Danilo Piaggesi was Knowledge Economy Coordinator in the Vice Presidency of the Inter American Development Bank (IADB), in Washington D.C, from 2007 to 2009 and Chief of the Information and Communication Technology for Development Division (ICT4DEV) at the IADB, from 1999 to 2008. The ICT4DEV Division was in charge of structuring and implementing the Bank’s policy to introduce ICT in the Bank’s project portfolio, providing technical assistance to IADB’s borrowing member countries, and better informing government decisions regarding ICT and its applications. Prior to the IABD assignment, from 1981 to 1991, Mr. Piaggesi worked for the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) at different duty stations in Africa and Latin America in the field of technology transfer for development. From 1992 to 1998 he was part of the technical staff of Telespazio, Telecom-Italia Group in Rome, where he was in charge of the Strategic Alliances and International Activities Division. .Mr. Piaggesi also consulted for the European Union in Brussels, evaluating project proposals for funding in the field of telecommunications and environment. While at IADB, he was the alternate of the Bank’s President in the Steering Committee of the United Nations Global Alliance for ICT and Development (GAID); after leaving the Bank, he has remained a member of its Strategic Council.At present he is Managing Director of the Fondazione Rosselli Americas (FRA) and a member of Fondazione Rosselli’s Board. FRA focuses on Knowledge Society, ICT and innovation for development. One of the major programs of FRA is the IKEP (International Knowledge Economy Program) working with multi and bi-lateral cooperation to support development projects where ICT, innovation and the principles of the Knowledge Economy can be instrumental for achieving socio-economic growth.
Mr. Piaggesi holds a PhD degree in Physics with a specialization in geophysics, cum laude, from the University of Rome (1980), and an Executive International Business Certificate from Georgetown University/John Cabot University, in Washington D.C and in Rome, (1996). His professional training is in remote sensing (1981); digital image processing and analysis (1986); technical cooperation project formulation and appraisal (1989); telecommunications (1995-1996) and ICT, innovation and Knowledge Society for development. He lives and works in Alexandria, Virginia, USA, with his wife Helena.