AI-COMP – Artificial Intelligence and Competition

Scientific Director: Emilio Calvano

Artificial intelligence algorithms are increasingly used in markets, and it’s clear that they create a great deal of value by facilitating economic interactions. However, there are also concerns that, when applied to market environments, they could reduce competition and harm consumers. This proposal marks an important first step in a comprehensive research program focused on AI and competition. The proposal is structured into three comprehensive projects that focus on two important classes of AI algorithms: 1) the first class, pricing algorithms, are tools used by online retailers to set retail prices; 2) the second class, recommendation systems (RS), are ubiquitous online algorithms that suggest products and content to consumers based on their current and past behavior.

This project has received funding under the European Union's Horizon Europe program through European Research Council grant agreement No. 101098332. 

AWARE - Aquaponics from Wastewater Reclamation

Scientific lead: Fernando Christian Iaione

AWARE aims to break down the barriers that prevent reclaimed water aquaculture from becoming a reality in Europe. By demonstrating the seamless integration of the proposed solutions within a recirculating aquaponics system (RAS), along with IoT monitoring and automation technologies, the project aims to enhance overall operation and sustainability metrics. As the first European case study for aquaponics using recycled water in the city of Fasano (Puglia, Italy), the project aims to: 1) demonstrate technical solutions for efficient and sustainable aquaponics using reclaimed wastewater; 2) increase the circularity of wastewater as a freshwater resource to be used where it is generated; 3) create a new value chain from producer to consumer (contributing to European economic growth and local urban agriculture); and 4) lay the groundwork for a new regulatory and policy framework to support European aquaculture.

This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon Europe research and innovation program under Grant Agreement No. 101084245.

BETKONEXT – Better Knowledge for the Next Generations

Scientific lead: Aldo Sandulli

BETKONEXT aims to conduct scientific research on issues related to protecting the EU’s financial interests, with a view to fostering institutional coordination. This is made possible by the state-of-the-art work presented in the previous Hercule III program, Better Knowledge for Better Solutions (BETKOSOL). Through distinct work phases, BETKONEXT explores the potential of institutional cooperation by studying regulatory contexts and concrete cooperation practices. The comparative study, which considers administrative, criminal, and European law, is conducted across four Member States: Italy, Spain, Belgium, and Poland. On the one hand, the future of the national network of anti-fraud contact points is outlined. On the other hand, since the supranational legal framework establishes a European Public Prosecutor’s Office, its actual functioning raises several questions regarding institutional coordination for the protection of financial interests. These questions will be further explored one and a half years after the start of its activities. The project also focuses on institutional cooperation among the various EU bodies involved in the field. 

This project received funding from the European Union's EUAF program under grant agreement no. 101140537.

BRIDGEGAP - Bridging the Gaps in Evidence, Regulation, and Impact of Anti-Corruption Policies

Scientific lead: Alina Mungiu-Pippidi

BRIDGEGAP is a multidisciplinary project that builds on the research initiated by ANTICORRP. It focuses on analyzing public accountability and anti-corruption regulation to identify gaps in legislation and impact, thereby bridging the divide between academic research and the policy arena on corruption. BRIDGEGAP's main objectives include assessing the extent and evolution of corruption over time, as well as the effectiveness of anti-corruption policies. The project aims to bridge knowledge gaps regarding the spread of corruption and the mechanisms through which it infiltrates open societies, including at the transnational level, and seeks to examine gaps in understanding digital transparency. By assessing the state of transparency in EU member states and candidate countries, as well as the use and misuse of technology in the fight against corruption, the project also aims to provide solutions to the identified shortcomings. 

This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon Europe research and innovation program under grant agreement no. 101132483.

CATALISI - Catalyzing institutional transformations in higher education through the adoption of acceleration services

Scientific lead: Irene Finocchi

The overarching goal of CATALISI is to help and support universities in launching a strategy and a personalized path toward successful institutional transformation through the adoption of acceleration services. These services, designed to facilitate and accelerate institutional transformations in research and innovation, strengthen collaborations and alliances among European universities, which serve as beacons of European values. CATALISI also examines how university governance can evolve, viewing governance as a means by which social and state actors intentionally interact to transform scientific, technological, and innovation systems while addressing issues of social interest. CATALISI is led by a consortium comprising 11 partners from 8 EU Member States.

This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon Europe research and innovation program under grant agreement no. 101094917.

DCS – Dynamic Cross Sections and Heterogeneity in Macroeconomics

Scientific lead: Francesco Lippi

<p class="text-align-justify">One of the main challenges for modern macroeconomics involves understanding the consequences of the significant heterogeneity among households and businesses, a characteristic ignored by the representative agent models found in textbooks. Important questions arise about the role this heterogeneity plays in how the economy functions and its ability to respond to shocks when faced with friction and irregular behavior (rare large adjustments), as seen in durable purchases, technology adoption, portfolio adjustments, investment, and price redefinition. The DCS project, “Dynamic Cross Sections and Heterogeneity in Macroeconomics,” aims to identify and develop new methods for understanding how the economy responds to shocks and for conducting a rigorous analysis of dynamic strategic complementarities and network effects, with applications across various macroeconomic contexts.

This project has received funding under the European Union's Horizon Europe program through European Research Council grant agreement No. 101054421.

DynamicInfoAsym – Dynamic Markets with Information Asymmetries: Strategic and Non-Strategic Information Transmission

Scientific lead: Doruk Cetemen

DynamicInfoAsym focuses on analyzing competition in dynamic markets with asymmetric information, a situation where one or more players have more information than others. Specifically, the project aims to advance our understanding of information transmission in dynamic markets by examining two specific scenarios: information transmission by strategic agents and information transmission by algorithms. 
The project pursues three objectives that, through positive and normative analysis, provide insights into the ongoing debate on predatory and algorithmic pricing: 1) The development of a cutting-edge strategic model that allows for an in-depth analysis of the impact of policies and regulatory decisions on consumer welfare or market efficiency in different contexts; 2) Applying the developed tools in various settings, leading to insights that can inform policy debates on regulation; 3) Examining decisions made by algorithms rather than strategic agents to contribute to the regulation of Artificial Intelligence, particularly within the framework of the EU AI Act.  

This project has received funding under the European Union's Horizon Europe program through European Research Council grant agreement no. 101165373.

GEM-DIAMOND - Globalization, Europe, and Multilateralism: Democratic Institutions, the Rise of Alternative Models, and Mounting Normative Dissensus

Scientific lead: Cristina Fasone

The EU's policy priorities for 2019–2024 include a push for European democracy. The project aims to delve into the impact of EU instruments on democratic institutions, the rise of alternative models, and the current growing dissent fueled by internal challenges and external competition. From a scientific standpoint, the project focuses on research and training to positively impact citizens' knowledge and democratic practices. The GEM-DIAMONDS agenda centers on three key points: 1) the original conceptual understanding of “dissent”; 2) its unique form of interdisciplinary and methodological coherence; and 3) new empirical findings that assess changes in the efficiency and legitimacy of EU instruments. At the societal level, dissemination, promotion, and communication will have a sustainable impact on the areas of European Research (SER) and Higher Education (EHEA).

This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon Europe research and innovation program under Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No. 101073292.

IDMO – Italian Digital Media Observatory

Scientific lead: Livia de Giovanni

The IDMO project, “Italian Digital Media Observatory,” was created to combat global disinformation online. It involves developing an Italian Digital Media Observatory focused on social media analysis, a coordination hub for fact-checkers, and a high-impact media literacy program. With this in mind, the Observatory serves as a crucial hub for gathering knowledge, tools, and methodologies to combat disinformation, educate citizens and professionals, and provide information to policymakers. To contribute to discussions on the need to quantify the impact of disinformation, IDMO plans to provide an impact assessment of the Observatory’s activities related to media education and literacy, as well as the actions taken to mitigate the effect of disinformation campaigns. The project is managed by a multidisciplinary consortium, comprising a diverse mix of universities, SMEs, and leading media and telecommunications operators. 

Co-financed by the European Union’s “Connecting Europe Facility” program.

IDMO II – Italian Digital Media Observatory

Scientific Director: Livia de Giovanni

In the digital age, Europe faces challenges related to the role of the media in shaping public opinion, amid rising disinformation and low media literacy, which impacts democracies. In partnership with EDMO, the European Digital Media Observatory, IDMO, the Italian Digital Media Observatory, has launched a strategic plan to combat disinformation, promote e-literacy, and improve media quality, engaging millions of people in Italy and across Europe. Building on the research and development work of IDMO I, the IDMO II project aims to leverage artificial intelligence (AI) for real-time detection of disinformation and content verification, supporting newsrooms in promptly verifying stories. The project's strategy focuses on three key areas: 1) combating disinformation and online hate; 2) promoting digital literacy; and 3) fostering responsible journalism and raising public awareness about cybersecurity.  

Co-financed by the European Union's “DIGITAL Europe Programme” under grant agreement no. 101158697.

ISEProD - Industrial Structure and the European Productivity Growth Divergence

Scientific lead: Fabiano Schivardi

<p class="text-align-justify">Over the past few decades, we’ve seen a slowdown in global productivity growth on the one hand, and a widening productivity gap between Northern and Southern Europe on the other. The project's research assumes that ownership control and finance—essentially, the industrial structure—play a key role in a country's productivity, a role that has been facilitated in recent years by technological transformation. By using and collecting data from several European countries and adopting experimental methods, ISEProD aims to both modify the traditional assumption based on the connection between corporate governance, finance, and productivity growth, and to define cutting-edge industrial organization and corporate finance techniques to assess the causes and consequences of different industrial structures. From this perspective, the project contributes to the key debate on the future of the European Union regarding the divergent productivity trends among European economies.

This project has received funding under the European Union's Horizon Europe program through European Research Council grant agreement No. 835201. 

LATIF – Leveraging argument technology for impartial fact-checking

Scientific lead: Livia De Giovanni

LATIF, “Leveraging argument technology for impartial fact-checking,” introduces the Analyzing Competing Hypotheses (ACH) methodology to the field of fact-checking, aiming to counteract and control cognitive biases within the process. The project aims to develop a new generation of digital tools based on ACH to enhance and improve the decision-making processes of fact-checking organizations. This starts with a qualitative assessment of how well fact-checkers understand and identify cognitive biases. The research then designs a digital infrastructure to improve fact-checkers’ decision-making processes, making them more impartial (a fact-checking tool free from bias).

This project has received funding from the European Media and Information Fund and is managed by the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation under grant agreement no. 268755. 

MICROPOPULISM - The micro-foundations of macro-institutions: an empirical investigation of the co-evolution of populist rhetoric and organizations

Scientific lead: Antonio Majocchi

The rise of populism in several EU member states poses a threat to the Union's principles. Building on this theoretical framework, the project offers an in-depth analysis of the microfoundations of populism. The goal is to gain a detailed understanding of populist rhetoric that can undermine European values, as well as the driving forces behind this rhetoric and its economic consequences. By shedding light on the origins of populism and seeking to uncover the rhetorical strategies employed by populists and their co-evolutionary influence on organizations and institutions, the project employs a synthesis of co-evolution theory and discourse analysis, with a specific focus on the context of populism and multinational enterprises (MNEs). Given the substantial impact these powerful organizations have on institutional dynamics, MICROPOPULISM focuses on the language and persuasive techniques employed by populist leaders, with the aim of discerning their influence on the strategies and institutional structures of multinational corporations.

This project received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement no. 101108168.

RED-SPINEL - Responding to Emerging Dissensus: Supranational Instruments and Norms of European Liberal Democracy

Scientific lead: Raffaele Marchetti

The EU supports democracy and the rule of law in response to the emerging dissent regarding liberal democracies. By helping strengthen democratic institutions in the EU, the RED-SPINEL project, “Respond to Emerging Dissensus: SuPranational Instruments and Norms of European democracy,” aims to analyze the nature of dissent and its implications for the EU's supranational policy instruments. Specifically, the project explores the interrelated factors behind contemporary dissent regarding liberal democracy and provides a categorization of the concept. It maps its main actors in Europe and analyzes its two underlying factors: heightened internal challenges to liberal democracy and external competition from alternative illiberal models.

This project received funding from the European Union's Horizon Europe research and innovation program under grant agreement no. 101061621.

REGROUP - REbuilding Governance and Resilience Out of the Pandemic

Scientific lead: Mark Thatcher

Following a decade of crises in Europe, the COVID-19 pandemic presented an unprecedented opportunity for institutional and political change. This extended beyond a “reactive” emergency response to a broader effort to address the numerous socio-political challenges that COVID-19 either caused or exacerbated. Based on this conceptual framework, REGROUP aims to: 1) provide the European Union with guidance on how to rebuild governance and public policies in an effective and democratic manner post-pandemic; 2) map the socio-political dynamics and consequences of COVID-19; and 3) provide an empirically informed regulatory assessment of the pandemic. REGROUP pursues this threefold objective through a multi-level (national, supranational, international) and multi-sphere (political, social, ideational, digital) research approach, guided by three main analytical themes: “reordering”; “risk”; and “resilience”.

This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon Europe research and innovation program under grant agreement no. 101060825.

REMIT – Reignite Multilateralism via Technology

Scientific lead: Thomas Christiansen

Multilateralism is under attack, and the EU is caught between the United States and China. While the decline of multilateralism affects the EU in various ways, none is more concerning than technological rivalries. Within this conceptual framework, REMIT, “Reignite Multilateralism via Technology,” aims to develop policy recommendations and strategies that support the EU in rethinking multilateral governance across four crucial policy areas: digital, biotechnology, security and defense, and financial technology. By applying the Advocacy Coalition Framework (ACF) to specific subsystems, the project aims to rekindle multilateralism through technology, focusing on 1) the policy issue; 2) the actors seeking to influence it; and 3) the domain or territorial authority that defines the policy. 

This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon Europe research and innovation program under grant agreement no. 101094228.

ROOTS - The historical roots of global inequality

Scientific lead: Luigi Pascali

For centuries, the enigma of global inequality has puzzled and intrigued scholars. Two pressing questions remain: why did some regions see the emergence of the first complex hierarchies, and how did these ancient origins shape modern economic disparities? Funded by the European Research Council, the ROOTS project, “Unearthing the roots of global inequality,” aims to answer these questions. Using cutting-edge tools from paleoclimatology, archaeogenetics, and archaeology, the project explores the network of factors that shaped the development of human society, offering a fresh perspective on the origins of global inequality.

This project has received funding under the European Union's Horizon Europe program through European Research Council grant agreement No. 101088889.

SEAO2-CDR - Strategies for the Evaluation and Assessment of Ocean-Based Carbon Dioxide Removal

Scientific lead: Raffaele Marchetti

The oceans are the world's largest carbon reservoir and a crucial barrier against climate change. Enhancing or accelerating the natural processes of carbon sequestration in the oceans could be a powerful tool to facilitate the transition to a climate-neutral and more resilient society. SEAO2-CDR, "Strategies for the Evaluation and Assessment Of Ocean-based Carbon Dioxide Removal," is a multidisciplinary project that brings together experts in science, economics, law, policy, social science, and ethics with industry leaders. The goal is to establish and evaluate the pathways and methodologies needed for the sustainable and effective operationalization of Ocean-based Carbon Dioxide Removal (OCDR). The project's core objective is to develop stakeholder-oriented governance frameworks that define the multidimensional points of interaction through which responsible and effective governance of OCDR can be implemented. 

This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon Europe research and innovation program under Grant Agreement No. 101081362.

VALPOP - Valuing Public Goods in a Populist World: A Comparative Analysis of Network Dynamics and Societal Outcomes

<p class="text-align-justify">Scientific Director: Antonio Majocchi

The EU is committed to creating socio-economic well-being for its citizens by ensuring fair and equal access to public goods, as a purely market-based provision would lead to inefficiencies. However, populism has gained momentum globally, challenging democracy and the rule of law. The VALPOP project, “Enhancing public goods in a populist world: a comparative analysis of network dynamics and social outcomes,” aims to study how the rule of law and populism influence the creation and distribution of public goods by social actors. The analysis takes a network perspective, considering interactions, collaborations, and potential collusion among actors to provide a multidimensional view of socio-economic outcomes. The project explores how the structure of these networks and their degree of populism—what we call “network populism”—influence how social actors contribute to socio-economic outcomes.

This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon Europe research and innovation program under grant agreement no. 101177310.

Archive

Completed projects