Welcome, Ecorobotics! AI and robots at the service of the environment
On November 1st, 2025, the Genova Blue District hosted the final event of AperiRAISE, the series of scientific aperitifs organized by RAISE as part of the 2025 Genoa Science Festival.
The meeting, titled “Welcome, Ecorobotics! AI and Robots at the Service of the Environment”, invited the audience to explore how artificial intelligence and robotics are transforming environmental research and the protection of our planet, in a convivial and informal setting.
The evening’s guest was Marco Faimali, Director of the Institute for Anthropogenic Impacts and Sustainability in the Marine Environment of the National Research Council (IAS-CNR) and coordinator of RAISE’s Spoke 3. With clarity and enthusiasm, Faimali explained how Ecorobotics was born — a new discipline that combines collaborative robotics and environmental sustainability to study, monitor, and protect the three great natural systems: air, water, and land.
Throughout the talk, Faimali showed how technology can become a true ally of the environment, capable of collecting data in real time, exploring remote ecosystems, and supporting scientific research in challenging contexts. From the Antarctic expedition, where Ecorobotics first took shape, to the latest projects developed within RAISE, the audience discovered innovative tools and methods that are redefining how we observe and understand our planet.
“We are living through a technological transition that is deeply reshaping the relationship between people, the environment, and knowledge,” Marco Faimali said. “The challenge of Ecorobotics arises from this transformation: bringing together advanced scientific expertise and ecological awareness to imagine a future where innovation also means caring for our planet and valuing its natural capital.”
During his speech, Faimali encouraged participants to see technology not as something distant or abstract, but as an integral part of a sustainable balance between progress and nature – a meeting point between artificial intelligence and ecological intelligence.
This new approach, he explained, lays the foundations for a culture of sustainability that no longer opposes humans and machines but fosters a harmonious collaboration in service of the common good.
The relaxed atmosphere of AperiRAISE created space for genuine exchange between the speaker and the audience. With a glass in hand, participants listened, asked questions, and reflected on how innovation can improve both quality of life and our relationship with the environment.
“It was wonderful to have the time to really talk to people,” Marco Faimali remarked at the end of the event. “Today, everything moves so fast, but here I could take the time to tell stories, listen, and build a connection. Doing science communication this way – while sharing a great aperitif – is the perfect format.”
The AperiRAISE series once again demonstrated the power of science communication when it meets conviviality: five evenings where complex topics became open and engaging conversations.
With “Welcome, Ecorobotics!”, RAISE concluded its journey at the Genoa Science Festival with a clear and inspiring message: technology can become a tool for care, awareness, and connection between people and the planet we share.
