About us - Istituto sui trasporti e la logistica

The Foundation

The Institute for Transport and Logistics (ITL) is a nonprofit body founded on 17th December 2003. Its purpose is to contribute to the development and promotion of logistics and transport systems in the Region Emilia-Romagna through research, consultancy and training activities.

ITL’s strategic vision focuses on facilitating network relationship among public authorities (Emilia-Romagna Region, Provinces and Municipalities, Ravenna port and related authorities), private companies (logistics providers, manufacturing companies, transport operators, etc.) and educational institutions (business schools, universities, professional educational programme providers, etc.).

Shareholders

Emilia-Romagna Region

Metropolitan City of Bologna

Province of Piacenza

Province of Ravenna

Municipality of Piacenza

Municipality of Ravenna

Port Authority of Ravenna

University Cattolica Sacro Cuore – Piacenza branch

Politecnico di Milano – Piacenza branch

University of Bologna

University of Parma

Universita_Studi_di_Modena_e_Reggio_Emilia

University of Modena and Reggio Emilia

Board of Directors

The Board of Directors consists of 5 members, president included.

It holds full powers over the ordinary and extraordinary administration of the Foundation.

The current board of directors is comprised of:

Andrea Babbi – President
Antonio Schinardi
Cinzia Valbonesi
Daniela Freddi
Sara Perotti

Staff

Andrea Bardi General Manager

Skills and experience: He is involved in research, consulting and training on organisational innovation, re-organisation of logistics and regional development policies. He previously held the position of manager in the research area for the private sector at IpL (Institute for Labour Foundation) and operative Director at the Innovation Centre Pi.M.I.NET. From 2007 to 2016 Mr. Bardi was Project Mangement in charge of the Ravenna office for ITL Foundation, since 2016 he has been ITL’s General Director. From 2014 on, he has been Research Fellow at CAMI – Center for Automotive and Mobility Innovation – Management Department, Ca’ Foscari University, Venice. He is author of papers and articles on industrial development models, cluster of companies and supply chain, multimodal transport systems and maritime transport.

Education: MSc in Political Sciences obtained from the University of Bologna, MBA obtained from Bologna Business School.

+39 320 7986080

Daniela MignaniBusiness development - Head of Unit

Skills and experience: Management of complex EU projects related to sustainable mobility, intermodality, railway transport, inland nodes, maritime trasport, logistics, road transport, Local Public Transport, Integrated Transport Planning, establishment of logistics operators network, start up of internationalisation projects, promotion of law and regulation compliace in goods transport, logistics and porterage, incentivation of sustainable transport modes, preparation and evaluation of IFTS training courses related to logistics and production planning. She has a legal-administrative background with over 10 years of experience in the field of transport, logistics and sustainable mobility. She manages project groups and specifically: methodology definition, assessment and writing of technical documents, definition of agreements with clients/suppliers. She supports the administrative office for tender management and supervision of technical-administrative documents.

Education: MSc in Law, obtained from the University of Bologna in 2003.
First Level Master in “Business development & contract law” obtained from the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia in 2004.
Advanced Training Course in “Business Transportation and Logistics” in 2010.
Training in legal and administrative issues, organized by Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, Central Committee for the National Register of haulage in partnership with the Faculty of Law, University of Bologna.
Ph.D. in European Transport Law, obtained from the University of Bologna in 2013.

+39 338 9247140

Lorenzo CelloEuropean Projects Unit Programme Manager - Horizon Europe

Skills and experience: He manages EU-funded projects on sustainable mobility, intermodal transport of goods and passengers, city logistics and the decarbonisation of transport systems. He works on developing project proposals, coordinating partners and implementing project activities, elaborating reports and communication materials, supporting administrative and financial reporting activties. He monitors developments in relevant EU legislation and policies as well as in funding opportunities (Interreg; Horizon Europe; Erasmus +). He also has experience as a Lecturer both in Italy and abroad.

Education: PhD in International Relations awarded in the year 2017 by the University of Queensland (Brisbane, Australia). Master’s Degree in International Relations, awarded in the year 2010 by the University of Bologna, Italy. Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science and International Relations, awarded in the year 2007 by the University of Bologna, Italy.

+39 331 6935690

Anna GiarandoniCluster Manager ER.I.C. (Emilia-Romagna Intermodal Cluster)

Skills and experience: Her activities concern: project management (coordination and reporting) monitoring of budget and timing of a project, preparation of technical and methodological documents, support to expense reporting, contracts and tender management, production of informative and promotional material, organisation and mangement of projects, direct contact with financing bodies and technical-administrative officers. Her research relies on qualitative and quantitive techniques (surveys, creation and elaboration of DB, interviews, focus groups, etc.). She works on the development of European and national project proposals, carries out tutoring activities and organisation of activities, and prepares the related administrative documentation. Her research topics concern: promotion of sustainable mobility, development of SUMPs, promotion of goods intermodality, development of railway transport and inland connections.

Education: MSc Political Sciences – Politics and Administration field of study – obtained from the University of Bologna in 2004. Master M.O.S.E. Organisation and Economic Development, obtained from Profingest Business School Bologna in 2005.

+39 331 6937690

Francesco MagagnoliProgramme Manager

Skills and experience: He is responsible for the management of European projects aimed at promoting innovation and environmental sustainability in the logistics and transport system through ICT and new technologies, as well as for the preparation of new proposals for EU funding calls (Connecting Europe Facility, Horizon Europe, and Interreg programmes), with particular focus on port-related issues. He maintains institutional relations with national and European partners.
He is also involved in promoting the regional logistics system, analysing European transport policies, and drafting specific studies and reports. He participates in the working groups of the TEN-T Mediterranean and Baltic–Adriatic Corridors of the European Commission. He has been a member of the thematic working groups of the European Sea Ports Organisation (ESPO) on blue growth and the sustainable development of ports. He has previously served as Head of the EU Promotion and Policies Unit of the North-Central Adriatic Sea Port Authority (Port of Ravenna).

Education: Master’s Degree in Maritime, Port and Logistics Law, obtained in 2020 from the University of Bologna. Master’s Degree in Law and Management of Public Administrations, obtained in 2011 from the University of Trento. Master’s Degree in International Relations, obtained in 2010 from the University of Bologna. Bachelor’s Degree in International Relations, obtained in 2008 from the University of Bologna.

+39 334 6316657

Monica PatelliSenior Project Manager

Skills and experience: Monitoring analysis and mapping of logistic operators mainly located in the logistic centres of the regional territory, with particular focus on the province of Piacenza. Data collection methodology through questionnaires and interviews. Coordination and management of post-diploma training courses of technical specialization (IFTS, ITS, professional qualifications) in logistics and transport, funded by the Emilia Romagna Region and the Ministry of Education. In Piacenza, since 2011 she participates in the management of the Ministerial course of Supply Chain and ICT logistics systems. Other topics are local and regional transport policy, city logistics and digitalization in Local Public Transport. For several years she has carried out research activities at the Provincial Administration of Piacenza on strategic territorial planning and support in the development of the Coordinated Territorial Plan at Province level (PTCP).

Education: MSc in Mechanical Engineering, obtained in 2002 at the Polytechnic of Milan, branch of Piacenza. Master in Transportation and Logistics, systems for the net economy and globalization at the Politecnico di Milano – 2003.

Laura NubileTenders & Procurement

Skills and experience: Research and assessment of calls for services; preparation of documents for tenders for the service sector; assessment and update of procurement and buying process; usage of e-procurement platform, support to the istitutional administrative activities (preparation of contracts and letters of offer, contact with buyers, suppliers and financial intermediaries); support to the financial management of European projects with international partnerships and interaction with the technical secretariats of the different European cooperation programmes. Health and safety compliace.

Education: MSc in Business Economics. obtained from the University of Bologna.

+39 331 6580873

Francesca BernabeiControl Manager

Skills and experience: Extensive experience in administrative management, management control, financial planning, auditing processes, budgeting, forecasting and integration during mergers. Internal point of reference for cost analysis, activity progress monitoring, and preparation of reports on the company’s economic and financial performance. Actively involved in the reporting process for all European projects, serving as lead partner, technical coordinating partner, or project partner.

Education: Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration, obtained from the University of Bologna in 1999.

+39 331 6936728

Francesca VittiglioHuman Resources

Skills and experience: She has several years of proven experience in the management of administrative-accounting, financial and asset management services as well as management control and reporting processes for private foundations under public control. She has demonstrated pluriannual professional experience in administrative-accounting management and reporting of cooperation initiatives in East Africa. She ensures effective human resource management and is responsible for recruitment procedures with reference to the assignment of permanent, occasional and professional contracts. She also carries out general and analytical accounting activities and support in procurement, corruption prevention and transparency procedures.

Education: Master’s Degree in Environmental and Land Engineering and Economics, Protection of resources, environmental quality and infrastructure, obtained from University of Roma TRE; Degree in Economics obtained from the University of Cassino.

+39 331 6939300

Denis GrassoProject Manager

Skills and experience: Management of European and national projects in terms of technical activities and stakeholders coordination, reporting and progress monitoring, support to the administrative activities and project meetings organization. The main research interests are on transport planning, smart mobility, urban logistic, urban planning and climate change mitigation and adaptation policies. He was research fellow at IEFE – Centre for research on Energy and Environment Economics and Policy of the Bocconi University of Milan

Education: Master Degree in Environmental Planning and Policies, obtained from IUAV University in Venice. Second level Master, obtained from the Polytechnic University of Milan in “Energy for Kyoto 8° Edition”, dedicated to renewable energy, energy efficiency and sustainable mobility.

+39 331 6937902

Alice BeniniProject Manager

Skills and experience: She manages EU and national funded projects on sustainable mobility, intermodal transport of goods and passengers, city logistics and the decarbonisation of transport systems. She works on developing project proposals, coordinating partners and implementing project activities, elaborating reports and communication materials, supporting administrative/financial reporting activities and the management of IFTS/ITS traning courses. She monitors developments in relevant EU legislation and policies as well as in funding opportunities (Interreg; Horizon Europe; Erasmus +). She previously worked at Interporto Bologna S.p.A. (Bologna Freight Village) dealing with the management of European R&D projects.

Education: Master in European Projects Design awarded in the year 2020 by the Venice International University. Master’s Degree in International Cooperation, awarded in the year 2015 by the University of Bologna, Italy. Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science and International Relations, spent in Bologna and Salamanca (Spain), awarded in the year 2013 by the University of Bologna, Italy.

+39 331 6515766

Margit KuuseProject Manager

Skills and experience: She manages EU-funded projects, mainly regarding decarbonization and optimization of freight transport. Her activities include developing project proposals, coordinating between partners, implementing project activities, elaborating progress reports, and supporting administrative and financial reporting activities. Prior to ITL, she was part of the EU policies and marketing unit at the Port of Ravenna Authority.

Education: Specialization in European Project Design, awarded by Venice International University. Master’s degree in International Cooperation on Human Rights and Intercultural Heritage, obtained from the University of Bologna.

+39 331 6940227

Valentina CafforioJunior Project Manager

Skills and experience: She works on European and local projects related to transport and logistics, promoting sustainable mobility alternatives and the decarbonization of last-mile delivery. Her activities include preparing reports and developing project methodologies. She has expertise in qualitative research, conducting semi-structured interviews, and subsequent data analysis. She also has research experience in public transport, sustainable mobility, and urban policy.

Education: MSc in Local and Global Development obtained from the University of Bologna, during which she completed a study period abroad at Université Paris Cité in the Master’s program in Aménagement et Développement Local. BSc in Political Science for Cooperation and Development obtained from Roma Tre University, during which he completed a study period abroad at the Université de Bordeaux in the Faculty of Law and Political Science.

+39 331 6936382

Nicoletta MartelliJunior Project & Communications Manager

Skills and experience: She is involved in the management and implementation of European projects and is responsible for communication activities related to the Foundation’s European and commercial projects. She has experience in communications, digital marketing, and social media management. She has previously worked with startups and innovative SMEs at various stages of development and funding, to support their growth and help them connect with investors and potential partners.

Education: MSc in International Public Management and Policy, obtained from Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam in 2022. BSc in International and Diplomatic Sciences, obtained from the University of Bologna in 2021. Master’s in leadership for International Relations and Made in Italy, obtained from the Italy-USA Foundation in 2023, focused on digitalization, marketing and communications.

+39 331 6938375

Francesco Paolo Nanni CostaTransport Engineer

Skills and experience: Consulting activities for public administrations, private bodies and transport companies in the field of transport engineering. He worked for Aleph srl and Airis srl where he was involved in drawing up traffic studies and in development and analysis of macro and micro modelling simulation of vehicular traffic in urban, suburban and motorways areas. Furthermore he carried out activities in environmental impact assessment and strategic environmental assessment for transport infrastructure projects.
His main activities in the field of European project are related to freight intermodal promotion and development of freight railway transport.
He has a solid knowledge of GIS software and data analytical tolls (SQL database and spatial extension)

Education: MSc in Civil Engineering – Transport and Infrastructure – obtained from the University of Bologna.

+39 331 6937796

Giacomo NoninoTransport Engineer

Skills and experience: Experience in consultancy services for public entities and private companies in the field of transport engineering. Previously worked at the engineering firm Airis srl as project manager, focusing primarily on drafting traffic studies, conducting traffic monitoring campaigns in urban and suburban areas, and supporting the preparation of Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) and Strategic Environmental Assessments (SEA) for infrastructure projects and plans (SUMP, RTP, PUG). He is currently part of the commercial unit at ITL, where he is responsible for drafting economic-transport studies and providing technical support for the development of transport analyses, both for passenger and freight transport. His work is supported by a strong knowledge of traffic modeling through simulations at various levels of detail, GIS software usage, and major SQL databases.

Education: MSc in Civil Engineering – specialisation in Road and Transport Infrastructure – obtained from the University of Bologna.

+39 335 1241796

Valentina RizzelloTransport Engineer

Skills and experience: Researcher for the University of Bologna in transport engineering, currently enrolled in a PhD program with a focus on sustainable urban freight transport. She provides support in data analysis and collection for the simulation and study of transport systems within projects involving stakeholders and local authorities.

Education: Master’s degree in Civil Engineering with a specialization in Road and Transport Infrastructure, obtained from the University of Bologna in 2022. Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering, obtained from the University of Trento in 2019. PhD candidate at the University of Bologna.

+39 331 6571938

Antonio DallaraSenior Researcher

Skills and experience: He has 20 years of experience in the implementation of statistics and econometrics techniques and the analysis of productive and territorial systems. He develops research projects on stransport and freight logistics. He has built a macroeconomic regional model for the sector analysis and the evaluation of public policies. He was professor of Applied Economics and Evaluation of Public Policies at the Catholic University of Milan, professor of Technological Change Economics at the University of Milan, professor of Economics at the Transport Engineering Department of the Polytechnic of Milan. He has collaborated with the statistics section of the DPS of the Ministry of Economics. He is author of articles for international and national scientific magazines.

Education: PhD in Economics.

+39 331 6934936

Alessio SchipillitiJunior Researcher

Skills and experience: He is part of the Foundation’s research group, where he is involved in drafting economic, social, and transport studies. Specifically, he conducts sector analyses and contributes to the development of the Contract Logistics Observatory. He has experience in developing economic and statistical models to evaluate the dynamics of freight transport and logistics. He has solid knowledge of R and Stata software for advanced analysis, econometric modeling, large dataset management, and data visualization to support strategic decision-making.

Education: MSc in Economics – specialising in Econometrics – obtained from the University of Bologna.

+39 331 6940379

Sofia BuscaroliJunior Researcher

Skills and experience: She is responsible for data analysis and processing, and supports the management of the Foundation’s European and commercial projects in both their technical and managerial components.

Education: Bachelor’s Degree in Statistics – Economics and Business – obtained from the University of Bologna in 2023.

+39 331 6937604

Lorenzo BertonciniJunior Researcher

Skills and experience: He is involved in European projects, supporting research and territorial planning activities, with particular focus on the evolution of logistics systems from a sustainability perspective.
He has expertise in territorial analysis using both quantitative methods — through the use of GIS and STATA — and qualitative methods, including the administration of questionnaires and conducting interviews. He is also a tutor in the DISCI department of the University of Bologna.

Education: Bachelor’s Degree in Social Sciences for Cooperation, Development and Peace, obtained from the University of Bologna. Currently completing a Master’s degree in Geography and Territorial Processes at the same university.

+39 331 6940125

Konstantina DoukaResearch and Project Manager

Skills and experience: She was a researcher at the Department of Architecture, in collaboration with the DICAM Department of the University of Bologna (2022–2025). She was involved in Horizon Europe projects under the New European Bauhaus initiative, including CrAFt – Creating Actionable Futures and Re-value Cities, as well as the Erasmus+ project BUILD2050 – Training for Sustainable and Healthy Building for 2050. She has participated in numerous European projects and initiatives at both local and European levels.
She worked for six years at the Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT), carrying out annual research on living conditions in the historic centre of Athens (SILC) and on population census activities. She is the author of several publications focusing on the New European Bauhaus (NEB), participatory processes, climate neutrality and Climate City Contracts.

Education: She obtained her degree from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA), School of Law, Political and Economic Sciences. She subsequently earned an MSc in Architecture, with a focus on urban planning and spatial planning, from the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA), where she also completed her PhD, specialising in participatory processes.
During her PhD, she was a visiting researcher at the Department of Architecture of IUAV University of Venice (2019–2020). After moving to Italy, she began her research activity on public space in 2016, using artistic tools within the field of cultural planning. In 2019, she was awarded the title of “Young Operator for Urban Creativity” by the Italian Ministry of Culture following an open call selection.

+39 329 2236101

Elena StrocchiTraining Coordinator

Skills and experience: Experience in the design, management, and evaluation of post-secondary technical specialization training programs (IFTS, ITS, professional qualifications) in the fields of logistics, transport, and production planning, funded by the Emilia-Romagna Region and the Ministry of Education. Her activities also include support for administrative and financial reporting tasks and monitoring project progress. She previously worked for over 15 years at Il Sestante Romagna Srl – the Confindustria Romagna training organization, as a coordinator of training courses funded by the Emilia-Romagna Region with contributions from the European Social Fund.

Education: Master’s Degree in Education Sciences, specialization in Professional Educator, obtained from the University of Ferrara in 2005. International First-Level Master’s Degree in Training Organization, obtained from the University of Ferrara in 2007, and Seneca Executive Master in Training Process Management, obtained from the CTC – Management Training and Business Management Center of the Bologna Chamber of Commerce in 2010.

+39 331 6915880

Luca ChergiaProject and Administration Assistant

Skills and experience: He collaborates with the Foundation in the financial reporting of European and commercial projects, particularly in their administrative components, as well as in the management of administrative and accounting activities (general and cost accounting).

Education: ITS Technical Diploma as Higher Technician for the Mobility of People and Goods, obtained in 2025 from the Aldini Valeriani Foundation in Bologna. Accounting and Programming Technician Diploma, obtained in 2019 from Technical Commercial Institute Rosa Luxemburg in Bologna.

+39 389 6218889