As part of the Cabinet’s approval, Bahrain Polytechnic signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Fondazione Links to enhance academic and scientific cooperation and develop an international research network to address emerging challenges and opportunities.
The MoU was signed by Bahrain Polytechnic’s CEO, Professor Ciarán Ó Catháin, and Dr. Marco Valle, representing Fondazione Links. The signing ceremony was attended by officials from both parties and other notable figures, including: His Excellency Mr. Andrea Catalano, Ambassador of Italy to Bahrain; Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, Director General of Heritage at the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities; and Dr. Amal Abul, Judge at the Supreme Court of Bahrain. The Italian delegation also included Professor Marco Sangermano, Representative for Internationalization at the Politecnico di Torino, and Dr. Alberto Bertini, Business Development Manager at Fondazione Links.
Under this agreement, both parties, in collaboration with the Politecnico di Torino, will focus on strengthening exchanges among faculty, researchers, and students. They will collaborate on various projects and initiatives, particularly those applying artificial intelligence to agriculture, with the goal of enhancing efficiency, sustainability, and productivity. The collaboration also extends to projects aimed at researching, preserving, and protecting both Bahraini and Italian cultural heritage, with data and information exchanges in these areas to support joint research initiatives.
On this occasion, Professor Ciarán Ó Catháin expressed his enthusiasm about the agreement with such a distinguished institution as Fondazione Links, highlighting that Bahrain Polytechnic offers practical, professional, and technical qualifications. He noted that partnerships with esteemed organizations help to sharpen students’ skills, ensuring they are workforce-ready upon graduation. He stated: “These agreements ensure that our students graduate as confident, competent professionals, fully aware of workplace expectations and capable of contributing to their fullest potential.”
He further added, “Bahrain Polytechnic is committed to developing programs, qualifications, and curricula in collaboration with local and international companies, industries, educational institutions, and training organizations. This approach, guided by the Board of Trustees, guarantees that Bahrain Polytechnic graduates meet the needs of the job market, supplying the Kingdom of Bahrain’s economy with highly skilled professionals.”
Dr. Marco Valle echoed this sentiment, stating, “Our foundation is called LINKS for a very specific reason. It symbolizes our mission to create connections—links—between people, institutions, countries, cultures, and ideas. Today, we are forging those links in the most impactful way possible: through an agreement that unites two academic realities, Italian and Bahraini, to work towards shared goals.”
It is worth noting that Fondazione Links is a non-profit organization established by the Politecnico di Torino and the Compagnia di San Paolo Foundation (a foundation connected to one of Italy’s largest bank Intesa). The foundation focuses on research and training activities centered on innovation, social progress, and economic development. Operating both nationally and internationally, it conducts applied research in the fields of engineering, architecture, and cultural heritage, with a particular emphasis on information sciences, artificial intelligence, digital heritage processes, as well as augmented reality technologies, communications, and robotics.
