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.Thomas OSBORN
Health Area Director
Thomas OSBORN, Health Area Director
After obtaining a Bachelor's degree in Economics and Business at LUISS University, he completed a Master's degree in Economics at the University of Rome Tor Vergata with an experimental thesis in Labour Economics on how the introduction of paternity leave affects mothers' employment and economic outcomes. Over the years he has developed a strong academic and professional interest in public policy, welfare and ways in which the economy and society interact generating impacts on employment and society. Since 2020, she has been part of the I-Com research team. He has also gained experience in policy evaluation as well as in coordinating projects with social impact. Since October 2023 he is Director of I-Com's Health Area.Domenico SALERNO
Digital Area Director
Domenico SALERNO, Digital Area Director
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.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.Luca CHIAPPONI
Head of Strategy & Development
Luca CHIAPPONI, Head of Strategy & Development
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. At I-Com from January 2022, he is Head of Strategy & Development. He speaks English and French.Giorgia TERMINI
Head of EU Affairs
Giorgia TERMINI, Head of EU Affairs
Giorgia Termini graduated from the University of Trieste in International and Diplomatic Sciences and obtained an LLM in International Law and Global Governance from Tilburg Law School in the Netherlands. A traineeship at the Jerusalem Institute of Justice (JIJ) sparked her interest in public affairs and resulted in her doing a Master’s in Lobbying and Public Affairs at Il Sole 24 Ore Business School. After having joined I-Com in April 2021 as a trainee, from June 2022, she has become Head of European Affairs at the I-Com Brussels Liaison Office. Giorgia is fluent in Italian, English, French and German.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.Alessandra CERUSO
General & Administrative Affairs
Alessandra CERUSO, General & Administrative Affairs
Alessandra Ceruso, for 10 years has been “flying” with Alitalia dealing with various functions, from the fundamental front-desk training experience to the management secretariat in the Cargo and Operations sector. After the experience at the airline for almost another decade worked for AIFA, the Italian Medicines Agency in Product Quality and Pharmaceutical Crime Countering Office including the difficult years of the Covid crisis. During her professional career she has acquired various skills in the administrative, commercial, organizational and reporting sectors. In I-Com she is in charge of the administrative office.Alessandro D’AMATO
Research Fellow
Alessandro D’AMATO, Research Fellow
After obtaining a bachelor’s degree in “Investigative Sciences” at the University of Foggia, he completed a Master's degree in “Legal Science and Security - Data Security and Circulation” at the same institution. Since 2023, he has been a researcher at the Institute for Competitiveness (I-Com), focusing on topics such as cybersecurity, the new space economy, and artificial intelligence.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.Gabriele LICHERI
Research Fellow
Gabriele LICHERI, Research Fellow
After earning a bachelor's degree in Political Science and International Relations from Sapienza University, he completed a master's degree with honors in Economics and Policy for Global Sustainability at the same institution. His experimental thesis in public policy evaluation focused on the role of nuclear energy in optimizing the energy mix, complemented by a sentiment analysis study. During his academic journey, he broadened his education by studying at Aix-Marseille Université and Université Savoie Mont Blanc in France, as well as Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, deepening his passion for economics and public policy. Since 2023, he has been a researcher at the Institute for Competitiveness (I-Com), where he focuses on Italian and European public health, the pharmaceutical sector, and employment and social policy issues.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”.Marco PIAZZA
EU Liaison Officer
Marco PIAZZA, EU Liaison Officer
Born in Rome, he earned a bachelor's degree in Political Science from LUISS Guido Carli, followed by a Master’s in International Relations, enriched by an Erasmus experience in Strasbourg at the Institut des Études Politiques. A passionate advocate for the European Union and actively involved in social initiatives, he served as an ambassador for the Antonio Megalizzi Foundation and participated in the Académie Notre Europe of the Jacques Delors Institute. He is currently enrolled in the Executive Master in Lobbying, Institutional Relations & Human Capital at the LUISS Business School. At I-Com, he serves as the EU Liaison Officer at the Brussels office.Adriano ROMANI
Public Affairs & Communication
