An initiative aimed at PhD students and postdocs to present new research ideas at the national conference in Cagliari
Fondazione SERICS is organising the Research Pitch, an initiative aimed at PhD students and postdocs, which will be one of the key events of the 2nd Joint National Conference on Cybersecurity ITASEC-SERICS 2026, scheduled to take place in Cagliari from 9 to 13 February.
The aim is to provide young talents in the research community with an exceptional platform to present their projects and visions to the national cybersecurity community, bringing together representatives from universities, industry, institutions and research centres.
The initiative was launched on 19 and 20 January in Genoa, where the selected researchers took part in an intensive training course focusing on public speaking and crafting an effective pitch.
The session on 10 February in Cagliari
The finalists will present their projects during the Research Pitch Session, which will take place on Tuesday 10 February 2026 (4.30–5.15 pm). Each participant will have two minutes to explain to the audience and the judging panel the merit and originality of their research proposal.
Assessment and awards
The pitches will be assessed by a panel of experts from academia, the public sector and industry, based on their impact, feasibility, originality and the quality of the presentation. The three best projects will be officially awarded on Wednesday 11 February 2026 (at 11.30 am) during a plenary session of the conference (Research Pitch Award Ceremony).
A great opportunity for the cybersecurity young talents
The Research Pitch is a valuable opportunity for visibility, professional development and networking, designed to highlight the contribution of the next generation of researchers and foster dialogue between research and practical applications in the field of digital security.
SERICS is reaffirming its commitment to supporting the development of young talent and promoting scientific innovation as a strategic driver for the future of cybersecurity.
Find out here the 10 finalists and the members of the jury for the 2026 edition
Finalists
- Pietro Bernabei (Scuola IMT Alti Studi di Lucca)
- Salvatore Bramante (Scuola IMT Alti Studi di Lucca)
- Matteo Busi (Università Ca’ Foscari di Venezia)
- Lorenzo Fasol (Fondazione Bruno Kessler)
- Giovanni Gaggero (Università degli Studi di Genova)
- Francesco Greco (Università degli Studi di Bari)
- Enrico Lipparini (Università degli Studi di Cagliari)
- Marco Quadrini (Università degli Studi di Camerino)
- Vito Scaraggi (IIT-CNR, Unipi)
- Maria Vittoria Zucca (Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna – Scuola IMT Alti Studi di Lucca)
Jury
- Francesco Buccafurri (Università di Reggio Calabria)
- Giorgio Giacinto (Università degli Studi di Cagliari)
- Marco Conti (CNR)
- Rocco De Nicola (Scuola IMT Alti Studi di Lucca)
- Paolo Ciaccio (Entopan Innovation)
- Paolo Prinetto (Politecnico di Torino)
- Rocco Mammoliti (Poste Italiane)