The first day brought together the whole community on the Mainstage to kick off the 11th edition of the WMF! We started a new journey of co-construction that, during the three days brought participants, speakers, students, sponsors, startups, NPOs and institutions to work together sharing ideas, creativity and skills to make a better Future.

As every year, plenty of space was given to Artificial Intelligence in all its declinations: we explored its applications in biomedicine, big data, robotics, without neglecting the impact of AI on the labor market and the social and existential implications of it. With us, among others, Jerry Kaplan, David Hanson, Agnieszka Wykowska.

On the WMF Mainstage during the first day, we talked about the impact of new technologies and the digital on the individual and society. World-renowned sociologist Manuel Castells, Cineca President Francesco Ubertini, UIL General Secretary Pierpaolo Bombardieri, among others, shared their vision with us.

We discussed the topic of the Creator Economy, about how this market works today and the revolution that has occurred in the entertainment landscape. We did this together with Luca Leoni, CEO of Showreel Media Group, and talked with some of the most established creators in the contemporary scene, such as Camihawke or Pow3r.

There were also panels and speeches in the field of Open Innovation: we found out how the sector is evolving and how institutions are moving, through plans to attract startups, innovative companies or Tech Transfer projects, without forgetting the new business prospects made possible by AI.

The second day of WMF featured the outstanding participation of the inventor of the World Wide Web! The man who started the epochal revolution we know, fundamental to the growth of digital technology and its resulting applications: Sir Tim Berners-Lee.

The top 6 innovative startups, selected from more than 1,000 applications received in response to the Startup Competition call, competed on the Mainstage at WMF 2023 to win the prizes provided by Startup Competition partners.

Challenges for the near future will involve processing ever increasing masses of data, but also building new scenarios for complex systems such as climate or smart cities. We talked about this with Rika Nakazawa, Monica Orsino, Walter Riviera, Stefano Quintarelli, and Diego Bettoni, among others.

Climate change and biodiversity loss are at the center of the debate. The future of the planet cannot ignore a sustainable approach, linked to digitization and the ethical use of advanced technologies. Alessandra Prampolini, General Director WWF Italy presented the Living Planet Report.

What are the limits of human aviation? What would happen if humans could fly? Among the discussion topics of the second day was the future of mobility: Sam Rogers showed the vision of Gravity Industries, aimed at opening a new era of human flight.

Does the future lie with the new media? What will be the future of mainstream media? Will they be able to keep up with innovation? We took stock together with some of the most influential protagonists of this revolution, among them Fiamma Goretti, Francesca Milano, Francesco Cancellato, Bianca Arrighini and Alessio Balbi.

One of the most important issues covered on the Mainstage is definitely legality and the fight against Mafias. Prosecutor at the Court of Catanzaro Nicola Gratteri, DIA Deputy Director Nicola Altiero, Luisa Impastato and Antonio Nicaso shared their experiences with us.

Alessandro Masala, founder of Breaking Italy, discussed with Favij and Jakidale the evolution of digital platforms, particularly YouTube and the profession of the content creator. Roccotnl and LolloBarollo shared their experience as creators born in the TikTok generation.

We covered the issue of inequality and unfair distribution of wealth thanks to Chiara Putaturo who presented an accurate report from Oxfam. Nestor Maslej from Stanford University, on the other hand, presented the AI Index, the most comprehensive report in AI that informs key policy makers, researchers and practitioners in the field.

WMF's landmark panel, Scaleup for Future: Eggtronic, Nect and Unobravo shared their experiences on the WMF 2023 Mainstage. Three major international scale-ups that have conquered the market in just a few years with their innovative ideas in technology and society.