Luca Polizzi is an expert in science diplomacy, EU policy, and international cooperation, currently serving as Manager for Strategy and Programme Reviews at KAUST (Saudi Arabia), where he leads engagement on R&I priorities, foresight, and innovation policy across the Middle East. He was recently appointed Research Fellow at UNU-CRIS (United Nations University – Bruges), following the completion of his PhD in Science Diplomacy at VUB – Brussels School of Governance.
A former EU Diplomat in Israel (2019–2021), Luca previously worked at the European Commission’s DG RTD, leading initiatives on clean hydrogen, emerging technologies, and R&I cooperation with Africa, the Gulf, and the Neighbourhood. He helped launch the Clean Hydrogen Partnership and designed funding mechanisms for joint R&I with GCC countries.
Earlier roles include Policy Assistant to the Director for Industrial Technologies, and Senior Executive for EU Policy and Funding at Scotland Europa, representing Scottish universities in Brussels. He has held academic roles in Europe and beyond, including guest lecturing at the College of Europe, Ben-Gurion University, and the University of Canterbury.
Luca’s work bridges policy, programming, and diplomacy, with a focus on energy and climate diplomacy, technology sovereignty, and EU external action. He is fluent in English, French, and Italian.