The history of OCCAM dates back to 1996, when the main institutions of Milan asked UNESCO to seat OCCAM in the most international Italian cities. In particular, the following institutions signed the Agreement that was instrumental for OCCAM’s creation:
- The city of Milan;
- The Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Craft and Agriculture;
- ASSOLOMBARDA – Lombardy Entrepreneurial Association;
- CARIPLO Foundation;
- Fiera Milano
Hence, in 1997 OCCAM was officially established by UNESCO as the Observatory for Cultural and Audiovisual Communication in the Mediterranean and in the World. In 2000, the project was validated and OCCAM was given full autonomy. Since 2003 it is formally associated to the United Nation through its Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). For this reason, it has a permanent secretariat at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.
Since its establishment in 2001, OCCAM has been the Acting Agency of the Infopoverty Program, thus yearly organizing a new edition of the Infopoverty World Conference.
In the framework of the Infopoverty Program, in 2004, OCCAM promoted the foundation of the Infopoverty Institute at the University of Oklahoma.
OCCAM - Observatory on Digital Communication 