Minds and talents in dialogue

In a country which, according to the CNEL, is losing a significant proportion of its 18–34-year-old population in both quantitative and qualitative terms, it is becoming increasingly urgent to support young talents and researchers by providing opportunities for discussion, training and collaboration. This is the mission of RomeCup, organised by the Fondazione Mondo Digitale in collaboration with Sapienza University of Rome, which for the 2026 edition broadens its focus to Digital Humanities, exploring language as a meeting ground between natural and artificial intelligence, scientific knowledge and humanistic interpretation.

The official opening is scheduled for 28 April at 10 am, in the Aula Magna of Sapienza’s Marco Polo Building, with a morning of discussion moderated by journalist Riccardo Luna.

Following the institutional greetings, the discussion will unfold through sessions dedicated to:

• youth-led enterprises and new job opportunities
• dialogue between students and leading figures from the scientific and cultural worlds
• ethics and governance of artificial intelligence.

Students are invited to actively participate in the debate on the major themes of technological transformation: responsibility, rights, social impact and the relationship between human and artificial intelligence, to build an increasingly shared and inclusive governance of innovation.

RomeCup 2026 is an event organised by the Fondazione Mondo Digitale in collaboration with Sapienza University of Rome and sponsored by MUR, the Lazio Region, Roma Capitale, IIT, CNR, IRIM and SIRI. It is organised in partnership with INAIL and in collaboration with Microsoft Italia, the Raspberry Pi Foundation, Amazon, Johnson & Johnson, Opening Future (a joint project by Google Cloud, Intesa Sanpaolo and TIM Enterprise) and SAP Italia. Media partners: Corriere della Sera, Rai Scuola, RaiNews.it, Rai Radio 1 and Rai Radio 3. Mobility partner: ATAC.

A tribute to Tullio De Mauro

On the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Fondazione Mondo Digitale, RomeCup dedicates a space for reflection to the scientific and civic legacy of Tullio De Mauro, linguist and former Minister of Education. The event, scheduled for 29 April at 10 am, explores the opportunities and risks of artificial intelligence applied to languages, bringing together technological research, the humanities and society. It is within this context that the new Cyber Humanities Award category has been created, as part of the Most Promising Researcher in Robotics and AI award, promoted in partnership with Corriere della Sera, in collaboration with Sapienza University of Rome and the Campus Bio-Medico University of Rome. This year, for the fourth edition, 265 candidates took part, and there are 63 jurors from 41 universities and research centres. The award ceremony will take place on 29 April at 9.00 pm in the Sala Esedra of the Capitoline Museums. The award has received the prestigious medal of the President of the Republic.

Competitions, research and prototypes, training and guidance

During RomeCup, two practical resources for educational communities are shared. These are the booklet “Media and Minors”, which serves as an educational, values-based and practical framework to guide children and teenagers in discovering new technologies, and the guide “Artificial Intelligence at School”, designed to integrate AI in a mindful, safe and consistent manner with the objectives of inclusive education.

Over the three days of the event, there is a mix of competitions, creative contests, technology demonstrations and educational activities.

• Robotics competitions. Students from all over Italy take part in the 19th International City of Rome Robotics Trophy, in the following categories: OnStage, Explorer, Soccer and Rescue Line. The Robotic Arm Challenge is also on the programme. The awards ceremony takes place at the Campidoglio, in the presence of the Mayor of Rome.
• Creative contests. Six categories involve mixed teams of students, teachers and researchers, engaged in designing innovative robots and software interfaces, fostering dialogue between university research and young people’s creativity.
• Exhibition area. Over 50 organisations present prototypes and advanced technological solutions. These include INAIL, with biomedical prototypes for customised prostheses; CNR, with touch-detection systems on 3D surfaces; Italian Institute of Technology, with tools for motor rehabilitation and the inclusion of children with visual impairments; Sapienza University of Rome, with the Booster T1 humanoid robot trained by the SPQR Robotics team. The Italian Taekwondo Federation (FITA) is participating with an exhibition space entirely dedicated to Virtual Taekwondo, the innovative digital version of the discipline that combines sport, technology and gaming. In the space curated by Cristina Pescante, Head of Marketing & Esports at Fita, and Daniele Vigo, a qualified coach with Fita, master and 4th Dan black belt in Taekwondo, and coordinator of the Fab Lab at the Palestra dell'Innovazione, young people have the chance to discover and experience first-hand this new form of training and competition, which uses motion sensors and immersive virtual environments.
• Educational workshops. Thirty-seven workshops are scheduled for schools of all levels. These include the Learning Convergence Lab on Cyber Humanities: for the first time, the university’s teaching activities are not suspended but integrated into the RomeCup programme with open workshops that bring together university teaching, research and experimentation.
• University guidance talks. Seventeen sessions with scientists, lecturers and business leaders, organised in collaboration with 12 universities, help students navigate STEAM careers and new applications of artificial intelligence and robotics.
• The event “Innovative Teaching, Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence in Schools” (28 April). Two round-table discussions dedicated to exploring the teaching of computer science in schools, the use of artificial intelligence in teaching and educational technologies, aimed at teachers and students from universities and schools of all levels.

Innovation and training with technology partners

RomeCup is also a platform for collaboration with businesses and organisations promoting educational programmes on artificial intelligence, innovation and digital citizenship. Among the main events:

• Hack4SocialAI (Roll Cloud-Opening Future). A national challenge dedicated to social innovation with mixed teams comprising students, university students, start-up founders and young professionals. The project is carried out in collaboration with Opening Future, a joint initiative by Google Cloud, Intesa Sanpaolo and TIM Enterprise. At the end of the hackathon, a Social Impact Award and four thematic awards are presented in the fields of: health, education, inclusion and poverty.
• Experience AI (Raspberry Pi Foundation). An interactive workshop to support teachers in using practical and inclusive teaching methods with artificial intelligence. The activities cover the fundamental concepts of AI and key topics such as algorithms, the responsible use of technology and bias.
• Ital.IA Lab for School (Microsoft Italia). A workshop dedicated to introducing generative AI into teaching, with practical activities for teachers and students. There are also 12 training sessions as part of the Smart & Safe programme, with Microsoft experts stepping up to train students to navigate the digital world with greater awareness.
• Rising Youth (SAP Italia). The programme for developing digital and soft skills aimed at students concludes with a hackathon and the presentation of prototypes to a jury of experts.
• The projects respond to the challenge: “Artificial intelligence at the service of sustainability for businesses and people”.
• Live the Internet to the Fullest (Google). An interactive workshop for teachers and students on digital citizenship and the responsible use of the internet, featuring a presentation by the Italian National Institute of Health.
• From creativity to innovation: AI, apps and youth entrepreneurship (Amazon). The session explores the Make IT Real initiative through its activities and achievements, featuring a workshop on creating an app using PartyRock, inspirational talks and the selected projects developed by the students. The event will also highlight the results of the “Un click per la scuola 2026” initiative.
• Third edition of Health Bot, the educational contest to devise and prototype artificial intelligence solutions applied to healthcare. This year, the initiative forms part of “Il Futuro della Cura” (The Future of Care), a project by Johnson & Johnson and Microsoft Italia promoted by Fondazione Mondo Digitale. Health Bot is a practical workshop that transforms young people’s ideas into concrete solutions, focusing on the integration of AI and precision technologies to make healthcare more predictive, accessible and ethical, contributing to a vision of responsible innovation for health.