Piedmont Region together with Europe for innovation and advanced training in sport

The arrival of EU Parliament President Roberta Metsola at Valentino Castle

Politecnico’s Vice Rector for Society and Public Engagement, Community, and Rector's Program Implementation, Stefano Sacchi, together with the President of the Piedmont Regional Authority, Alberto Cirio, yesterday presented to the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, in the Valentino Castle’s Great Salon, the strategic and operational plan that will define the synergies between PoliTO educational and sporting activities and the upcoming initiatives of the Piedmont Region in support of sport. The mayor of Turin, Stefano Lo Russo, and the President of the Piedmont Regional Committee (CONI), Stefano Mossino, who convened the federal council of CONI Piedmont and the president of the Italian Paralympic Committee (CIP), Silvia Bruno, also attended the event for the occasion.

“Sport must be rooted in the local areas, stadiums must offer accessible experiences, and talent must be nurtured within Europe borders for the future,” said President Metsola. “It should contribute to strengthening the well-being of communities and creating jobs. Training and research are strategic priorities, and it is essential that the Piedmont Region and Politecnico di Torino act as role models. The European Parliament stands with them. The new European Sports Plan will help address emerging challenges in the sector. Italy's sporting victories are also Europe's sporting victories, and that is why I am confident in the power of sport to promote inclusion".

“Politecnico aims to attract talented athletes from all over the world who want to study engineering, architecture, urban planning and design, sharing the values of our university and contributing to its reputation, as in the American campuses,” commented Vice-Rector Sacchi. “This must go along with a significant increase in opportunities for the whole university community to play sports as a way to stay healthy and feel good. We also want to become the top Italian school for sports technology, a real go-to place for all the tech needs of everyone involved in sports, like companies, professionals, federations, and athletes".

From the left: Stefano Sacchi, Roberta Metsola and Vincenzo Tedesco

Indeed, over the next few years, Politecnico will increase its focus on sport, with the aim of becoming a renowned and recognisable sports university, but also a leading school of sports technology, with various initiatives that will be consolidated and reinforced through targeted programmes and investments. These include a new organisation of the Dual Career programme, which ensures the reconciliation of university studies and competitive sports careers, and of the University's sports teams, also in collaboration with CUS Torino. Training courses on Technology, Engineering and Architecture for Sport will be launched, as well as numerous activities aimed at promoting sport within the university community – students, technical and administrative staff, librarians, research staff and lecturers – as a key element of personal and social well-being and a symbol of inclusiveness, which is at the heart of Politecnico's study and research programmes.

The meeting at Valentino Castle ended with the launch of “Move together, Healthy together”: On 6 June, Politecnico's main campus in Corso Duca degli Abruzzi will host a sport day, during which the University's new sports strategy will be unveiled, by presenting various upcoming initiatives and awarding prizes to Politecnico athletes who have distinguished themselves this year in various competitions, from the Universiadi to the National University Championships. For the occasion, a large multi-purpose playing field will be set up in the University courtyard, where participants can compete in football, basketball, volleyball and pickleball to celebrate the end of the academic year in the spirit of wellness, sport and fun.