The new interdipartimental Research Center DESIRE (DEcision ScIence Research cEnter) has been established at Università degli Studi di Milano in 2024, as an evolution of the previously funded ADAMSS Center.
The primary motivation for establishing the interdisciplinary Center DESIRE is to foster scientific collaboration among professors and researchers from different departments who share a common interest in decision science and in decision-support methods based on descriptive, predictive, and prescriptive mathematical models, as well as optimization and simulation algorithms. These methods are applied across a wide range of domains, including—but not limited to—logistics, healthcare, energy production and distribution, natural resource management, and computational sciences.
In recent years, there has been significant growth in methods based on machine learning. Building on this trend, the Center aims to address broader challenges in explainable and responsible decision-making. It intends to strengthen its expertise in these areas and become more actively engaged in related research.
In addition to these core themes, the Center will also focus on the modeling of biological phenomena, image analysis (particularly in support of medical decision-making), optimization techniques, and data quality issues related to data-driven solutions in environmental and healthcare applications.
The Center aspires to become a visible and recognized point of reference for public institutions and private companies interested in applying decision-support methods to their decision-making processes. This ambition includes the development of scientific and applied collaborations, knowledge transfer initiatives, outreach activities, and academic and professional guidance.
Two initiatives have already been launched. The first is the workshop “Multi-Scale Brain Function and Neuro-inspired Devices,” organized within the MSBFIINE network of excellence for scientific cooperation between Italy and India, in which the Center is involved:
https://www.amrita.edu/project/multi-scale-brain-functionindia-italy-network-of-excellence/
The second initiative is a summer school on Explainable, Trustworthy, and Robust Artificial Intelligence (ExTRAInt), to be held next September:
https://smile.lakecomoschool.org/
The school aims to introduce PhD students and young researchers to current scientific challenges in the field of XAI, with a focus on innovative applications and suitable mathematical and computational methods. It will also include case studies from companies active in the sector, as well as projects involving the ECMI group in Milan.
New projects are also being launched in the biomedical field, with the goal of engaging ECMI interest groups in fruitful collaborations.
Participants departments:
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy
- Department of Computer Science “Giovanni Degli Antoni”
- Department of Mathematics “Federigo Enriques”
- Department of Clinical and Community Sciences
Coordinator:
Prof. Giovanni Naldi, Dept. of Environmental Science and Policy
Giovanni.naldi@unimi.it