As part of Milan’s MIND Innovation Week 2024, on May 10 DIGI-ME’s partner Obloo Ventures hosted “Deepscover: The Future of Computing”, an event that brought together leading voices from academia, pioneering startups and international corporations to explore the opportunities and challenges of computational sciences.
The discussions opened with a look at the value chain of computational technologies—from the evolution of quantum computing beyond the NISQ era, to the future of large-scale language models, to strategies for managing the rising costs of inference. Seven trailblazing European startups presented their perspectives, offering concrete examples of how advanced research can be translated into market-ready solutions.
A central theme was the role of large corporations in scaling innovation. Startups are often the source of breakthrough technologies, but transformation at scale depends on industry adoption. The panels highlighted not only the obstacles companies face in integrating new solutions but also the growing demand for managerial and technical skills capable of bridging innovation with execution.
This skills dimension directly links to the objectives of the DIGI-ME project, of which Obloo Venture is an active partner. The event underscored how corporations require new skill frameworks to face upcoming innovation challenges—frameworks that academia must anticipate when training the next generation of managers. Preparing professionals who can combine business acumen with an understanding of deep technologies is key to making transformative innovation succeed.
As Forbes Italia noted in its coverage, the expected investments in computing will have a tangible impact across industries such as climate tech, manufacturing, cybersecurity, aerospace and pharmaceuticals. The Future of Computing is not only a technological frontier but also a strategic opportunity for Europe to position itself as a hub of excellence.
Events like this highlight the importance of strengthening an innovation ecosystem where education, research, startups and corporations work side by side. Only through this kind of collaboration future leaders can be equipped with the skills needed to turn breakthrough technologies into transformative change—exactly the mission at the heart of the DIGI-ME project.
