Call Selection Director Fbk Research Center Machine Intelligence; Mi

Position: CALL FOR THE SELECTION OF THE DIRECTOR OF THE FBK RESEARCH CENTER FOR MACHINE  INTELLIGENCE (MI)
Fondazione Bruno Kessler (FBK) -(Use the "Apply for this Job" box below). - is a leading non-profit, public research institution with an international profile, recognized for the quality of its research in science, technology, and social and human sciences, as well as for its high economic and social impact. FBK is renowned for its focus on interdisciplinarity and complexity, and it is organized into various research centers, hosting researchers from over 70 countries.

The goals pursued by Fondazione Bruno Kessler can be summarized as follows: broadening the horizon of its research and social responsibility, enhancing the integration of its research and innovation activities, increasing its appeal especially to young researchers, working towards a new generational and gender balance, and shifting the skills of scientific management towards a "people-oriented" managerial approach.

With its state-of-the-art facilities spanning 3,500 square meters of laboratories and scientific infrastructures, and a vibrant community of over 700 researchers, 200 doctoral students, and 200 visiting fellows and doctoral candidates, Fondazione Bruno Kessler acts as a scientific and technological hub, its premises and platforms hosting a lively ecosystem of co-located ventures, spin-offs, projects, and training.

Art. 2 Context
Over the course of nearly four decades, FBK has consistently maintained a leading position in the global landscape of AI research, encompassing areas such as Machine Learning, Automated Reasoning, Natural Language Processing, Human-Computer Interaction, Computer Vision, Speech Recognition, Agentic AI and Automated Planning. Furthermore, FBK is actively involved in implementing AI systems and technologies through numerous go-to-market projects across domains such as Health and Well-being, Digital Society, Digital Industry, and Digital Agriculture.

These initiatives entail the development of AI-based applications benefiting tens of thousands of citizens.

Art. 3 Goals
Within this context, the establishment of the new  Center for Machine Intelligence (MI)  represents a strategic step for Fondazione Bruno Kessler in addressing the scientific challenge of the next generation of intelligent systems and agents capable of perceiving, analyzing, predicting, and acting within complex and dynamic physical environments. It enables this challenge to be addressed in a structured way by bringing together complementary expertise in perception, learning, and reasoning, along with capabilities in orchestrating distributed systems and intelligent infrastructures.

Within the Center’s strategic vision, Machine Intelligence for complex physical systems is grounded in the integration of perception capabilities (2D/3D), predictive analytics, IoT architectures, and interconnected autonomous systems. This creates a framework for developing AI solutions able to understand the physical environment, anticipate its evolution, and support autonomous decision-making in complex systems, while adapting to the heterogeneity of real-world operational contexts.

In this context, well-established application areas include the processing and enhancement of data collected from aerial and satellite sensors, as well as from industrial systems and intelligent agricultural machinery, alongside AI applications in weather and energy. In these domains, artificial intelligence is measured not only by the quality of data analysis but also by its ability to manage complex dynamics in real time.

Within this broader picture, robotics represents a key area for long‑term exploration and experimentation, a field that is gaining increasing relevance in the international landscape of research and technological innovation.

Art 4. Role overview
The Research  Center for Machine Intelligence (MI)  will comprise FBK research groups already well established within the 3D Optical Metrology (3

DOM), Data Science for Industry and Physics (DSIP), Open Platforms and Enabling Technologies for the Internet of Things (OpenIoT), and Technologies of Vision (TeV) units.

The Center will benefit from the experience and scientific excellence of approximately 90 researchers and technologists, including senior…