He graduated in theoretical physics at the University of Bologna, magna cum laude (June 1977). Since 1984 he is researcher of the Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development (ENEA), where he co-ordinated a research group on non linear dynamics and, since 1994 to 2001, has been appointed as Assistant (Deputy) Director of the Applied Physics Division.
Actually, he is research director at ENEA Bologna and professor of computer science at the University of Bologna. He gave courses at the Universities of Florence, Padua, Roma III, Messina, Modena and Reggio Emilia, Technical University of Turin, Universidade de São Paulo in Brazil and Keldysh Institute of Applied Mathematics of the Russian Academy of Sciences in Moscow. He has been thesis advisor for more than 90 students in physics, mathematics, engineering and preservation of the cultural heritage; he is author of more than 330 articles in scientific journals and proceedings of international conferences, one book on the diagnostics for the cultural heritage, two other books on cultural heritage, about twenty multimedia products. He has lectured more than 300 invited talks and seminars in Italy and abroad. He organized thirty international conferences and workshops, and as editor published 15 volumes of proceedings. He designed and directed many international research projects, supported by EU for a total amount of 5.5 millions of euro, on complex systems and preservation of the cultural heritage. Since 1981 he is member of the Italian press association.