Roll Cloud. In Turin, young talents tackle material poverty
What happens when the power of the cloud and artificial intelligence meets the creativity and sense of responsibility of the younger generation? A concrete answer comes from Turin, where on 17 April, at the Luigi Einaudi Campus of the University of Turin, the Hack4SocialAI hackathon took place.
The initiative marks the second Turin event in 2026 of Roll Cloud. Working in the Cloud, promoted by the Fondazione Mondo Digitale as part of Opening Future, a joint project by Google Cloud, Intesa Sanpaolo and TIM Enterprise.
Hosted by the “Cognetti de Martiis” Department of Economics and Statistics, students on the degree course in Economics and Statistics for Organisations were involved in a practical challenge: designing technological solutions to combat material poverty and improve access to basic necessities.
Not just theory, but a real laboratory of social innovation. Using design thinking methodologies and prototyping tools such as the Marvel App, the teams transformed real-world data and needs into digital prototypes (apps and web platforms) designed to streamline the logistics of solidarity and support people in vulnerable situations.
At the end of the day, the teams presented their projects, demonstrating how digital skills and social awareness can translate into real-world solutions.
Among the winning proposals:
- Winner: the Street Help AI team with the project Orizzonte (Selma El Kabbouri, Carola Mulato, Davide Bambino)
- Special mention for the role of AI: the Lionesses team with TrovaRifugio (Beatrice Antonietta, Alice Caratto, Cristiana Zuccarino)
- Special mention for feasibility: the Vintage Safe team (Carol Cavallo, Erica Scotto, Anna Giulia Dos Santos)
- Honourable mention for social impact: the We Help team (Benedetta Bergia, Arianna Fermia, Jessica Kaur)
As Elena Siletti, Deputy Director of Teaching at the Department, emphasises: “The enthusiasm and quality of the proposals demonstrate the value of these synergies and the potential of the younger generation to tackle social challenges through emerging technologies. The Department wishes to express its heartfelt and sincere thanks to all participants, the trainers from the Fondazione Mondo Digitale and the members of the jury for their valuable contribution to the success of the initiative. Special thanks go to the project partners for their ongoing commitment to promoting innovative and high-impact training programmes. Particular appreciation is extended to the students, the stars of the day, for their commitment, dedication and the quality of the solutions proposed. Their active participation, combined with creativity and critical thinking, is a central element of the value of initiatives such as this and confirms the university’s role as a space for growth, experimentation and responsibility in the face of the challenges of contemporary society. Collaboration between universities, training institutions and the business world remains a key element in offering students practical and valuable experiences.
