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We welcome the news that the Seismic Hazard Centre of the Italian Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology will use the OpenQuake–engine for computing the new seismic hazard model for Italy, replacing the one initially released in 2004.The announcement comes as a result of a long-lasting partnership between the GEM Foundation and Italy through the Department of Civil Protection (DPC) and the National Institute of Geology and Volcanology (INGV) and proves the general interest in GEM’s software and in its potential.

Since its adhesion to GEM in 2009, the DPC has been actively supporting GEM’s activities; and certainly the use of GEM tools for the production of the new national seismic hazard maps will strengthen this collaboration even more. The development process will be conducted using an innovative and experimental participatory approach, namely by leveraging existing science and calling for peer-reviewed contributions. Proposals relative to data, models and methodologies – call for submissions closed on April 24 - will be assigned to different thematic working tables, where the scientific community will have the chance to be engaged from the very beginning in a concrete debate on how to construct the model. This approach is perfectly in line with the mission and core values of GEM, and the adoption of an open-source tool to run calculations demonstrates a great pledge to openness and transparency.