PRESS RELEASE
The first Plenary Meeting and General Assembly of the European project TORNADO (foundation models for robots that handle small, soft and deformable objects) will take place at IRCCS San Raffaele in Rome on September 17–18, 2025. The project, launched in January 2025 and funded under Horizon Europe (Grant Agreement No. 101189557) with the support of the European Health and Digital Executive Agency (HaDEA), is aimed at advancing robotics and artificial intelligence.
During the two-day event, partners of the TORNADO consortium, including universities, research centers, and companies from across Europe, will review the progress achieved in the first eight months and plan the next steps concerning project and technical management, innovation and communication activities, expected impacts, and performance indicators.
The main goal of the project, built on a multidisciplinary European consortium that brings together research, industry, and enterprises, is to develop a new generation of cognitive robots integrated with generative AI models. These systems will be capable of adapting to complex and changing tasks, with a particular focus on the manipulation of small, soft, and deformable objects. one of the greatest challenges in the field of robotics.
“This will be a crucial moment of exchange and evaluation of the project’s progress,” emphasized Professor Fiorella Guadagni, scientific coordinator of TORNADO, Head of the Biobank, Advanced Biotechnology and Biomarker Discovery Area at IRCCS San Raffaele, and Full Professor of Clinical Biochemistry and Clinical Molecular Biology at San Raffaele University Rome. “For IRCCS San Raffaele, this represents an important opportunity to contribute with our scientific and clinical expertise. Over the two days we will focus not only on coordinating activities, but also on strengthening collaboration among research groups and planning the next steps, with the goal of quickly translating technological innovation into tangible benefits for health and quality of life.”
The coordinator of TORNADO is IOTAM (ITML CY), specialized in software development and user experience. Among the industrial partners are Netcompany-Intrasoft SA, responsible for system specification, integration, and innovation management; Hankamp Gears B.V., expert in high-precision mechanical components; NSBproject srl and K3Y, innovative SMEs active in digital innovation and cybersecurity, respectively.
The research world is represented by leading centers and universities such as ICS-FORTH (Institute of Computer Science of the Foundation for Research and Technology – Hellas), focused on assessing social impact and developing mechanisms for human behavior analysis; Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC); Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB); Zapadočeská Univerzita v Plzni (UWB); the Italian Institute of Technology (IIT), through its Human-Robot Interaction Laboratory; as well as Charokopeio Panepistimio (HUA) and Elliniko Mesogeiako Panepistimio (HMU), engaged in scientific and technological development.
