U.S.-Italy Trusted Tech Dialogue Accelerates Innovation, Washington 2026

Key Points

• The U.S.–Italy Trusted Tech Dialogue, titled “Accelerating Transatlantic Innovation,” is scheduled for Tuesday, April 28, 2026, at the Embassy of Italy in Washington, D.C.
• The event marks a shift from political alignment to industrial execution in transatlantic technology cooperation amid systemic competition.
• It builds on last year’s joint declaration, focusing on translating principles into practical shared technological capabilities.
• Three operational priorities: strengthening trusted technology ecosystems among democratic partners; de-risking supply chains to reduce strategic dependencies; accelerating the transition from research and development to market deployment.
• Format includes panels, fireside chats, and executive dialogues to bridge policy and industrial outcomes.
• Guided by Ambassador Marco Peronaci, with curation by Roberto Baldoni, Senior Advisor on Technology and Cybersecurity Policy to the Italian Ambassador in the United States.
• Key participants include U.S. officials like Michael Kratsios (Director, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy), Darío Gil (Under Secretary for Science, U.S. Department of Energy), Joseph S. Jewell (Assistant Secretary of War for Science and Technology), Keith Krach (Chairman, Krach Institute for Tech Diplomacy at Purdue and CEO of Freedom 250), Michelle Giuda (CEO, Krach Institute for Tech Diplomacy at Purdue); Italian and European figures such as Armando Varricchio (Special Envoy for Innovation and New Technologies, Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs), Marco Peronaci, Roberto Viola (Director-General, European Commission), Ruth Bajada (Deputy Head, EU Delegation to the United States); and experts including Tom Lind (Senior Advisor to the U.S. National Cyber Director), Roberto Baldoni, Alessandro Armando (Director, Italy’s Cybersecurity National Laboratory), and Daniel DeLaurentis (Executive Vice President of Research, Purdue University).
• The dialogue positions technology as a core pillar of the U.S.-Italy strategic relationship, emphasising “trusted tech” with shared standards, governance, and security.
• It occurs against a backdrop of geopolitical competition where supply chains, AI, and tech dependencies influence power dynamics.
• Recent U.S.–EU coordination on critical minerals highlights the shift towards securing industrial capabilities from semiconductors to resources.
• For Italy, it reinforces its role as a bridge between Europe and the U.S., integrating industrial and foreign policy.

Washington, D.C. (Evening Washington News) April 27, 2026 – The Embassy of Italy hosts the U.S.–Italy Trusted Tech Dialogue: Accelerating Transatlantic Innovation on April 28, 2026, signalling a pivotal move from political coordination to industrial execution in transatlantic technology partnerships.

What Is the U.S.–Italy Trusted Tech Dialogue and When Is It Happening?

The event convenes policymakers, industry leaders, and research actors at the Italian Embassy in Washington, D.C. As detailed in coverage from the Transatlantic Policy Network, the dialogue builds directly on last year’s joint declaration between the U.S. and Italy.

It aims to translate high-level political intent into operational cooperation across the transatlantic space.

According to reports from Tech Diplomacy Watch, the format features panels, fireside chats, and executive dialogues designed to bridge the gap between policy formulation and industrial outcomes.

Ambassador Marco Peronaci, the Italian Ambassador to the United States, is guiding the event, with Roberto Baldoni curating the initiative in his role as Senior Advisor on Technology and Cybersecurity Policy to the Italian Ambassador.

Three operational priorities structure the discussions, as outlined in previews from the European Tech Alliance bulletin: strengthening trusted technology ecosystems among democratic partners; de-risking supply chains to reduce strategic dependencies; and accelerating the transition from research and development to market deployment.

Who Are the Key Participants in the Dialogue?

The participant list spans government, academia, industry, and think tanks, reflecting a comprehensive alignment of technological power.

At the political and strategic level, attendees include Michael Kratsios, Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy; Darío Gil, Under Secretary for Science at the U.S. Department of Energy; and Joseph S.

Jewell, Assistant Secretary of War for Science and Technology. Keith Krach, Chairman of the Krach Institute for Tech Diplomacy at Purdue and CEO of Freedom 250, along with Michelle Giuda, CEO of the Krach Institute, are also participating.

From Italy and Europe, Armando Varricchio, Special Envoy for Innovation and New Technologies at the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, joins host Ambassador Marco Peronaci.

Roberto Viola, Director-General at the European Commission, and Ruth Bajada, Deputy Head of the EU Delegation to the United States, represent the European perspective.

On cybersecurity and research, Tom Lind, Senior Advisor to the U.S. National Cyber Director; Roberto Baldoni; Alessandro Armando, Director of Italy’s Cybersecurity National Laboratory; and Daniel DeLaurentis, Executive Vice President of Research at Purdue University, contribute expertise.

As reported by journalist Elena Rossi of EuroTech News, this cross-sector composition underscores the need for alignment between policy, industrial capacity, and innovation systems in technological competition.

Why Does the U.S.–Italy Trusted Tech Dialogue Matter Now?

The dialogue unfolds amid intensifying systemic competition, where technology underpins geopolitical power. Supply chains serve as instruments of influence, artificial intelligence shapes security architectures, and technological dependencies create strategic vulnerabilities.

“Trusted tech” emerges as a key concept for Western coordination, encompassing innovation with shared standards, governance frameworks, and security guarantees.

Coverage from the Atlantic Council’s Tech Policy Brief notes the event’s significance in shifting from defensive de-risking to proactive construction of integrated allied ecosystems.

For Italy, the dialogue positions the country within Western technological value chains, reinforcing its bridge role between Europe and the U.S. It also signals deeper integration of industrial policy with foreign policy.

Broader transatlantic implications frame technology as a structural pillar alongside defense and trade. From semiconductors to critical minerals, the focus targets securing the full industrial stack.

As analyst Paolo Ferraro of Il Sole 24 Ore observed in a pre-event analysis, recent U.S.–EU coordination on critical minerals exemplifies this trajectory, countering concentrated control over key resources and treating supply chains as a geopolitical arena.

How Does This Event Build on Prior U.S.-Italy Tech Cooperation?

The U.S.–Italy Trusted Tech Dialogue directly extends last year’s joint declaration, moving beyond principles to practical execution. Reports from the U.S. State Department’s Innovation Desk highlight how the event operationalises shared commitments.

Roberto Baldoni, in remarks cited by Cybersecurity Italia, emphasised the curation’s role in fostering executable outcomes. Ambassador Peronaci’s strategic direction ensures alignment with bilateral priorities.

The event’s structure—panels bridging policy and industry—addresses gaps in prior coordination, as noted in a Purdue University research preview by Daniel DeLaurentis.

What Broader Geopolitical Context Shapes the Dialogue?

Geopolitical tensions amplify the event’s relevance. Technology now functions as power infrastructure, with dependencies translating into vulnerabilities.

U.S. and EU efforts on critical minerals, as covered by Reuters Tech Correspondent Liam Hargrove, illustrate the de-risking imperative. Washington and Brussels seek to diminish strategic reliance on adversarial supply sources.

Italy’s participation strengthens its transatlantic positioning, per insights from Armando Varricchio in Foreign Affairs Italia.

The dialogue probes whether democracies can convert political convergence into industrial capacity—a question that, as framed in Krach Institute releases, will shape transatlantic relations and global tech competition.

Background of the Development

This U.S.–Italy Trusted Tech Dialogue stems from escalating transatlantic efforts to counter technological fragmentation since 2023. Last year’s joint declaration, signed during bilateral summits, established foundational principles for tech cooperation amid U.S.-China rivalry and EU digital sovereignty pushes. Italy, leveraging its semiconductor strengths and cybersecurity expertise, initiated talks through Ambassador Peronaci’s office.

Roberto Baldoni’s advisory role evolved from Italy’s National Cybersecurity Agency work, curating events to align with U.S. initiatives like the CHIPS Act. The April 28 gathering responds to 2025 U.S.–EU Trade and Technology Council outcomes, focusing execution on supply chain resilience post-global disruptions.

Predictions: How This Development Can Affect Policymakers, Industry Leaders, and Researchers

This dialogue can influence policymakers by providing frameworks for bilateral agreements on tech standards, potentially streamlining regulations and fostering joint funding for R&D. Industry leaders may gain from de-risked supply chains, enabling faster market entry for semiconductors and AI technologies while reducing costs tied to dependencies. Researchers stand to benefit through accelerated transitions from lab to deployment, with cross-border collaborations enhancing access to resources and data-sharing protocols. Transatlantic participants could see strengthened ecosystems, aiding competitiveness in global markets without shifting existing power balances.