A Tribute to Italian Innovation

This Friday, October 24, ICTP's SciFabLab will celebrate the history, present, and future of Italian innovation with a special event open to the public.

The programme will begin with an exhibit of "Olivetti Programma 101," the world's first desktop computer, at the SciFabLab in the Enrico Fermi building from 10:00 to noon.  Giovanni de Sandre and Gastone Garziera, the two surviving members of the team of four Olivetti engineers who designed and built this revolutionary machine first produced in 1965, will be present.  In the afternoon, registered participants will have the opportunity to take apart the Programma 101 with its designers.  This will provide a unique glimpse into the inner workings of the machine that event organizer and ICTP SciFabLab member Enrique Canessa referred to as "Apple Zero," because early models of Apple computers borrowed so heavily from its design.  "The goal is to show a new generation the creativity involved on the path to developing the smart devices in our pockets," Canessa said.

From 17:30 to 19:00, Paolo Possamai, the director of Trieste's "Il Piccolo" daily newspaper, will moderate a public discussion with de Sandre, Garziera, and Alessandro Ranelleucci, the director of "Make in Italy" in the Kastler Lecture Hall of ICTP's Adriatico Guesthouse.  The discussion's theme is "Italy, Vanguard of Technology: from the Olivetti 'Programma 101' to 'Arduino,' a half century of invention and research," and is a chance for the general public to meet the important makers of yesterday and today.

The exhibition and programme are a "celebration of Italy's longstanding traditions of innovation and creativity," Canessa said.  After the first Trieste Maker Faire in May 2014, which attracted over 7000 attendees and was hosted by ICTP, Friday's programme is another opportunity for the public to explore the SciFabLab's efforts to "make science tangible," according to Canessa.  Another Maker Faire is planned for May 2015.

The Italian version of the programme is available for download.