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Maker Faire Rome 2022

From the 7th to the 9th of October, Eni hosted the 10th edition of the innovation event at the former Gazometro Ostiense and confirmed its role as the innovation event’s Main Partner.

04 October 2022
4 min read
04 October 2022
4 min read

10 years of technological innovation for the ecological transition

Maker Faire Rome, the international event that facilitates and presents technological innovation by connecting people and ideas, celebrated its 10th edition this year. Eni confirmed itself as the Main Partner for the 9th consecutive year and renewed its presence by hosting it from the 7th to the 9th of October at its Gazometro, an iconic industrial site – a  large gas storage facility – converted to an events and exhibition space in central Rome in the Ostiense district.

Maker Faire Rome – The European Edition (MFR) is the largest event of its kind outside of the United States. The 10th edition, which is a special anniversary, has been accompanied by a series of physical and digital initiatives going on beyond the event itself.

Technological innovation is one of the key values in Eni's journey towards the Just Transition, an energy transition that is not only environmentally but also economically and socially equitable. Through its participation in Maker Faire, Eni aimed to underscore its commitment to decarbonisation and towards absolute net zero emissions.

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In the Gazometro, the Tokamak becomes architecture

Besides hosting the event, Eni was there with two interactive spaces that will be open to the public.

The first one consisted of an installation created in collaboration with CRA – Carlo Ratti Associati and Italo Rota, aimed at telling visitors about Magnetic Confinement Fusion, the technology that will make fusion energy possible, allowing large amounts of virtually unlimited clean energy to be produced safely in a process similar to that in the Sun and stars.

The project 'metaphorically' took the form of the tokamak, a prototype reactor, which is a key component of the magnetic confinement fusion process. The bright red structure of the installation fitted inside the Gazometro, establishing a relationship with the event’s context and atmosphere. In this area of research, Eni is among the major investors in CFS (Commonwealth Fusion Systems), a spin-out company of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Once inside the installation, visitors were able to walk along a multimedia pathway with LED panels illustrating the workings, uses and game-changing potential of this technology.

By way of audio-visual content, the public was given an immersive experience and become more aware of a new, cleaner, safer and virtually unlimited form of energy.

Eni 2050 lab

Inside the pavilion 30, we’ve just seen the birth of the “Eni 2050 lab”, a techno-hub dedicated to the innovative projects and technologies that Eni is developing at its research centres. It is a multi-functional space that is also house an open laboratory with hyper-technological equipment, a monitoring area and an immersive viewing one, for advanced modelling based on Eni’s HPC4 and HPC5 supercomputers. Here, visitors will have the opportunity to explore some of Eni's technologies and products for decarbonization, including: the ISWEC system, which produces energy from wave power; aerial, terrestrial and submarine robotics (Roger and Clean Sea); advanced biofuels produced by agri-feedstock and waste&residue supply chains; CCUS supply chain technologies for CO2 capture, utilization and storage; some environmental restoration technologies (e-Hyrec and Phytoremediation) and an evocative model of magnetic confinement fusion. 

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Magnetic confinement fusion: energy that imitates the stars

A safe, sustainable and inexhaustible source of energy, a possible turning point in the decarbonization process we are supporting.

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The Ostiense site

Hosting Maker Faire Rome for the third consecutive year at its premises in Rome’s Ostiense district, in the former Gazometro area, Eni reopened the site to the public for a few days. In order for technological innovation to drive the energy transition, we need places like it that can act as a catalyst to generate solid initiatives. In the architectural context of the Gazometro Ostiense, in fact, Eni is proceeding to recover the former industrial site with reclamation works, to create a true 'Innovation District', with areas dedicated to development and experimentation for innovation in new energy, with participation from other companies, start-ups, universities and research centres. The headquarters of Joule, Eni's Business School, which is also amongst the exhibitors at Maker Faire Rome 2022, has already been integrated there.