Mariani Costanza
Researcher
Costanza Mariani is Assistant Professor at SOM, Politecnico di Milano. Her research lies at the intersection of Project Management and Artificial Intelligence, offering a social science–based perspective on the transformative impact of emerging technologies on complex projects. She employs both qualitative and quantitative research methods and is the author of over 20 publications, including peer-reviewed journal articles, book chapters, and conference proceedings. Her work has been recognized by several prestigious institutions and associations, including the International Project Management Association (IPMA), NETLIPSE – The Network for the Dissemination of Knowledge on the Management and Organisation of Large Infrastructure Projects, and ANIMP – Italian Association of Industrial Plant Engineering. She is member of ANIMP’s IT and Digital chapter and serves as social media editor for the International Journal of Project Management and Project Leadership and Society. Costanza is Vice Director of the International Master in Project Management (IMPM), Vice Director of the Executive Program in Project Management (PE PM Flex) and Co-instructor for the courses of "Project Management" at Xi'an Jiaotong University.
Career
PHD: Politecnico di Milano, Italy
Research
Her research focuses on (i) the application and governance of Artificial Intelligence in project management, with particular attention to AI-supported decision-making, human–machine integration, and AI-enabled value creation; and (ii) key themes in the management of complex projects, including megaproject value co-creation, project sustainability, organizational agility, and project portfolio management.
Selected Publications
Mariani, C., & Mancini, M. (2026). Project portfolio selection and prioritization through supervised machine learning in continuous improvement projects. International Journal of Lean Six Sigma, 17(8), 27–55. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJLSS-03-2025-0047
Mariani, C., & Mancini, M. (2025). Beyond replacement: How project managers perceive the transformative role of AI in project work. Journal of Engineering and Technology Management, 78, 101927. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jengtecman.2025.101927
Mariani, C., & Mancini, M. (2025). Harnessing AI for value: examining the impact of AI capabilities and the mediating role of organizational agility on project value proposition. International Journal of Managing Projects in Business, 18(8), 112–143. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJMPB-03-2025-0068
Mariani, C., Caccialanza, A., Bugarčić, M., Slavkovic, M., & Mancini, M. (2025). Enhancing project-based organization performance through ESG practices: the role of organizational agility. Management Decision. https://doi.org/10.1108/MD-04-2024-0967
Mancini, M., Mariani, C., & Manfredi, M. (2023). Nuclear decommissioning risk management adopting a comprehensive artificial intelligence framework: An applied case in an Italian site. Progress in Nuclear Energy, 158(February), 104589.
Mariani, C., & Mancini, M. (2023). Selection of projects’ primary and secondary mitigation actions through optimization methods in nuclear decommissioning projects. Nuclear Engineering and Design, 407(March), 112284.
Mariani, C., Navrotska, Y., & Mancini, M. (2023). Project Stakeholder Classification: Application of unsupervised machine learning , benefits and limitations. Project Leadership and Society, 2023(August), 100093.
Grants, awards and Honours
IPMA (International Project Management Association) Best Young Researcher Award 2024: Awarded for the research conducted during the PhD & Dissertation Thesis.
Best PhD student paper EURAM 2023 for the paper "Project Stakeholder Classification: Application of unsupervised machine learning, benefits and limitations".
Community service
Social Media Editor | International Journal of Project Management
Social Media Editor | Project Leadership and Society
Member of ANIMP’s IT and Digital chapter