On June 23, 2026, MIT launched a campaign to rally alumni and supporters around three pillars: America’s scientific and technological leadership, merit-based and affordable admissions, and advances that increase US health, security, and prosperity. A clear, patriotic call.
Why should Italy care? Because research is not local. When the US reaffirms its leadership, it attracts the best brains, the largest capital, and the most advanced infrastructures. Europe — and Italy especially — falls behind. Italy spends less than 1.5% of GDP on R&D, compared to 3.5% in the US. And SMEs — 99% of Italian businesses — are the first to suffer: less innovation, lower competitiveness, inability to retain talent.
We at Meteora Web see it every day. Companies in Southern Italy come to us with slow websites, no security, no digital strategy. It’s not their fault: the system hasn’t invested in education, infrastructure, or policies that reward applied research. The gap is not just technological: it’s cultural and political. While MIT rallies its troops, here we still debate cuts to schools and universities.
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Our position is clear: Italy cannot outsource its innovation to Third World or US Big Tech.
This is not about digital autarky, but basic technological sovereignty. Every euro spent on public and private R&D returns in competitiveness. We work with companies that have chosen European stacks (Laravel, WordPress, Linux servers) precisely to avoid lifetime fees and hostage data. Basic and applied research must be funded not with slogans, but with budget choices. The Italian PNRR was a partly missed opportunity: too much money on non-innovative projects. We need an industrial policy that rewards R&D, hires researchers, and drives real digitalization.
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Here’s what to do now: 1) If you’re an entrepreneur, demand that your trade association lobby for tax incentives for technical training. 2) If you’re a developer, invest in skills the Italian market needs — cybersecurity, applied AI, automation. 3) If you’re a citizen, vote consciously: political choices on research determine the future of work and growth. Don’t wait for MIT to decide for us.
