Rome Future Week is set for September 15–21, 2025, bringing Italy’s capital into the spotlight as a living laboratory of innovation. Now in its third edition, the event has become the city’s most ambitious platform for ideas on technology, culture, and society.
More than 300 events, 500 speakers, and 150 locations will transform Rome into a hub for future thinking. The 2025 theme, Mutazioni (“Mutations”), explores transformation as a continuous process that reshapes bodies, languages, technologies, cities, and relationships.
A Citywide Platform for Change
Founded in collaboration with Rome’s Department of Productive Activities, Equal Opportunities, and Investment Attraction and organized by Scai Comunicazione, the festival bridges public and private sectors. According to founder Michele Franzese, the event highlights not only technology but also cultural and social change.
“Rome Future Week is born to connect the opportunities in this city,” Franzese explains. “Innovation, culture, and human change coexist here. After our first edition surprised us all, and the second brought consolidation, this year we aim for even greater clarity, participation, and impact. Rome, with its hybrid and living nature, is the perfect place to observe transformation under a microscope—and to experience it together.”
A Symbol of Transformation
The butterfly is the emblem of Rome Future Week 2025. A three-dimensional version will be produced as the event’s official pin, serving as a symbol of metamorphosis. Beyond design, it embodies evolution in its deepest sense: a reminder that society, like nature, is constantly in flux.
Thematic Future Hubs
A major addition this year is the introduction of Future Hubs, thematic centers that guide audiences through the major areas of change.
- Etiopia Lab (by EFI – Ecosistema Formazione Italia) focuses on evolving education and training.
- Casa Futuro explores new living spaces with an exhibition and a day of talks.
- Alchemy Maker (at Industrie Fluviali) dedicates an entire day to artificial intelligence studies.
- Casa delle Tecnologie Emergenti (Stazione Tiburtina) returns as a key venue for hackathons, codesign, and conversations.
These hubs aim to make innovation more accessible by engaging different audiences in meaningful dialogue.
Voices from Institutions and Business
Monica Lucarelli, Rome’s Councilor for Productive Activities, sees the event as a bridge between innovation and people.
“We are not speaking about technology as an end in itself, but as a tool to generate cultural, social, and economic impact. With initiatives like the Casa delle Tecnologie Emergenti, we are proving that a capital city can innovate inclusively and sustainably while respecting both past and future.”
The private sector is also contributing. Isabelle Andrieu, co-founder and Chairwoman of Translated, emphasized Rome’s global role. “Rome Future Week reminds us that the future can be built here, too. Last month we brought together 70 top AI researchers in Rome to develop next-generation models that learn from direct experience. With our DVPS project, we aim to create useful, transparent, and deeply human artificial intelligence.”
Engaging the Next Generation
This year places a strong emphasis on youth involvement. Under-25 participants will not only attend but also contribute as speakers, videographers, and even “shadows” in the organizational team. Their perspectives will enrich discussions and highlight how younger generations view the future.
Partnerships and Support
Rome Future Week is realized in collaboration with ROAD – Rome Advanced District, a network that brings together universities, startups, companies, and institutions. Located in the historic Gazometro area, the district fosters sustainable innovation through projects like Eni’s entrepreneurship school Joule and the ZERO accelerator for clean tech startups.
Key partners and sponsors include Ferrovie dello Stato, RINA, Regione Lazio, SONY CSL, Telecom, Engel & Völkers, and Confcommercio. Media partners RAI and RDS will ensure wide coverage. The initiative also enjoys the patronage of Regione Lazio, Tor Vergata University, Convention Bureau Roma & Lazio, and Unindustria.
A Public Administration in Transformation
Formez, an Italian government agency, is another partner. President Giovanni Anastasi describes transformation as an ongoing process. “A mutation exists where we know how to recognize it—better still, when we anticipate it. Public administration has embraced this awareness, translating innovation into tangible benefits for businesses and citizens.”
Rome as a Future Capital
The third edition of Rome Future Week confirms the city as a crossroads where tradition meets transformation. For one week, Rome will not only showcase global ideas but also reimagine itself as a place where change is welcomed and guided.
From artificial intelligence to sustainable design, from cultural shifts to public administration, the event invites participants to witness and shape the “mutations” of our time. And where better than the Eternal City, a place that has reinvented itself across centuries, to host a festival about the future?
Rome Future Week 2025 takes place September 15–21 at venues across Rome. Visit www.romefutureweek.it for the full program.
