The Role of the Public Sector in Developing Supercomputing and Innovation Ecosystems: The Case of Bologna Technopole within the Italian and European Framework

The European Union’s leadership in supercomputing infrastructure is essential as it plays a major role in data and intelligence collection and analysis, in boosting cutting-edge research, and, ultimately, in gaining a leading role in the development of Artificial Intelligence (AI) applications. This Chapter discusses the significant role of public investment in high-performance computing (HPC) and AI as it creates an innovation ecosystem that drives long-term economic growth. By supporting R&D, infrastructure, and education, public investments can, in fact, lay the foundation for thriving industrial and social developments. Thanks to the Italian government and the EuroHPC initiative, Bologna Technopole hosts some of the world’s most powerful computing resources, Leonardo, and advanced expertise in research and innovation. Its establishment was the outcome of a long-term strategy involving collaboration among local, national, and European institutions with research centers, universities and private entities. The development of Bologna Technopole marks a promising new era for Italy, being a reference hub in Europe for applications in big data, AI and supercomputing, and it can be an example of how public investments and strategic foresight can help Europe increase its global leadership in the digital era.