What begins as a simple interest can sometimes spark a lasting passion—this was the case for Matteo De Gobbi, a master’s student in Computer Engineering at the University of Padua, who has found his calling in artificial intelligence and its real-world applications.

In 2025, Matteo emerged as the top competitor in the AI Pro category of the Digital Skills Cup, an international contest organized by the Leading Learning Partners Association (LLPA)—a global alliance of IT training providers. Representing Italy through Pipeline, LLPA’s official partner in the country, Matteo not only took first place nationally but also claimed the global title, surpassing finalists from over 25 countries.

Inside the Digital Skills Cup Experience

The competition combined theoretical challenges with practical questions covering AI concepts and cloud-based services.

“The questions on AI methods were more manageable for me, since they covered topics I had already encountered in university or personal projects,” Matteo explains. “The ones on Azure were tougher—I had never used it before, so I had to rely on reasoning and process of elimination.”

Thanks to his strategic thinking and technical foundation, Matteo secured victory at both the Italian national round, where Pipeline recognized his achievement, and the World Finals, standing out among international peers.

Bridging Passion and Research

Beyond competitions, Matteo is also actively involved in research. A project born during a university Deep Learning course led to a co-authored scientific publication:

“Advancing Taxonomy with Machine Learning: A Hybrid Ensemble for Species and Genus Classification”

This extended research project allowed Matteo to deepen his knowledge of AI methodologies while applying them in a meaningful scientific context.

Nurturing Talent Through Opportunity

Matteo exemplifies the potential of a new generation of skilled and motivated Italian youth. The Digital Skills Cup offered him not only a stage to compete, but also a chance to grow, gain recognition, and engage with the global AI community.

We’re proud to have accompanied Matteo and the Italian team on their journey—and we’re excited to meet the future challengers of the next edition!