Francesco Barbato has been a Programme Officer at the ‘Cybersecurity Technology & Capacity Building’ Unit in the Directorate General Communications Networks, Content & Technology of the European Commission since September 2021. He works on the European Cybersecurity Competence Centre and network of National Coordination Centres, and the management of Research and Innovation Programmes such as Horizon 2020, Horizon Europe and Digital Europe.

He joined the European Commission in 2008 at DG CONNECT where he managed the EU Research and Innovation programmes on Big Data technologies and AI, and contributed to developing policy and innovation support initiatives for the European Data Economy. He also worked on Space Research in the Directorate General Defence Industry and Space, contributing to the uptake of digital technologies for Earth Observation and developing support initiatives for the Space Economy.

Francesco holds a university degree in Earth Sciences from the University of Rome, and is specialised in Remote Sensing of the Earth.