Luciano Pietronero studied physics in Rome and was a research scientist at Xerox Research in Webster (1974) and Brown Boveri Research Center (CH) 1975–1983. He then moved to University of Groningen (NL), where he was professor of Condensed Matter Theory (1983-87). Since 1987 he is professor of physics at the University of Rome ‘Sapienza’. He was also founder and director of the Institute for Complex Systems of CNR (2004–2014).

Luciano has a broad international experience in academic and industrial environments. The scientific activity is of both fundamental and applied nature, with a problem oriented interdisciplinary perspective. Development of novel and original views in all areas of activity. Leader of a generation of young scientists who are protagonists of the complexity scene internationally.

In 2008 Luciano received the Fermi Prize, the highest award of the Italian Physical Society. His research interests include condensed matter theory, high-temperature superconductivity; statistical physics; fractal growth; self-organized criticality; complex systems and its interdisciplinary applications. Recently Luciano has been active in economic complexity.