Life sciences: An interview with Dr Daniele Cafolla
Dr Daniele Cafolla has been a Wales Conference Ambassador since 2025. He received a dual MSc degree in mechanical engineering in 2012 at the University of Cassino, Italy, and Panamerican University, Mexico. Since then he has continued his studies in Singapore, Italy, and Romania. In 2023, he decided to further his career is Wales and joined Swansea University, as Lecturer in Robotics & AI. We talk to him about his specialist subject and discover why he thinks Wales is the perfect destination for business events.
Tell us a little more about your work and your Welsh Connections
My work focuses on building real-world autonomous robotic systems - integrating sensing, decision-making and safe interaction so that robotics moves from lab concepts to deployable technologies with measurable performance.
Wales has become a genuine professional home for me: it’s where I collaborate, teach, build partnerships, and develop research with a clear translation pathway and impact. My vision is to help make Swansea and Wales internationally recognised for AI-enabled engineering that delivers, where ambitious research turns into validated systems, strong partnerships, and real-world adoption.
How do you work with partners and colleagues in Swansea to promote the destination to your industry community?
I promote Swansea and Wales by creating collaboration pathways that lead to delivery - connecting national and international contacts with colleagues across Swansea University, shaping joint proposals, and building projects that have a credible route from research to validation and deployment.
A concrete example is that I’m working to bring MESROB / IFToMM 2027 to the UK, with Swansea/Wales as a strong potential base for the community to convene. I’m also active in the IEEE Robotics & Automation Society (RAS) UK & Ireland network, which is a great platform to build partnerships and future event opportunities in robotics and AI.
You recently attended the Ambassador’s networking event, how valuable was this and what key insights did you gain from attending?
It was genuinely valuable. Meeting fellow ambassadors reinforced how strong Wales is in terms of people and networks - there’s a shared willingness to collaborate, make introductions, and help good ideas happen. My main takeaway was that Wales’ story lands most powerfully when told through outcomes: not only a great destination, but a place where partnerships move from conversation to delivery.
How would you describe the AI and robotics sector in Wales and how is it attracting more people to the region?
I’d describe it as ambitious, collaborative, and increasingly visible with strong academic capability, growing innovation infrastructure, and a culture that makes cross-organisation collaboration achievable. It attracts people because it offers a compelling combination: meaningful technical work, access to networks, and quality of life important for researchers, founders, and industry partners building long-term impact.
What makes Wales a leading destination for Business Events?
Wales combines a genuine welcome with a strong innovation story - talent, research capability and partners who are open to collaboration. It also benefits from being easy to navigate and well-suited to focused, high-value events where the right people can connect quickly and build lasting partnerships.
What drew you to become a Wales Conference Ambassador?
I wanted to help build bridges - bringing global conversations and communities to Wales, and ensuring Welsh research and innovation are visible internationally. Being an ambassador is a practical way to support partnership-building and to help establish Wales as a place where ambitious ideas become working outcomes.
You champion Wales on the world stage. Why is that important to you personally?
Because Wales has the ingredients to lead internationally in translation-driven, impact-focused research and I want to help amplify that. For me it’s about creating opportunities for students, researchers, and partners and showing that Swansea and Wales are places where collaboration is not only possible, but effective. Wales provides the perfect setting to combine industry-leading discussions and progress alongside impressive facilities and a wealth of culture.
