Prof. Mario Primicerio Obituary

It is with deep sorrow that we inform you of the passing of Prof. Mario Primicerio, who sadly left us on May 29th.

Professor Primicerio was a highly esteemed figure in Applied Mathematics, both in Italy and across Europe. He served as Full Professor of Applied Mathematics at the University of Florence from 1975 to 2011 and was later named Emeritus Professor. During his distinguished academic career, he also held key leadership roles, including Dean of the Faculty of Sciences, Adjoint to the Rector for International Relations, and Chair of the Graduate School of Mathematics.

A founding member of the European Consortium for Mathematics in Industry (ECMI), Professor Primicerio led numerous international research initiatives and served on the governing boards of major scientific societies, as well as on the editorial boards of several academic journals. He was President of the Italian Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (SIMAI), Chair of the Applied Mathematics Committee of the European Mathematical Society (EMS), and an Officer of the International Council for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (ICIAM). Notably, he chaired the ESF Forward Look project “Mathematics and Industry,” where his leadership played a key role in shaping the vision that would eventually lead to the founding of EU-MATHS-IN, an initiative he strongly supported and helped to promote. He served as EU-MATHS-IN 1st President, from 2013 to 2015.

His influence extended beyond the scientific community. Professor Primicerio was a member of both the Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei and the Accademia della Colombaria, Vice-President of the Italian Commission for UNESCO, and a member of the advisory group to the Italian Minister of University. From 1995 to 1999, he served as Mayor of Florence, where he was widely respected for his commitment to peace, social inclusion, and intercultural dialogue.  His legacy, both as a scientist and public servant, will remain a lasting source of inspiration.

We share in the sorrow of his family and friends during this difficult time, and our thoughts are with all those who had the privilege of knowing and working with him. On behalf of the EU-MATHS-IN community, we would line to address our condolences to Professor Primicerio’s family.