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Francesca Rizzo is a Professor of Interaction Design and User Studies and Rector’s Delegate for European Research Policies at Politecnico di Milano. Her work focuses on participatory design and social innovation to drive public sector transformation, with an emphasis on service design, social innovation, and public sector innovation, exploring how design thinking can drive organisational change and enhance systemic responses to complex societal challenges. Since FP7, she has led numerous EU-funded projects, notably heading scientific activities for NetZeroCities to integrate co-creative strategies into climate action planning. Her research examines the intersection of design culture and organisational transformation, and she has contributed to the development of tools, frameworks, and transdisciplinary knowledge that support climate action, citizen engagement, and policy innovation. She holds a PhD in Electronics and Telecommunications Engineering and is internationally recognised for bridging design research with policy innovation.