Until he retired in mid-2024, for over five years Andrea was Head of Unit “Knowledge Management & Innovative Systems” in Directorate General ‘Communication networks, content and technology’ (DG CONNECT) of the European Commission that provided information systems, tools and infrastructures enabling DG CONNECT to fulfil its mission. In doing so, the Unit supported and led by example the adoption of advanced digital technologies and data analytics to streamline business processes, decision making and collaboration, towards an efficient digital administration.

From 2016 to 2019, Andrea was Head of the Unit “eGovernment and Trust” in DG CONNECT whose mission was to advance the quality and innovation of public administrations and accelerating the large-scale public sector and private sector use of trusted identification and trust services in the digital single market by leadership in the eGovernment agenda and in eIDAS.

From 2012 to June 2016, he led the eIDAS Task Force in charge of the adoption and implementation of the eIDAS Regulation (EU) N°910/2014. The purpose of the regulation is to deliver a predictable regulatory environment for electronic identification and trust services for electronic transactions in the internal market to boost user convenience, trust and confidence in the digital world.

From 2006 to 2012, Andrea was Deputy Head of the Unit “Internet; Network and Information Security” in DG INFSO where he co-managed the Unit and was in charge of defining and implementing the strategies and policies on network and information security, critical information infrastructure protection, electronic signature and identification.

From 1993 to 2005, he worked in the European Commission ICT research programmes (ESPRIT, IT, IST and ICT) dealing with safety critical systems, software engineering, database technology, privacy enhancing technologies, biometrics, dependability and cyber security.

Before joining the European Commission in 1993, he worked in industry for nearly eight years as a project manager of international R&D projects on decision support systems for environmental, civil and industrial emergency and risk management.

Andrea graduated with Laude in Nuclear Engineering at the “Politecnico di Milano” and carried out PhD studies on fuzzy sets and artificial intelligence at Queen Mary and Westfield College, University of London.