U.S.-Italy Dialogue advances transatlantic alignment on building and deploying secure, reliable, and trusted technologies
WASHINGTON, D.C., April 29, 2026 – On April 28, 2026, the Embassy of Italy in the US and the Krach Institute for Tech Diplomacy at Purdue, in partnership with Serics Foundation, convened senior leaders from government, industry, and academia for: “Trusted Technologies for Democracies U.S.-Italy Dialogue”, a focused effort to strengthen allied innovation and ensure technology advances freedom.
In his opening remarks, the Ambassador of Italy to the United States, H.E. Marco Peronaci, noted that “no democracy can secure the technological future alone. By acting together, trusted partners can generate the scale needed to reduce dangerous dependencies and strengthen democratic leadership.” He also added that “this meeting represents an invaluable opportunity to deepen coordination – aligning priorities on standards, investment, and real-world deployment”.
Keynote speakers included Michael Kratsios, Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy; Dr. Darío Gil, Under Secretary for Science at the U.S. Department of Energy; Joseph Jewell, Assistant Secretary of War for Science and Technology; Amb. Armando Varricchio, Special Envoy for Innovation and New Technologies of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs; and Roberto Viola, Director General for Communications, Networks, Content and Technology, at the European Commission.
“Technology is the central arena of competition between freedom and authoritarianism,” said Keith Krach, Chairman of the Krach Institute for Tech Diplomacy at Purdue. “When trusted nations and companies align, we create a force multiplier that is impossible to match. This Dialogue is about turning that alignment into action – securing our technology supply chains, accelerating innovation, and ensuring that the technologies shaping the future are built on trust, not coercion.”
As emerging technologies reshape global power, the Dialogue brought the United States and Italy together with a clear goal: to act with urgency and unity to build and deploy trusted technologies that strengthen national security, protect critical supply chains, and reflect our shared democratic values.
“Trusted technology is how democracies stay strong – economically, politically, and in our national security,” said Michelle Giuda, CEO of the Krach Institute for Tech Diplomacy at Purdue and former Assistant Secretary of State for Global Public Affairs. “This Dialogue is about getting the U.S. and our allies moving faster together – so we can scale what works, reduce risk, and make sure the next generation of technology reflects our values.”
“For SERICS, trusted technology and cybersecurity are inseparable. Security is what protects innovation, safeguards critical infrastructures, and enables democratic systems to adopt technology with confidence”, said Prof. Alessandro Armando, Chairman of the SERICS Scientific Committee.
During the event, Prof. Roberto Baldoni, Janice DeGarmo and Len Khodorkovsky presented the white paper entitled “Technology must advance freedom”, highlighting how trusted technology is the best response democracies can give to the challenges posed by authoritarian regimes.
The day culminated in a high-level panel hosted by the Ambassador of Italy at Villa Firenze, with a keynote speech by Sean Cairncross, the U.S. National Cyber Director. Hon. Giorgio Mulè, Vice President of the Chamber of Deputies of the Republic of Italy, and Senator Maria Stella Gelmini, President of the Italian Parliament intergroup “Friends of America”, also joined the meeting, underscoring the importance attached by Italian institutions to advancing the bilateral dialogue also in this sector.
Policymakers, experts, academics, and industry leaders had the opportunity to continue the high-level conversation to strengthen transatlantic dialogue and cooperation on common challenges.
Turning Allied Alignment into Action
This Dialogue marked the second workshop in a bilateral series focused on building trusted technology ecosystems across democracies. Following the inaugural session in Rome, this convening was designed to drive concrete outcomes – from policy roadmaps to implementation plans – that move technologies from development to deployment across allied markets at speed.
Advancing Freedom Through Technology
The convening builds on the rapid expansion of the Global Trusted Tech Network – the world’s fastest-growing alliance of governments, companies, and institutions committed to advancing freedom through technology – bringing together partners, including Italy, to turn shared commitments into measurable action and joint execution.
About the Krach Institute for Tech Diplomacy at Purdue
The Krach Institute is the world’s preeminent trusted technology accelerator. As the leader in the new category of Tech Diplomacy, the Institute integrates technology expertise, Silicon Valley strategies and foreign policy tools to build the Global Trusted Tech Network of governments, companies, organizations and individuals to accelerate the innovation and adoption of trusted technology and ensure technology advances freedom.
Through initiatives like the U.S.-Italy Dialogue, the Krach Institute continues to mobilize the world’s leading democracies and trusted enterprises to build a future where technology strengthens freedom, protects national security, and drives shared prosperity.
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For media inquiries please contact the Embassy of Italy at stampa.washington@esteri.it and Megan Stencel at megan@javelindc.com or 703-490-8845.
