“Cultural Transformation and Regional Development in the Era of Artificial Intelligence“

September 24-25, 2026 – Palermo (Italy)
VENUE: Department of Economics, Business and Statistics – University of Palermo

Deadline for submissions: June 30, 2026

The American Studies Center of Naples, the University of Palermo and the Department of Economics and Statistics of the University of Naples Federico II are delighted to announce the 9th Edition of the Institutions and Regional Development Conference, which will take place in Palermo on September 24-25 2026.

This year’s Conference aims at providing academics and policymakers with a valuable forum for discussing Cultural Transformation and Regional Development in the Era of Artificial Intelligence.

Keynote Speakers

Andrea Conte (Joint Research Centre – European Commission)

Dominique Foray (Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne)

Simona Iammarino (GSSI – Gran Sasso Science Institute)

Gianmarco Ottaviano (Bocconi University)

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

• Geopolitical risks
• EU policies and local Institutions
• Place‑based policies
• Health policy
• Resilience, climate change, and natural disasters
• Productivity policies and AI in the productivity divide
• Economics of innovation
• Digital technologies and regulation
• Regional development, inequalities and AI
• AI, cultural diversity, and globalization
• Conflicts and migration 
• Culture and Tourism: investments and policies
• AI and environment
• AI, cities, jobs, and mobility
• Culture and tourism in the era of AI
• Circular economy