Patrizio Bianchi (born 28 May 1952) is an Italian economist and academic, current chairholder of the UNESCO Chair in Education, Growth and Equality.

In 1980 he became a researcher at the Faculty of Economics of the University of Trento, and in the same year the Minister of Budget Beniamino Andreatta nominated him National Planning Secretary for the restructuring of the automobile industry.

From 2010 to 2012 he designed and implemented the reform of regional professional development, and from 2012 to 2014 he managed the reinitiation of teaching activities and the reconstruction of schools in the area affected by the 2012 20–29 May Earthquake.

Since 2017 he has directed the activities for the design and activation of the Big Data Technopole in Bologna, the new headquarters of the European Center for Weather Forecasts (previously located in Reading but transferred to Bologna following Brexit) and of the European Scientific Supercomputing Center which houses Leonardo, the fourth fastest supercomputer in the world.

In January 2019 he founded the International Foundation Big Data and Artificial Intelligence for Human Development (IFAB), where he was Scientific Director until 2021.

During his years as Councilor he was awarded the honor of Commendatore al merito della Repubblica Italiana by the President of the Italian Republic Giorgio Napolitano in 2010.

On 12 February 2021 he was named by Mario Draghi as Minister of Education in the Draghi government (a national unity government) and was sworn in the following day at the Quirinale in the presence of the President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella.The main objectives of his term was the return of face-to-face teaching for the 2021–2022 school year after the distance learning period due to the coronavirus pandemic and the implementation of the reforms envisaged by the National Recovery and Resilience Plan - PNRR (part of Next Generation EU).