Description
The Italian Institute of Artificial Intelligence for Industry (AI4I) is a public research institute established in 2024 to advance cutting-edge AI research across science, technology, and industrial applications. Based in Turin, AI4I operates as a national infrastructure supported by public funding and embedded in a vibrant innovation hub. The Research & Development Labs are the backbone of the Institute, combining scientific excellence with real-world impact. They operate within a unique ecosystem that includes the AI Foundry (state-of-the-art GPUs and engineering capacity), the System for User Knowledge (SUK) (for industrial matchmaking and co-design), and the Institute for Advanced Study, which brings top international scholars to Turin. AI4I benefits from strong partnerships with IIT, leading universities (Politecnico di Torino, IMT Lucca),key industrial players (Leonardo), and access to CINECA’s HPC infrastructure through the national AI Factory.
Call for Founding Heads of R&D Labs
AI4I is launching the second round of its international recruitment campaign to appoint the Founding Heads of its Research & Development Labs. Two parallel calls are open:
GENERAL CALL https://ai4i.it/call_for_founding_heads_of_rd_labs/
Open to leading researchers across perceptive, generative, agentic, and physical AI, eager to shape frontier research and drive innovation across science, engineering, and industry. This call is open to all domains and methodological approaches in artificial intelligence.
THEMATIC CALL https://ai4i.it/call_for_founding_heads_of_four_thematic_rd_labs/
Focused on four high-impact industrial domains:
- Computer Vision for Industrial Environments
- Generative AI and Foundation Models in Advanced Manufacturing
- Agentic AI for Intelligent Decisions
- AI for Cybersecurity
Selected candidates will lead their Lab within AI4I’s integrated ecosystem, with full scientific autonomy, access to advanced tools and expertise, and the opportunity to shape the future of industrial AI in Europe. The position includes:
- Competitive international salaries and relocation support
- Collaboration with leading scholars and industry partners, also through the Institute for Advanced Study (IAS)
- Access to AI4I’s integrated infrastructure, including the AI Foundry, the System for User Knowledge (SUK), and the national AI Factory
- Access to incubation, acceleration, and venture programs and funds
Deadline for applications: October 15, 2025, 11:59 PM CEST
More information: https://ai4i.it/ or [email protected]
Requirements
QUALIFICATIONS WE ARE LOOKING FOR
We seek leaders with:
- Strong track record in AI research and development, with deep understanding of methods and architectures.
- Demonstrated ability to lead complex, multidisciplinary R&D programs, from design to implementation.
- Ability to interact across academic, industrial, and institutional settings.
- Experience in applying AI in sectors such as advanced manufacturing, autonomous systems, human-machine interaction, or software development.
Preferred qualifications:
- A PhD degree.
- Proven experience as a founder or co-founder of an innovative startup.
- Previous leadership roles in R&D centres.
- Experience managing and leading R&D teams.
- Ownership of patents or copyrights in AI or related industrial applications.
- Experience in European R&D programs or public-private consortia.
