Professor Nic Palmarini is the Director of the UK’s National Innovation Centre for Ageing (NICA), Co-founder of the Edelman Longevity Lab, CEO of Voice® Italia, and an affiliate of the Harvard Meta Lab.
Previously, he served as a research manager at the MIT-IBM Watson AI Lab, a $250 million academic-industry partnership dedicated to the responsible advancement of artificial intelligence. From 2015, he led AI for Healthy Aging at IBM Research in Cambridge, USA. His earlier roles include Director of the Human Centric Innovation Centre in Paris and IBM Smart City Subject Matter Expert.
With a background in social and political studies, Professor Palmarini specializes in leading diverse teams and integrating insights across disciplines. He bridges academic and industrial research with real-world applications, delivering both community and business value, particularly in the fields of healthy longevity and demographic change.
His decade of experience in aging and healthy longevity research has led to several pioneering programs, including Living Safer, which empowers formal and informal caregivers through data; The Internet of Caring Things, which reimagines the role of connected objects; and The City of Longevity, an innovative taxonomy and toolkit that helps cities proactively support population health and longevity. His teams’ work has received numerous accolades, including recognition from the United Nations for Ageing Initiative, the London Design Biennale, the ComputerWorld Honors Award, the Disability Matters – Market Place Award, the Silver Eco Award, and the Best Collaboration in MedTech Award.
As Co-founder of Talent Garden’s Innovation School, he played a key role in establishing Europe’s largest innovation hub, now spanning 23 campuses across eight countries. Currently a Professor of Practice in Ageing, Policy and Planning at Newcastle University, he has authored five books, including the 2019 bestseller Immortals, Economy for Longevity, along with numerous publications.
He is a TEDx speaker and a frequent keynote presenter, having addressed audiences in over 30 countries worldwide, and is also the co-curator of the Milano Triennale Global Design Exhibition on Healthy Longevity. Professor Palmarini serves on several prestigious boards, including the Scientific Advisory Committee at McMaster Institute for Research on Aging (MIRA), GIMI (Global Management Innovation Institute), the Humane Technology Lab, and the Scientific Board of Political Sciences and International Relations at Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore of Milan.