A Centre of Excellence

ITHACA is a non-profit association, founded in November 2006 by the Politecnico di Torino and the Higher Institute on Territorial Systems for Innovation (SiTI).

WFP

WFP needs clear, precise information very quickly to know how to get help to where it is most needed. It is getting much of it from a network of academic partnerships which it has created to take advantage of recent advances in science and technology.

The different competences characterizing ITHACA are related to the acquisition, management and elaboration of geographic and cartographic data. The operational team has deep experience in several of the domains concerning geomatics, such as remote sensing, photogrammetry and Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Therefore, ITHACA is able to produce basic and thematic cartography, through both consolidated and innovative procedures.

With a view to cooperate with the WFP (World Food Programme) - the food aid arm of the United Nations and the world's largest operational humanitarian agency - the Association proposes itself as a centre of applied research and for the distribution of products and services related to Information Technology in support of humanitarian operations. It aims to serve as a bridge between advanced research science and humanitarian practitioners, delivering scientific methodologies, analytical services and technical tools to improve the capacity of the WFP and the broader humanitarian community in Early Warning and Early Impact phases.

ITHACA's activities are realized with the cooperation of Politecnico di Torino and of other technology partners such as public and private research centers, companies operating in the aerospace and telecommunications fields and other suppliers of territorial data.

ITHACA is governed by a Board of Directors composed of four members, two selected by SiTI and two by Politecnico di Torino. The Board of Directors is assisted by a Technical Committee.

Board of Directors

Councillors

  • Riccardo Roscelli - President
  • Piero Boccardo - Director
  • Giulio Mondini - Research Director of SiTI
  • Agata Spaziante - Full professor at the Faculty of Architecture of the Politecnico di Torino

Auditors

  • Lorenzo Ginisio
  • Mario Montalcini
  • Luigi Puddu

Technical Committee

  • Piero Boccardo - Politecnico di Torino
  • Carlo Ajmar - SiTI
  • David Kaatrud - World Food Programme, Director of Emergencies, Rome (Italy)
  • Ernesto Baca – World Food Programme, CEO and Director of Information Technology and Management Services Divisions, Rome (Italy)