Valentina Rognoli is an Associate Professor in the Design Department at the School of Design at the Politecnico di Milano, where she both studied and began her academic career. Before entering academia, she spent three years working with Enzo Mari, an experience that had a profound impact on her design perspective.

She has built her entire career around the concept of Materials Design, contributing to its establishment and recognition at an international level at a time when the field was still largely unexplored. In 2000, she designed and launched the Materials Library at the Politecnico di Milano, which remains an active and constantly updated resource for students and researchers. For her PhD (2000–2004), she conducted pioneering research into the expressive and sensory dimensions of materials in design, a significant yet rarely investigated topic at the time.

She is the founder and lead researcher of the Materials Design for Transition research group, established in 2023, and has created the associated Materials Design for Transition Lab, which is dedicated to tinkering and biotinkering practices with emerging materials.

She is also a professor at the Joint School of Design at Xi'an Jiaotong University (XJTU) in China.

Her current research and teaching focus on pioneering topics such as materials design for transition, biodesign, regenerative design, materials-driven design and materials experience.

She has coordinated European research projects on DIY-Materials and materials for craft, advancing alternative, distributed and regenerative approaches to material innovation. Recognised internationally as a leading voice in the field, she frequently gives lectures and runs workshops worldwide, collaborating with international institutions, design schools, and research centres on projects at the intersection of materials design and biodesign for regenerative futures.

Short mission statement I'm exploring how emerging materials can accompany us in transitioning towards regenerative futures. Materials design for transition can tell new stories, regenerate ecosystems and inspire more responsible ways of living. By weaving together design, biology, engineering and craft, I seek to create not only knowledge but also tangible experiences, tools, and practices that empower people and industries to embrace change and transformation.