Rector Antonella Polimeni’s message at RomeCup 2026
Sapienza and Fondazione Mondo Digitale join forces to educate new generations capable of understanding and shaping change
“The future is not something that simply happens, but something that is built through knowledge, commitment and collaboration.” With these words, Antonella Polimeni, Rector of Sapienza University of Rome, addressed the RomeCup 2026, the event promoted by the Fondazione Mondo Digitale ETS which, since 2007, has been introducing the younger generation to research, robotics, artificial intelligence and the professions of the future.
The Rector highlighted the value of an event that over the years has established itself as “one of the main meeting points for innovation, research and the younger generation”, thanking the Fondazione Mondo Digitale and its Director General Mirta Michilli for work that for 25 years has contributed “in a tangible way to the dissemination of knowledge and the development of the skills needed to tackle the transformations of our time”.
At the heart of the message is RomeCup as an innovation ecosystem, capable of fostering dialogue between schools, universities, research bodies, businesses and institutions. Not merely an event, therefore, but a place where discussion becomes a concrete opportunity to shape the future together, starting with the active involvement of students.
The theme of the 19th edition, “What’s next? Intelligence and talent in dialogue”, invites us to take a deeper look at a transformation already underway, in which human, artificial and biological intelligence interact in the processes of knowledge production. A transformation which, as Polimeni emphasises, requires advanced skills, but also critical thinking, responsibility and awareness.
In this context, the role of the university is decisive. It is not merely a matter of imparting knowledge, but of educating people capable of understanding change and helping to shape it. “Sapienza is proud to be part of this journey,” states the Rector, “as a scientific community committed every day to combining expertise, critical thinking and social responsibility”.
The address concludes with a message directed at the students, the true protagonists of RomeCup: what is taking shape over these days is “much more than a learning experience”. It is a first response to the great questions of our time, an invitation to participate in building the future through knowledge, commitment and collaboration.
