Alessio is a doctoral researcher at Department of Geography and Regional Research (IfGR) and an Early Stage Researcher (ESR) in the H2020-MSCA-ITN Project POLISS. The project brings together 7 European Universities and 13 Partners with the aim of contributing to the improvement of the EU’s Smart Specialisation Policy. Alessio’s research within the project focuses on the design and implementation of smart specialization strategies in different types of regions.

Alessio studied Human Geography (BSc) at the University of Cologne and University College Dublin and obtained a Master’s degree from the University of Amsterdam in Economic Geography. Before attending the IfGR, he gained research experience at Institute for Work and Technology (IAT) in Germany and was involved in a Technical Assistance project by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in Southeast Asia. He is interested in regional structural change and the role of innovation in regional development.