Author: Pietro Zanarini

Born in 1957. Degree in Physics (University of Bologna) in 1982. About 30 years of experience in Computer Science and Information Technology. Specific experience in the fields of Computer Graphics, Scientific Visualization, User Interface, Multimedia, Internet and WWW Applications. Member of the Internet Society, among the founders of ISOC.it (Italian Chapter of the Internet Society), member of GFOSS.it (Italian Chapter of the Open Source Geospatial Foundation), strong supporter of open standards, open source, open content, open services. Co-author of the book ”Finalmente libero!” (M.Marchesi, G.Concas, G.De Petra, F.Marzano, P.Zanarini, McGraw-Hill, 2007).

1982-1990 at CERN (European Organization for Nuclear Research, Geneva, ... where the web was born!), as staff researcher in Data Handling Division, developing some of the major CERN Software Application Packages (GEANT3, PAW, KUIP).

In 1991 came to Sardinia as the first employee of CRS4 (Centre for Advanced Studies, Research and Development in Sardinia, Cagliari), helping the founding CEO to set-up the Centre from scratch. CRS4 is an interdisciplinary applied research center conducting research, development and innovative applications in the field of the Information and Communications Technology, as well as developing advanced simulation techniques to the solution of large scale computational problems. CRS4 is the first building block of the Technology Park of Sardinia, aimed at re-directing Sardinia on a hi-tech economy, and specifically CRS4 is the reference for computing and network activities. 1991-1996 at CRS4 as head of Scientific Visualization Group (~10 researchers).

In 1993 co-launched a project of on-line newspaper available on Internet/WWW (L\'Unione Sarda On-Line, one of the first WWW newspapers), the basis of the Video On Line Internet Service Provider, that in 1994 rapidly became the italian biggest ISP, and de-facto started a process of transformation of Sardinia in one of the key players in the era of the Network Economy, with the advent of Tiscali, among the european biggest Internet Communications Companies. The role of CRS4 as a technology/innovation catalyzer in this new hi-tech development of Sardinia is unanimously recognized.

Since 1996 director of the Information and Communications Technology department (~40 staff people) of CRS4, involved in many projects in the fields of Visualization & Virtual Reality, Network Distributed Applications, Digital Media Systems, Network Based Education, GIS, Internet/WWW/Mobile Applications, GeoWeb and Next Generation Web.

Appointed by the DG Information Society of European Commission as reviewer of several projects proposals and running projects in the field of Information Society Technologies and member/advisor of various scientific commissions for the Autonomous Region of Sardinia.

Currently launching and coordinating joint research activities between CRS4 and industrial partners as well as other research centres and universities, like the recent Sardegna ICT District (see March 16th and April 19th, 2007 presentations), aiming also at generating new spin-off and start-up to promote further the growth of Sardinia towards the era of the Network Economy.