Next is a Republic of Innovators, a format designed, produced and hosted by Riccardo Luna. Next makes the same stops as Republic of Ideas, and adds a few more. In 2014 the project focused on the candidate cities as European Capital of Culture: Ravenna, Perugia, Cagliari, Siena, Lecce and Matera, the last of which won the title for 2019.

“Some Italians are literally changing Italy,” Riccardo Luna says of the project. “They have an infallible weapon, and it’s called innovation. These people are scientists, researchers, inventors, digital artisans, makers, start-uppers and dreamers. And they’re the stars of Next, the Repubblica delle Idee project dedicated to innovators.”