Co-organised by CMCC Foundation, the China–Italy Workshop on Advancing Ocean and Climate Science brings together leading scientists in Guangzhou to explore advances in climate prediction, artificial intelligence and coastal resilience, with significant contributions from CMCC researchers.

The CMCC Foundation is strengthening its scientific engagement with China through the China–Italy Workshop on Advancing Ocean and Climate Science, held on 8–9 November 2026 at Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou.

Co-organised by CMCC, Sun Yat-sen University, the University of Bologna and the UN Decade Collaborative Centre for Coastal Resilience (DCC-CR), the initiative brings together leading scientists and institutional representatives from both countries to exchange knowledge, identify common research priorities and explore opportunities for future collaboration.

For CMCC, the workshop represents an important step towards developing stronger scientific and institutional ties with Chinese research organisations, particularly Sun Yat-sen University, and expanding international cooperation in areas central to the Foundation’s research mission.

Building scientific partnerships across regions

Climate change presents interconnected challenges that extend beyond national and regional boundaries. Understanding the dynamics of the global climate system, improving predictive capabilities and developing effective adaptation strategies increasingly depend on sustained cooperation between research institutions with complementary scientific expertise.

In this context, strengthening collaboration between European and Chinese scientists offers significant opportunities to connect research conducted across different ocean basins and climatic regions, share advanced modelling approaches and accelerate scientific innovation.

The partnership with Sun Yat-sen University is particularly relevant given the institution’s expertise in oceanography, atmospheric sciences and regional climate dynamics. Bringing together research perspectives from the Mediterranean and East Asian regions can contribute to a broader understanding of ocean–atmosphere interactions, climate variability and extreme events, while opening opportunities for comparative research and the development of joint scientific initiatives.

The workshop builds on the existing Memorandum of Agreement between Sun Yat-sen University and the University of Bologna, providing a framework to explore closer institutional cooperation involving CMCC.

CMCC scientific expertise at the centre of the dialogue

CMCC played a prominent role throughout the two-day scientific programme, with contributions spanning artificial intelligence, climate and ocean prediction, extreme events, coastal digital twins and nature-based solutions.

Antonio Navarra, President of the CMCC Foundation, co-chaired the session on weather and climate predictability and artificial intelligence, and presented advances in AI-based seasonal forecasting. CMCC researchers Emanuela Clementi and Francesco Maicu contributed research on ocean forecasting and multiscale modelling of extreme events, while Nadia Pinardi co-chaired the session on monsoon variability and climate change.

The second day focused on coastal resilience, with Giovanni Coppini, CMCC Programme Director, co-chairing the scientific session and presenting cloud-based solutions for coastal applications. Contributions from Riccardo Valentini, Maria Vincenza Chiriacò and Ivan Federico addressed digital twins, nature-based solutions and innovative approaches to coastal adaptation.

Together, these contributions demonstrated the breadth of CMCC’s scientific expertise and its capacity to connect fundamental climate research with advanced technological solutions and practical applications for environmental resilience.

From scientific exchange to long-term cooperation

Beyond the exchange of research findings, the workshop provided a platform to explore how scientific cooperation between CMCC and Chinese institutions can evolve into sustained research partnerships.

Potential areas of collaboration include the integration of artificial intelligence into climate and ocean prediction, the development of advanced modelling and digital twin technologies, and the design of innovative approaches to coastal risk assessment and adaptation.

Such cooperation is particularly valuable in a scientific landscape where access to diverse regional expertise, computational capabilities and complementary research methodologies can accelerate progress towards more reliable predictions and more effective climate services.

The involvement of Early Career Ocean Professionals and students also highlighted the importance of creating opportunities for the next generation of researchers, supporting scientific exchange and the development of lasting professional networks.

By co-organising the Guangzhou workshop and contributing extensively to its scientific programme, CMCC reinforces its commitment to building international research partnerships that connect scientific excellence across regions and institutions.

Strengthening cooperation with Sun Yat-sen University represents an opportunity to advance shared research priorities and contribute to a more integrated international scientific effort to understand climate change, improve predictive capabilities and support resilient coastal communities.