried out numerous studies and research on energy and environmental issues, with a particular focus on the sustainability of energy systems, renewable energy and energy efficiency, on policies for the containment of greenhouse gas emissions and energy innovation. The study and analysis activities involved implementing projects in the field of energy and environment, for both private and public authorities. Before dealing with energy, he worked in the area of research on optical properties of matter for photonic applications. He graduated in physics at the University of Rome “La Sapienza” (1998). Later he earned a Master's degree from the European School of Advanced Studies in Material Science (University of Pavia – 2000) and a Master’s in Energy Resources Management (SAFE – 2004).Silvia COMPAGNUCCI
Vice President
Silvia COMPAGNUCCI, Vice President
Silvia Compagnucci currently holds the position of Vice President at I-Com. Graduated in Law from the University of Tor Vergata in 2006, she then obtained, in 2009, a second-level Master's degree in "Antitrust and Market Regulation" at the Faculty of Economics of the same university, obtaining the relevant qualification in 2010. In the same year, she also qualified as a lawyer. Silvia worked at the Legal Service of the Communications Guarantee Authority and, subsequently, at the Regulatory Affairs Department of the company E.ON. S.p.a., acquiring specific expertise in regulatory and competition issues in the telecommunications and energy sectors. She collaborated with the law firm Caravita di Toritto & Associati dealing with the management of disputes in audiovisual matters. She currently also works as a lawyer.Roberto GAGLIARDINI
Secretary Generaland Communications Director
Roberto GAGLIARDINI, Secretary General and Communications Director
Roberto Gagliarducci is a professional journalist, with a Bachelor's degree in Political Science and a Master’s in Business Management. After working in management control at Gruppo Editoriale l'Espresso (now Gedi), in 2001 he joined ItaliaOggi where he was in charge of MarketingOggi, the daily supplement dedicated to professionals in the field of marketing, media and communication. From 2006 to 2007, he was the spokesperson and head of the press office for the Deputy-Minister of Economic Development, while, since 2013, he has been teaching the Master's course in "Mobile and social digital communication for journalists and communicators" at the University of Parma. In I-Com he oversees the organisation, activities and team of the Institute while also coordinating the communication area.Silvia CASTRONOVI
Public Affairs Director
Silvia CASTRONOVI, Public Affairs Director
She graduated in Law at the Sapienza University of Rome with a specialization in criminal law and bioethics, she holds a master's degree in Institutional Communication and Press Office. Freelance journalist since 1990, from 1994 to 2001 she was a collaborator of the Criminal Law chair at the Sapienza University of Rome with Prof Alfonso Maria Stile and has been a Judicial Mediator since 2011. Expert in institutional relations, communication and for over 25 years Senior Public Relations Manager at Altroconsumo, she has dealt with relations with the Government, Parliament, Authorities, Universities, Institutions, Companies and non-profits. Specialized in the financial economics, consumer law and sustainability sectors, she is also a trainer on financial education for FEDUF, the ABI Financial Education Foundation and on ADR for Poste Italiane. Since September 2023 you have assumed the role of Director of Public Affairs of I-Com.Eleonora MAZZONI
Director, Innovation Department
Eleonora MAZZONI, Director, Innovation Department
Eleonora Mazzoni is a graduated in economics from the University of Rome “La Sapienza”, with a thesis on statistical breakdown of the wage differential between foreign and Italian citizens. After collaborating as a research assistant with Fondazione Brodolini on labour market issues in the European Union, she worked for the CER (Centro Europa Ricerche), dealing with economic analysis on international economics, internationalisation of enterprises and public policy evaluation. Eleonora studied the main econometric techniques for the evaluation of public intervention at the IRVAPP (Institute for the Evaluation of Public Policies) in Trento and at the Econometrics Summer School organised by Cide. Eleonora currently holds the position of Director of the Innovation area at I-Com, where she is mainly responsible for carrying out statistical analyses and research on economic and regulatory issues in the innovation and energy area.Gianluca SGUEO
Director, Institution Department
Gianluca SGUEO, Director, Institution Department
Gianluca Sgueo (PhD in Public Law, MA in Administrative and Public Law, LLM in European Public Law) is a New York University Global Professor at New York University – Florence, where he teaches “Media Activism and Democracy“. He is also Adjunct Professor in “Global Advocacy” and “Gamification in Politics, Advocacy and the Business Sector” at the Vesalius College, in Brussels. He is the Scientific Coordinator of the Master's Program in “Economy and Management of the Public Sector” at the Sole24Ore Business School, and Coordinator of the module on “Political Participation” of the School of Politics of LUISS School of Government and Sole24Ore Business School. His professional background also includes experiences in the public sector. From 2011 to 2013, he was the Head of Communication for the Italian Government and, in 2014/2015, Coordinator of the Italian Task Force on Youth Policies for the Italian Presidency of the EU Semester. Since 2014, he has been Policy Analyst for the Parliamentary Research of the European Parliament.Antonio SILEO
Innov-E Observatory Director
Antonio SILEO, Innov-E Observatory Director
Antonio Sileo joined the I-Com team in 2006, becoming Director of the Innov-E Observatory in 2014. Since 2003, he has been a Research Fellow at the Institute of Economics and Policy of Energy and the Environment (IEFE) of Bocconi University. His research interests are in the fields of energy markets, energy and environmental policies and automotives. He collaborated with the ISPI (Istituto per gli studi di politica internationale) and was a non-resident fellow at the Caspian Strategy Institute in Istanbul. He has worked in ANIGAS (Associazione Nazionale Industriali Gas) of Confindustria and has lectured and researched at the Polytechnic University of Bari. He has been involved in numerous research and consultancy projects for private companies, trade associations, companies and public bodies. He has published articles in various journals and authored or edited books. An energy notary, he has worked for Staffetta Quotidiana since 2008 and has been a regular contributor to lavoce.info and various specialised and generalist newspapers since 2009. He also carries out consultancy activities in the field of dissemination and communication.Giuseppe COLANGELO
Scientific coordinator of the DEEP-IN
Giuseppe COLANGELO, Scientific coordinator of the DEEP-IN
Giuseppe Colangelo is a Jean Monnet Professor of European Innovation Policy. He is also an Associate Professor of Law and Economics at the University of Basilicata, and an Adjunct Professor of Markets, Regulation and Law, and of Legal Issues in Marketing at LUISS Guido Carli in Rome, Italy. He graduated in Law from LUISS Guido Carli, earned an LL.M. in Competition Law and Economics from the Erasmus University of Rotterdam, and a Ph.D. in Law and Economics from LUISS Guido Carli. His primary research interests are in innovation policy, intellectual property, competition policy, market regulation and economic analysis of law. He has been a Transatlantic Technology Law Forum (TTLF) Fellow since August 2017.Our team
Alessandra BIANCHI
Public Affairs & Comunication
Alessandra BIANCHI, Public Affairs & Comunication
Alessandra Bianchi joined I-Com in 2010, first in the Communication office and then in the External Relations team. She is a graduate in International Communication, with a specialisation in advertising and institutional communication of International Bodies and Organisms. She worked in Xerox for a year in Public Relations dealing with corporate advertising and the organisation of events and exhibitions, acquiring skills in the fields of business communication and marketing.Luca CHIAPPONI
Public Affairs & Comunication
Luca CHIAPPONI, Public Affairs & Comunication
Born in Rome in 1992, he graduated in Philosophy from La Sapienza University. During his studies he took part in Erasmus programme and studied at the École pratique des hautes études (EPHE) in Paris. Between 2018 and 2019 he joined National Civil Service and worked on cultural promotion and territorial marketing projects, later he worked as media analyst. In 2022 he got a master's degree in Institutional Relations, Lobbying and Business Communication at the Luiss Business School. He finally joined I-Com Communication and Public Affairs team in January 2022. He speaks English and French.Francesca CORRADO
General & Administrative Affairs
Francesca CORRADO, General & Administrative Affairs
Francesca Corrado joined I-Com in 2009, carrying out different roles such as in the General and Organisational Secretariat, External Relations and Administration. In 2009, she successfully obtained a Diploma for Payroll Attendant with McS Informatica. In 2011, she obtained a Diploma in "Event Planning and Organisation" from Delta Comunicazione Srl, involving all aspects of event planning - from the creation and designing phase to organisation and production. Thanks to her varied training background, she is a qualified personal, executive and assistant manager. She has been in charge of the administrative management of I-Com for many years, as well as relations with the Human Resources Office and Public Relations with members and sponsors.Maria Rosaria DELLA PORTA
Research Fellow
Maria Rosaria DELLA PORTA, Research Fellow
Maria Rosaria Della Porta graduated from the University of Naples “Federico II”, with a Master’s in Economics and a post-graduate diploma in “Competition, Economics of Regulation and Evaluation”. After her academic studies, she qualified as a Chartered Accountant. Since 2015, she has been a Research Fellow at the Institute for Competitiveness. She started her experience in I-Com working exclusively in the Innovation Area, which deals with issues related to the health sector and the pharmaceutical market. She is currently also collaborating with the Digital Area on issues related to Artificial Intelligence and the Internet of Things. Finally, within the ORTI Observatory, she deals with issues related to taxation in Italy and relations between Italian public administration and companies.Maria Vittoria DI SANGRO
Research Fellow
Maria Vittoria DI SANGRO, Research Fellow
Maria Vittoria Di Sangro graduated from Luiss Guido Carli University in 2019 in Economics and Business with a research thesis in Management. Several experiences abroad during her studies have contributed to her personal and professional growth. In 2017, she began her first experience in the business advisory sector, becoming the youngest employee of Ernst and Young Italy as an intern in the People Advisory service line. Maria Vittoria also holds a master’s in international management from the LUISS Business School. She joined I-Com in October 2020, where she works as a researcher in the Innovation Department.Laura GAGLIARDUCCI
Public Affairs & Comunication
Laura GAGLIARDUCCI, Public Affairs & Comunication
Graduated in Political Sciences from the University in Rome “La Sapienza”, Laura Gagliarducci worked as an editor for the agency Axia multimedia, mainly handling in-depth articles for the monthly Technet and Atlas on topics of sustainable development, Corporate Social Responsibility, ethical finance, and new technologies. She contributed to editing and proofreading with the publisher Memori. She worked for Fondazione Etica, responsible for the mapping and reworking of electoral programmes for the volume "Il Federalismo che già c’è" (Ed. Il Mulino, 2011) and collaborating on the research project REP (Rating Etico Pubblico) for the creation of a sustainability index for the public administration (regional and local health authorities). She collaborated in the bibliographic research and editing of the volume "Sanità a 21 velocità" (Ed. Rubbettino, 2013). She joined the Institute for Competitiveness in March 2013 and, since June 2015, has worked in the External Relations team.Niccolò MAZZOCCHETTI
EU Liason Officer
Niccolò MAZZOCCHETTI, EU Liason Officer
Born in 1997, Niccolò Mazzocchetti obtained a Bachelor's degree in Political Science and International Relations at the University of Macerata. He then received his Master's degree in Global Politics and Society at the University of Milan with a thesis on the social policies of the National Recovery and Resilience Plans of Southern European countries. Moved by a deep interest for the European Union and Public Affairs, he decided to deepen his knowledge with a Master in European Law and Policies at Luiss Guido Carli in Rome. Professionally, he worked as a Public Administration Consultant at Intellera Consulting in Milan and then joined I-Com in October 2022 to hold the position of EU Liaison Officer at the Brussels office. Passions: electronic music, football and the First Italian Republic.Cristina ORLANDO
Research Fellow
Cristina ORLANDO, Research Fellow
After graduating in Business Administration and Economics from the University of Rome Tor Vergata, she obtained the Master of Science in Economics and Econometrics at the University of Bologna, graduating with honors. The passion for research was strengthened by a traineeship as a Research Assistant at the University of Bologna, which allowed her to acquire new tools and competences by working on an ongoing project of Comparative Development and Political Economy. She has been a Research Fellow at I-com since 2023, where she covers energy and sustainability topics. In the year before, she acted as Junior Economist in the research institute “Osservatorio sui Conti Pubblici italiani”.Domenico SALERNO
Research Fellow
Domenico SALERNO, Research Fellow
Domenico Salerno holds a Bachelor’s in “Economics and Health Company Management” from the Catholic University and a Master’s in “International Management” from LUISS Guido Carli. After graduating, he attended a Master's Course in “Export Management & International Business” at the Sole 24 Ore Business School.Giorgia TERMINI
Head of EU Affairs
