Italian scientific excellence rewarded in Berlin

(ANSA) - BERLINO, 20 NOV - Italian scientific excellence was the protagonist of a double event on Tuesday to celebrate the recognition of the SIGN network of Italian scientists in Germany as a non-profit association by the German authorities. The Italian Embassy in Berlin hosted the panel 'AI in molecular, material and medical science: an invaluable tool to accelerate the path from research to application' and the ceremony conferring the Order of the Star of Italy in the rank of Officer on scientists Cecilia Clementi and Gianaurelio Cuniberti. "The numbers of scientific cooperation between Germany and Italy are impressive and constantly growing," reiterated Ambassador Armando Varricchio, according to a note from the diplomatic office.
    "For the first time in history, this is the second largest community of foreign professors and the first of non-native German speakers. Many of these scientists are members of 'SIGN', the network of Italian scientists in Germany, co-organisers of this event. And tonight we are happy to celebrate an important moment in the young history of SIGN, namely its recognition by the federal authorities as a non-profit organisation." Receiving from Ambassador Varricchio the Honorary Order of the Star, granted by the President of the Italian Republic Sergio Mattarella and created to reward merits acquired in the development of ties with Italy and the promotion of Italian prestige abroad, were two internationally prominent scientists who have been working in Germany for years: Cecilia Clementi is the first and only Italian scientist to be awarded a prestigious Einstein Chair at the Freie Univesität in Berlin; Gianaurelio Cuniberti is full professor of Materials Science and Nanotechnology at the Technical University of Dresden (TU Dresden) and co-director at the Max Bergmann Biomaterials Centre; he is also a founding member and first executive director of the SIGN network e.V., the non-profit association of Italian researchers working in Germany. Following the award ceremony, the evening dedicated to science continued with the panel 'AI in molecular, material and medical science: an invaluable tool to accelerate the path from research to application' focusing on the scientific applications of artificial intelligence. The panel included academics Clementi, Cuniberti, Esther Troost from the Technical University of Dresden, Frank Noé from Microsoft Berlin and Daniele Passerone from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich, who discussed the latest developments in artificial intelligence in their respective fields of research.