IN REMEMBRANCE OF THE PROFESSOR ALDO ROMANO

By Lorenzo Vasanelli

Professor Aldo Romano, creator and founder of our High Technology Cluster and first Chairman from 2005 to 2012, passed away on Saturday 7th February.

Chairman of the High Technology Cluster from his foundation (2005) to 2012, Professor Romano was, in his long-lasting academic career, the key player of numerous initiatives focused on advanced education and innovation contents. In 2005, the President of the Italian Republic, Carlo Azelio Ciampi, honoured him with the Gold Order of Merit for School, Culture and Art. It was a reward of his thinking versatility, variety of his actions, successes achieved in the Accademy and in Italian and International Institutions, as well as determined commitment to work for the scientific, technological and innovative potential development of Southern Italy.

Professor Emeritus of the University of Salento, scientist with multidisciplinary and inter-disciplinary vocations and predispositions, Aldo Romano was lecturer of Physics in the University of Bari form the late 60’s to the early 80’s. Afterwards, he was Full Professor at the College of Engineering of the University of Roma “Tor Vergata” and then he taugh Industrial Engineering at the College of Engineering of the University of Salento. Moreover, Professor Romano was part of the organizing committee of ISUFI (Istituto Superiore Universitario di Formazione Interdisciplinare), in that moment leaded by the Rector Angelo Rizzo, succeeding him in the Board of Education after his passing.
Aldo Romano’s scientific works, reported in many publications and essays, range from Physics of elementary particles (research sector of his early years academic activity) to applications of Information Technology in various fields, from advanced teaching problems to up-to-date issues focused on development and innovation processes with specific attention to the Mezzogiorno question. He was not only a scientist but also an active protagonist of Sothern Italy question both at local and ministerial level.
Valuing experiences acquired in the national and international research activity, especially in the University of Bologna, the CERN of Geneva, SACLAY French Nuclear Center Laboratories and the University of Stanford in California, Professor Romano has carried out a crucial role in development processes of Apulia Region.
He has always demonstrated his need to work for the valorization of the human capital through the advanced education and to develop technologies as factor of productive and social system innovation. Furthermore, Professor Romano has been a committed supporter of the usefulness of opening the University to the local problems. In particular, in the Institute of Physics of the University of Bari, at the time headed up by Prof. Michelangelo Merlin, he already created his first public-private consortium (1969): CSATA (Centro per lo Studio e le Applicazioni delle Tecnologie Avanzate) that has given rise to the creation of the first Italian Scientific and Technological Park - Tecnopolis, (1984). Aldo Romano has participated to the establishment of CNRSM (Centro Nazionale per la Ricerca e lo Studio dei Materiali) of Brindisi, then became PASTIS - Parco Scientifico Tecnologico Ionico Salentino. Finally, in 2005 he contributed to the foundation of our High Technology Cluster - DHITECH with legal head office in Lecce. Prof. Aldo Romano headed it up until 2012.

Several distinctive issues have characterized his actions and constituted the main heritage: young people education and their appreciation, innovation as factor of trigger and acceleration of development processes, study of social, economic and global technological dynamics as strategic element useful to plan local path, international co-operation and attention to the Mediterranean area.
These are the themes on which we are obliged to take over from him in order to carry on the main commitment of his work: an Apulia more and more present and competitive on the national and international scene.