All roads should lead to Vejle

Davide Taibi has been named as one of two LEGO® Chairs at the University of Southern Denmark’s new Vejle Campus. He will take up the position on 1 November. The internationally renowned professor will serve as head of centre for the natural science part of the research and teaching environment, a task he is eagerly anticipating.

- I look forward to taking part in building SDU Vejle. Our ambition is to become the scientific driving force for the industry in the region, and it will be particularly interesting to collaborate with the LEGO Group and the other companies. We are committing to cultivating an environment where the University and the industry can grow together and exchange knowledge through student jobs, lectures and international conferences.

- I just had to apply for the position.

Cutting-edge technology and strong basic research

Davide Taibi’s research field revolves around software architecture, and his next task is to gather the right team of top tier researchers.

- The goal is to create a research-based centre with international capabilities where teaching and research go hand in hand. We will operate as one team, driving both cutting-edge technology and strong basic research. In this way, we can raise our academic level, strengthen SDU’s position and grow together as a unified academic environment.

To Vejle with research and love

Born in Italy, Davide Taibi’s most recent position was at the University of Oulu in Finland. But he is not the only researcher who is leaving Finland and heading to the University of Southern Denmark in Vejle. Valentina Lenarduzzi will also take up a professorship at SDU, and she and Davide are partners – both privately and academically.

- I’ve worked with Valentina for many years – actually since she started her PhD, right after I finished mine. We complement each other really well: I’m more focused on software architecture, and she has a strong technical and methodological background in software metrics, AI-Driven software development and sustainable software.

- We work as a team: doing research, teaching and supervision together. Of course, we try to separate work and personal life, but when you’re passionate about your work, it’s difficult not to continue the conversation over the dinner table.

Research gives him access to the whole world

Davide Taibi loves to experience the world, and being a professor with great expertise in his field of research means he has plenty of opportunities to do so. This interview is a case in point: it is conducted via video link between Odense and Hawaii, where Davide Taibi is attending an international conference.

- I’m keen to see the world, and fortunately I have plenty of opportunities to do that with my wife. We have many travel days every year; we attend the same conferences, so these are perfect opportunities to combine work with wanderlust while saving money by sharing travel costs.

Excited about the move to Vejle

Now the couple will begin a new chapter of their lives in Vejle. Davide Taibi grew up near the Alps, and although Vejle boasts the famous hill on Chr. Winthersvej, it’s not quite the same as in Italy. However, their new hometown has already captivated them.

- We’re looking forward to moving into our new apartment in Vejle and becoming part of the city – both as researchers and as a couple. Vejle seems to be a beautiful and welcoming city and we look forward to exploring it even more, he says, emphasising the beauty of the surrounding countryside and Vejle Fjord.

When he is not in the campus building, Davide Taibi may be spending some time on the fjord. During his teenage years, he was an elite rower and he is not averse to resuming his career, albeit at an amateur level.

Strives to be as excellent as the supervisor he had as a student

During his first years of adulthood, Davide Taibi was at a professional crossroads. He chose to pursue an academic career, and this was mainly due to one professor who convinced him to continue as a PhD student during his studies. He has been a great inspiration for Davide Taibi regarding how to be a good supervisor.

- He was really passionate about his work and that made a huge difference to my desire to do research. I try to pass that on to my own students. I almost always go with them to conferences so that I can introduce them to useful contacts and help them enter the research community. It’s not just about presenting your research; it’s also about learning how to socialise, building relationships and becoming part of the academic community.

SDU Vejle’s first LEGO® Chair is also very fond of music and collects rare guitars. Now he will begin the task of assembling the team of researchers that will ensure SDU Vejle’s success. Finding the right competences as a researcher and as a person is paramount in this endeavour.

- I prioritise being accessible to the junior researchers. I’ve always thought of my research groups as a family – we share ideas, support each other and grow together as researchers and as people.

Davide Taibi is employed at the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science at the Faculty of Science.