People

Elisa Covato is a Senior Lecturer in Artificial Intelligence at the University of the West of England. Her interdisciplinary research spans Natural Language Processing (NLP), Computer Vision, and broader Data Science methodologies, with a particular focus on applying AI to citizen science and smart city innovation. Her work has contributed to frameworks and methodologies that empower communities and stakeholders to engage meaningfully with urban data, fostering more inclusive and responsive city planning. Her broader contributions include developing open-source NLP tools for urban data analysis, leveraging Large Language Models and Generative AI.

Dr. Covato has extensive experience in EU-funded consortiums dedicated to AI-driven urban transformation, including previous involvement in BigClouT (EU-Japan consortium) and REPLICATE (Horizon 2020). She has established strong, long-term collaborations with academic and industry partners across Europe. Currently, she is actively engaged in two Horizon Europe projects—GREENGAGE and CLMS-Cities—which aim to integrate AI into urban systems to enhance sustainability and citizen participation. She also plays an active role in policy discussions on ethical and effective AI use in cities and regularly collaborates with city councils, NGOs, and civic groups.