In the second half of July 2025, thanks to the SoBigData.it TransNational Access (TNA) program, I had the pleasure of visiting Utrecht University (The Netherlands) and meeting with Prof. Claudio Di Ciccio and his research group. 

The primary goal of the two-week visit was to establish a mutual understanding of our respective research activities at ICAR-CNR and Utrecht University, and to define a strong foundation for future joint research. 

The work focused on developing new hybrid frameworks for process management. This involved merging the predictive power of Machine Learning (ML) with the rigor of formal knowledge representation and reasoning methods, aiming to enhance the interpretability and optimization of process monitoring. We worked on defining conceptual architectures that integrate declarative process modeling with ML techniques, exploring the incorporation of symbolic constraints and domain knowledge into the learned models. 

This line of research is directly aligned with the SoBigData RI mission to promote trustworthy AI applications that address key societal challenges. The resulting advanced AI-based process management solutions are essential for meeting demanding performance, safety, and transparency requirements across several application domains targeted by the project. 

For instance, this approach is relevant to Smart Factories, Smart Cities, Precision Medicine, and Disaster Management. 

Specifically, integrating declarative process modeling with data-driven learning can support the enhancement of clinical pathway modeling with medical guidelines, or the flexible modeling of complex urban processes. 

By defining this set of possible research lines and starting initial work, this visit paved the way for a long-term collaboration between the ICAR-CNR and Utrecht University, besides allowing me to connect with brilliant and friendly researchers and visit a pleasant and culturally rich city.