Pavia Innovation Week

Pavia Becomes the Capital of Innovation

Launched in 2026, Pavia Innovation Week is the new major festival that brings the narrative of the future to the heart of the Lombard city. For four days—with an extension of distributed events until April 14—Pavia transforms into what organizers call "the city as a laboratory for the future": a space where science, technology, culture, and society meet and confront each other in front of everyone.

Over 40 Events and 80 Guests

The program brings together more than forty events and over eighty Italian and international guests, divided into eight thematic tracks: Signature Talks with major international interviews, Innovation Stories, Science for Everyone, Multi-voice Conversations, Science in Theater, the Bookstore with author meetings, Family Labs dedicated to families, and guided tours of the city's scientific heritage. All events are free admission, with booking recommended.

Names from Around the World

Among the guests announced for the first edition are leading figures in science and culture: from Nobel laureate Geoffrey Hinton, considered one of the fathers of artificial intelligence, to astronaut Paolo Nespoli, from physicist Guido Tonelli to scientist Ilaria Capua, from Egyptologist Christian Greco to director Maurizio Nichetti. The scientific direction is entrusted to Massimo Sideri, columnist for Corriere della Sera, in a project supported by the Chamber of Commerce, the Municipality of Pavia, and the University of Pavia.

A Festival Spread Through the Historic Center

The meetings take place in the symbolic locations of the city: the Teatro Fraschini, Collegio Ghislieri, Almo Collegio Borromeo, the Aula Magna of the University of Pavia, the Santa Maria Gualtieri hall, the Politeama Cinema, and the central Piazza della Vittoria. A geography that intertwines Pavia's prestigious academic past—home to one of the oldest universities in Europe—with a gaze turned towards tomorrow.

Pavia, in the Province of Pavia

The capital of the province of the same name in Lombardy, Pavia has been a city of university and culture for centuries. The Innovation Week enhances its identity as a center of knowledge, placing it in dialogue with the major themes of our time.