As part of the UK Centre for Blockchain Technologies’ (UK CBT) commitment to fostering collaboration across Europe’s academic and entrepreneurial ecosystems, Deputy Director Dr Francesco Pierangeli delivered a keynote address at PugliaTechs Talks, a regional innovation event held at the Università LUM’s new Southern Italy campus on 22nd of May.

The evening programme, hosted by Professor Candida Bussoli (Head of Department, Management, Finance and Technology – LUM), brought together developers, researchers, and local founders for a dual-track event centred on emerging applications of XR, AI, and blockchain.

Representing UK CBT in the Business Track, Dr Pierangeli presented ‘Blockchain Beyond the Bitcoin Hype,’ a keynote exploring the technology’s expanding role in Europe’s digitalisation efforts. Drawing from UK CBT’s latest research and industry collaborations, the session highlighted applied blockchain use cases in areas such as enterprise infrastructure, credential verification, and public sector innovation.

The Tech Track featured contributions from Nico Cinefra (Meta), who discussed AI‑powered advances in XR, alongside regional voices including Marika Laselva (KeyTech) and Silvano Cerza (Matera Tech), who explored AI engineering, SaaS development, and Southern Italy’s grassroots innovation landscape.

UK CBT’s participation in PugliaTechs Talks forms part of its wider strategic focus on strengthening European tech ecosystems, promoting knowledge exchange across disciplines, and deepening academic–industry cooperation in the blockchain space.

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