Prof. Antonio Messeni Petruzzelli, an Icon of Change in Italy

Icons of Change International Awards 2026

Professor Antonio Messeni Petruzzelli

Full Professor of Innovation Management, Politecnico di Bari, Italy
Vice Rector for Knowledge Valorisation and Innovation, Politecnico di Bari, Italy
President of Boosting Innovation in Poliba (BINP)
Steering Committee Member, ESA Lab (collaboration between Politecnico di Bari and the European Space Agency)
President, Mediterranean Technopole
Adjunct Professor, Beijing Normal University

Nokia Siemens Network Award in Technology Management for Innovation into the Future
Clarivate's Highly Cited Researchers list

SDG Focus: Goal 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

Changemaker for Innovation Management, Technology Entrepreneurship and Sustainable Knowledge Valorisation (Italy)

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Advancing Innovation Through Research, Leadership and Knowledge Valorisation

Professor Antonio Messeni Petruzzelli is recognised for his contributions to innovation management, technology strategy, entrepreneurship and the advancement of research-driven innovation ecosystems. As Full Professor of Innovation Management and Vice Rector for Knowledge Valorisation and Innovation at Politecnico di Bari, Italy, he works at the intersection of academic research, technological development, institutional leadership and enterprise creation.

His career reflects a commitment to strengthening the connections between scientific knowledge, technological capabilities and practical applications. Through his academic leadership and research, he contributes to understanding how organisations develop, manage and translate innovation into economic and societal value.

His work addresses the strategic importance of innovation in an increasingly interconnected global economy, where universities, businesses, research institutions and public organisations play complementary roles in responding to technological change and complex development challenges.

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Strengthening University Innovation and Technology Entrepreneurship

At Politecnico di Bari, Professor Messeni Petruzzelli holds several leadership responsibilities that connect academic research with entrepreneurship and institutional innovation.

As Vice Rector for Knowledge Valorisation and Innovation, he contributes to the university's efforts to translate research and scientific knowledge into practical applications, enterprise opportunities and wider societal value.

He also coordinates the Innovation Management and Technology Entrepreneurship Lab, which focuses on the relationship between innovation processes, technology strategy and entrepreneurial development. This work contributes to the academic understanding of how new technologies emerge, how organisations adopt innovation and how research can support the development of new products, services and business models.

In addition, he coordinates the PhD programme in Management Engineering, supporting advanced research and the development of future scholars and professionals