PeopleofSuperintelligence

Researcher

Marco Montali

Marco Montali is an AI researcher who applies computational logic to business processes and multi-agent systems. At the University of Bologna, he writes a bachelor's thesis on multi-agent interaction in 2003 and a master's thesis on protocol verification in 2005, then studies declarative open interaction models in his 2009 PhD thesis. He receives the Italian Association for Artificial Intelligence's Marco Somalvico Prize in 2015, co-founds Ontopic in 2019 to develop intelligent data access and integration technologies, and chairs process science conferences. His work includes a 2022 manifesto for AI-augmented process systems and a 2024 article on declarative processes; EurAI elects him a Fellow in 2025. As of October 2026, he is a full professor and vice-dean for studies at the Free University of Bozen-Bolzano.

Badges

Timeline

  1. 2003–2009

    Bologna theses on interaction

    At the University of Bologna, he writes a BEng thesis on multi-agent interaction in 2003 and an MEng thesis on protocol specification and verification in 2005. His 2009 PhD thesis uses computational logic to specify and verify declarative open interaction models.

  2. 2015

    The Marco Somalvico Prize

    In 2015, the Italian Association for Artificial Intelligence awards him the Marco Somalvico Prize for contributions to artificial intelligence.

  3. February 2019

    Co-founding Ontopic

    In February 2019, he co-founds Ontopic s.r.l., a company that develops technologies for intelligent data access and integration.

  4. 2020–2021

    Program chair for ICPM and CBI

    He serves as Program Chair for ICPM 2020 and CBI 2021.

  5. 2022

    An AI-augmented BPM manifesto

    He serves as General Chair for ICPM and EDOC in 2022. He coauthors the AI-Augmented Business Process Management Systems manifesto, which defines process-aware systems powered by trustworthy AI and outlines their lifecycle and research challenges.

  6. 2024

    AI for Declarative Processes

    He serves as General Chair of AIxIA in 2024. His article reviews how automated reasoning and learning for temporal logics on finite traces support the representation, mining, and synthesis of declarative processes.

  7. 2025

    A EurAI Fellowship

    In 2025, EurAI elects him a Fellow for contributions at the intersection of artificial intelligence and information systems engineering. EurAI limits its Fellow program to a maximum of 3% of the total membership across member societies.

  8. As of October 2026

    Professor and vice-dean at unibz

    As of October 2026, he is Full Professor of Computer Engineering and Vice-Dean for Studies at the Faculty of Engineering at the Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, and coordinator of the BSc in Informatics and Management of Digital Business. In May 2026, he gives a public AI talk with Diego Calvanese at the opening of the university's Artificial Intelligence Laboratory.

Career

  1. NowFree University of Bozen-BolzanoFull Professor of Computer Engineering; Vice-Dean for Studies; Coordinator of the BSc in Informatics and Management of Digital Business
  2. From 2019Ontopic s.r.l.Cofounder

Education

  1. 2009University of BolognaPhD
  2. 2005University of BolognaMEng
  3. 2003University of BolognaBEng

From the biography.

  1. 11% of AI doctorate holders from 2010 to 2016 founded or led a company or lab by 10 years after graduationIncludes Marco Montali. We estimate how often AI doctorate holders founded or led a company or lab by 10 years after graduation, how waiting times compare between founders and top jobs, and which universities trained the most.
  2. The company share of AI researchers’ top papers was 31% in 2020–2024 and 8% in 1970–1974Includes Free University of Bozen-Bolzano. We estimate where the people shaping AI worked when their most-cited papers appeared: the company share was 31% in 2020–2024 and 8% in 1970–1974, and Google led all organizations in 2020–2024.
  3. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology trained or employed 44 of the 187 AI major-prize winners, more than any other universityIncludes Free University of Bozen-Bolzano. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology trained or employed 44 of the 187 AI major-prize winners, more than any other university. We compare doctorate and 5+ year employment links, career timing and current workplaces for 187 major-prize and 1,111 best-paper winners.
  4. More people shaping AI studied at Massachusetts Institute of Technology than at any other institutionIncludes University of Bologna. We estimate where the people shaping AI studied and where their careers led. Massachusetts Institute of Technology leads with 467 former students, including 291 recorded doctorates.

Colleagues

People named in this biography, and people with dated positions at the same organization in the same years.

Sources and credits

Photo: We have no published photo of Marco Montali yet. Send us a free-licensed photo.

  1. Publications by type inf.unibz.it. Checked 20 October 2026.
  2. Specification and Verification of Declarative Open Interaction Models - A Logic-based framework amsdottorato.unibo.it. Checked 20 October 2026.
  3. Marco Montali / Free University of Bozen-Bolzano unibz.it. Checked 20 October 2026.
  4. AI-Augmented Business Process Management Systems: A Research Manifesto arxiv.org. Checked 20 October 2026.
  5. IOS Press Ebooks - ECAI 2024 - 27th European Conference on Artificial Intelligence, 19–24 October 2024, Santiago de Compostela, Spain – Including 13th Conference on Prestigious Applications of Intelligent Systems (PAIS 2024) doi.org. Checked 20 October 2026.
  6. Marco Montali Named EurAI Fellow 2025 unibzmagazine.it. Checked 20 October 2026.
  7. Awards | European Association for Artificial Intelligence eurai.org. Checked 20 October 2026.
  8. Opening of Artificial Intelligence Laboratory / Free University of Bozen-Bolzano unibz.it. Checked 20 October 2026.