BOLOGNA, ITALY, February 13, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — The WMF – We Make Future has unveiled the first 150 international speakers for its 2026 edition, set to occur from June 24–26 at BolognaFiere, Italy. Recognized as Europe’s leading international B2B trade fair and festival focused on Artificial Intelligence, technology, and digital innovation, WMF 2026 aims to gather global leaders to examine the technological, economic, and social transformations defining the future.
Among the first confirmed speakers are representatives from OpenAI, NVIDIA, Anthropic, Microsoft, Google, Lenovo, and The LEGO Group, along with prominent academics, researchers, investors, journalists, and innovators from North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. The event is organized by the Search On Media Group.
“WMF was created to connect different yet complementary worlds—research, business, institutions, investment, and society—around the defining challenges of our time,” stated Cosmano Lombardo, Founder and CEO of Search On Media Group and creator of WMF. “With the 2026 edition, we are placing Italy and Bologna back at the center of the global debate on artificial intelligence, emerging technologies, and social impact. The first 150 speakers are just a preview of an international ecosystem that will come together in June to discuss innovation, development, and the future, creating tangible connections between ideas, capital, and people.”
Building on the success of the previous edition, which saw over 73,000 attendees from 90 countries and featured more than 1,000 speakers alongside 700 exhibitors and sponsors, WMF 2026 is set to convene entrepreneurs, researchers, AI experts, Big Tech executives, venture capitalists, policymakers, media professionals, and civil society leaders. The program will encompass 14 strategic sectors, aligning with WMF’s Future Challenges framework to provide a multidisciplinary view on innovation across various fields, including AI, robotics, advanced manufacturing, space economy, healthcare, finance, public policy, digital rights, media, culture, and social impact.
AI and scientific research will take center stage at WMF 2026, with contributions from globally recognized figures such as Alberto Sangiovanni Vincentelli from the University of California, Berkeley, known for his work in electronic design automation; Nestor Maslej from the Stanford Human-Centered AI Institute; Corey Ching from OpenAI; Karen Zhou from Anthropic; Marco Pavone from NVIDIA, focusing on autonomous vehicle research; Giorgio Metta from the Italian Institute of Technology; and Daniele Pucci from Generative Bionics.
The event will also feature senior leaders from technology and innovation-driven organizations such as Aprajita Jain from Google, Massimo Chiriatti from Lenovo, Matteo Mille from Microsoft, and Federico Menna from EIT Digital. Discussions will focus on the adoption of AI in enterprise environments, digital transformation, and new models for industrial growth.
Emerging technological frontiers will be explored through contributions from the European Space Agency (ESA) and leading research institutions. Confirmed speakers include Pierre-Philippe Mathieu and Claudio Iacopino from ESA, along with Simone Bianco, Director of Computational Biology at Altos Labs Bay Area Institute of Science.
WMF 2026 will address governance issues surrounding innovation with the participation of international policymakers, legal experts, and institutional leaders, focusing on AI regulation, cybersecurity, public services, and digital rights. This reinforces WMF’s role as a forum where technology intersects with policy and societal concerns.
A strong emphasis will be placed on venture capital, scaleups, and startup ecosystems with the involvement of international accelerators and investment funds, including Alchemist Accelerator, Waterman Ventures, Sansar Ventures, Zest Investments, and Silicon Allee. These stakeholders will participate in B2B meetings, networking sessions, and discussions focused on fostering cross-border collaboration and capital flow.
Additionally, WMF 2026 will showcase the crucial roles of information, media, and culture in the AI era, featuring international journalists and media professionals from esteemed outlets, alongside content creators, activists, and leaders in social innovation. This cross-sector dialogue aims to highlight the societal implications of emerging technologies.
The announcement of the first 150 speakers marks only the beginning of an expanding program as WMF 2026 prepares to position Italy and Europe once again at the heart of the global conversation on artificial intelligence, emerging technologies, and social impact. The event reaffirms WMF’s commitment as an international platform for dialogue, collaboration, and future-building.
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