Rome, October 22nd and 23rd 2018
On October 22nd and 23rd, Enel Foundation hosted the 3rd annual meeting with academic partners to celebrate WE4U, Enel Group’s global project for cooperation with academia and research centers. The event was an occasion to share the results achieved and discuss new research priorities coming from major disruptions associated with the transition to a clean energy future, while stimulating cooperation between partners and the Enel Group on themes of common interest.
The 2018 edition saw the participation of more than 120 people, including 50 representatives from Academic Partners. Teams from the different partners included Rectors, Vice-Rectors, Heads of Department, Professors and Senior Researchers from relevant areas, as well as focal points in charge of corporate relations.
Organized over two days, the event featured a networking dinner-event, with a high-level discussion on the education and research challenges posed by data science and access to energy respecting the planetary boundaries, while the main conference focused on four key enablers of the energy transition Digitalization & Cybersecurity, Electrification, Energy Access and e-Mobility.
Experts from both the Enel Group and the realm of scientific and academic institutions examined the four themes, which represent the main areas the energy transition is evolving around, according to Mr. Francesco Starace, CEO of the Enel Group and Enel Foundation’s Chairman, who spoke at the opening session on October 23rd.
In line with the Open Innovation mindset, the meeting also included an opportunity for Enel to present business needs to academic partners, looking to activate competencies and skills from universities and research institutes to tackle the challenges faced by the energy industry.
For this reason, the Annual Meeting is a relevant opportunity to support universities to advance scientific discovery and technical development so that it remains relevant under current market conditions.