New actions to guarantee and strengthen energy transition: EU–ITALY ENERGY DAYS 2026 concluded

The Energy Days, organised by Politecnico di Torino in collaboration with the Italian Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security, with the support of the Italian Ministry of University and Research and the European Commission, represented a stimulating forum for discussion on energy issues for this third edition, looking at the European situation on the one hand and the Italian reality on the other.

In the presence of the Italian Minister of the Environment and Energy Security, Gilberto Pichetto Fratin, and the Vice-President of the ITRE Committee of the European Parliament, Giorgio Gori, and with a video intervention by Raffaele Fitto, European Commission, Executive Vice-President for Cohesion and Reforms, the main issues of the international energy sector were discussed. Later this year, the European Commission will present the Energy and Climate Package 2040, which will set new decarbonization targets, strategic priorities for infrastructure, and pathways to competitiveness and resilience. Over the next decade, the EU will therefore have to simultaneously secure diversified supplies, accelerate innovation in clean technologies, and unlock flexibility on the demand side to address the challenges identified by the Draghi report, which were also taken up by the International Energy Agency (IEA). What is the future of energy in Italy?

"The energy transition and the achievement of challenging decarbonization targets require the need to combine the growth of renewable sources, competitive and efficient markets, infrastructure development, and energy security in an uncertain geopolitical context. Italy and Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security are committed to achieving the objectives set by the European Union and international forums, because the transition is a heavy commitment, but it is also a great opportunity to relaunch our economy and manufacturing, and above all, it is a moral duty we have towards the younger generations. The collaboration between Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security and Politecnico di Torino will continue to promote innovative technological solutions, contributing in a concrete way to strengthening security, environmental monitoring, efficiency, and the green transition of the energy sector", said Gilberto Pichetto Fratin, Italian Minister of the Environment and Energy Security.

A key point of discussion was the development of new skills, which are necessary to keep up to date and respond promptly to the demands of the labor market. The role played by universities, with higher education and the transfer of technological skills, is fundamental here. "Energy Days have become a regular event and part of the tradition of Politecnico di Torino. When we first conceived this initiative, the aim was to create a permanent forum for debate, capable of fostering open dialogue between universities, institutions, industry, and society. In the initial phase, the discussion takes place in an in-depth and confidential manner among experts, before being opened up to policy makers and stakeholders. In an increasingly technology-driven society, a technical university also has the task of facilitating dialogue between innovation, rules and skills, contributing to the definition of public policies. Involving students in this process is essential for us, because understanding how policies are created is an integral part of the education of the younger generation", comments the Rector of Politecnico di Torino Stefano Corgnati.