On the occasion of the stopover at the port of Dakar (Senegal) of the ship "Comandante Borsini", the Italian Embassy organised a scientific event on board to promote collaboration between Italy and Senegal in research, innovation and robotic and automation technologies applied to marine environments.

Invited by the Embassy, speakers included: David Scaradozzi from the Department of Information Engineering at the Università Politecnica delle Marche and Francesco Wanderlingh from the Centro del Mare at the University of Genoa. Both are involved in study and research activities coordinated by the Inter-University Research Centre for Integrated Systems for the Marine Environment (ISME), which brings together specialist and multidisciplinary expertise related to the sea on a national level. The two experts illustrated the robotics and automation solutions and applications developed as part of their research activities that find application in the marine environment for monitoring for the protection and preservation of the environment and the search and exploration of underwater archaeological sites.

In the following days, accompanied by Eugenio Cavallo, Scientific Attaché at the Embassy in Dakar, who oversaw the organisation of the scientific events, the two experts met with the department heads and teachers of the Ecole Supérieure Polytechnique de Dakar and the professors of the archaeology section of the History Department of the Cheikh Anta Diop University of Dakar, with whom they explored possible collaborations in educational and research projects of common interest. They then discussed with the West African representatives of UNESCO the possibility of contributing their expertise to projects to promote science and strengthen research facilities in the countries for which the agency's regional office is responsible and is working.

The event provided an opportunity to highlight the skills, knowledge and resources that Italy makes available to create networks and synergies in the fields of education and research, and to identify and adopt effective solutions for the sustainable exploitation of natural resources, environmental protection, the identification and enhancement of local historical and cultural heritage, and to contribute to the socio-economic development of Senegal and Africa in general.