Francesco's research interests are in the areas of project governance and cross-sector collaborations, with a particular attention on the social aspects and value creation of major infrastructure and construction projects at the local, regional and national level. Through a stakeholder theory perspective recent publications include:

• An examination of social sustainability in major construction projects which contributes to the project stakeholder engagement discourse concerning the role of local communities and examines the ways in which inclusion can provide a response to the sustainability challenges of major projects.
  
  
• Project Manager's perception of the Local communities' stakeholder in megaprojects which investigates how the local communities' stakeholder is perceived, defined and categorized by project managers in major public infrastructure and construction projects (MPIC), and how their involvement could improve the performance of these projects.
  
  
• A review of the role of local communities in megaprojects. One of the first studies in project management highlighting that seeking local community opinions in the initiation phase of the project and monitoring the megaproject impact at the local level can help to improve project performance.

• Multi-stakeholder collaborations & engagement 
• Responsible & inclusive forms of governance
• Social value & Social sustainability

I am member of the International Editorial Boards for the International Journal of Project Management and Project Leadership and Society. The track chair for the EURAM PO SIG10 Project Organizing, and the IPMA member of the Research Management Team.