Eni Award 2025: best researchers in the energy and environmental fields awarded today in the presence of the President of the Italian Republic

The special mention “Eni Joule for Entrepreneurship” was also awarded to honour the best innovative and sustainable business ideas

Rome, 8 October 2025 – The Eni Award ceremony was held today at the Quirinal Palace in the presence of the President of the Italian Republic Sergio Mattarella, Eni’s Chairman of the Board of Directors Giuseppe Zafarana and Eni’s CEO Claudio Descalzi.  

This year marks the 17th edition of the award, which is internationally recognised as a benchmark for research in the fields of energy and the environment. It highlights the importance that scientific research and technological innovation have for Eni, as well as its commitment to promoting sustainability and access to energy, in line with the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals. There have been over 11,000 applications since it was established in 2008. The Scientific Committee, which assesses the submitted research, is made up of scientists from top global research institutions and has seen the participation of 6 Nobel prize-winners over the years. 

The Energy Transition award, one of the three main section prizes, which focuses on the best innovations for decarbonising the current energy system, was granted to Jeff Dahn from Dalhousie University (Canada). The Prize was presented to Prof. Dahn for his research in energy storage, leading to the development of lithium-ion batteries designed to have a lifetime of over 50 years, by using sustainable high-energy-density materials. Thanks to innovative accelerated testing methods and the design of cells suitable for countries with hot climates, his work contributes to reducing premature recycling, promoting reuse and accelerating the electrification of global transport.

The Energy Frontiers award, which honours research on renewable energy sources and energy storage, went to Professor Lydéric Bocquet from école Normale Supérieure (France). The Prize was awarded to Prof. Bocquet for his outstanding contributions to the development of a groundbreaking technology for harvesting osmotic energy, which is generated by the difference in salinity between sea and river water. Osmotic energy is a fully renewable, carbon-free, not-intermittent and worldwide available source of energy.

The Advanced Environmental Solutions award, dedicated to research for the protection and sustainable use of natural resources, was presented to Philippe Ciais from Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l’Environnement (France). The Prize was assigned to Prof. Ciais for his foundational contributions towards quantification, understanding and prediction of terrestrial carbon sinks at global, regional and local scales, with deep implications for the definition of climate change mitigation strategies.

The Young Researcher of the Year Award, which honours two researchers who have completed their PhDs at Italian universities, were given to Maria Basso and Virginia Venezia.

Maria Basso (Università degli Studi di Padova), in her PhD thesis, developed key materials for addressing global challenges related to energy consumption and water scarcity, using a low environmental impact approach. Among the innovative applications on which these materials were tested, are smart thermochromic windows and water collectors from humid air.

Virginia Venezia (Università degli Studi di Napoli “Federico II”) developed innovative strategies for the valorisation of waste biomass into multifunctional materials. Using sustainable chemistry approaches, she has improved the stability and functionality of waste substances, combining them into technologically advanced hybrid materials that can be used in food packaging, environmental protection and even the recovery of precious metals from electronic waste. Her work provides sustainable solutions to environmental challenges, promoting circular economy.

The Young Talents from Africa award, established in 2017 to mark the 10th anniversary of the Eni Award and dedicated to young talents from the African continent, presented in this edition two prizes to Asengo Gerardin Mabia from Institut National Polytechnique Félix Houphouët-Boigny (Cote d’Ivore) and to Shimaa Farag from American University in Cairo (Egypt). The prizes are designed to enhance their research during their ongoing doctoral program.

Mabia’s research is focused on developing a green process for converting agricultural by-products in Côte d’Ivoire, especially sugarcane molasses and cocoa pod husks, to polylactic acid, a high value widely used biodegradable plastic. 

Farag’s research is aimed to develop a cutting-edge, environmentally friendly and economical solution for wastewater treatment in Egypt, especially for detoxification of heavy metals and antibiotics. 

In the Eni Innovation Award section, which selects the most innovative projects developed by Eni researchers and technical experts, awards were given to:  

Michele Gerolin, Tiberio Grasso, Luigi Miozza, Alberto Moro (EniProgetti); Simone Ambrosini, Andrea Vignali (Eni) for the patented robotic system based on real-time processing of acoustic imaging by intelligent vision algorithms for the autonomous detection, localization and characterization of underwater anomalies.

Antonio Amico, Andrea Amoroso, Corrado Fittavolini, Francesca Guarnieri, Alberto Landoni, Nicoletta Panariti, Francesco Ricci (Eni) for the innovative technological solution of an integrated process for the production of high performance bio gasoline, with an estimated CO₂ emission reduction on the entire life cycle from 60% to 80% compared to traditional fossil gasoline.

Alfonso Amendola, Giammarco Gioco, Mario Primato, Simone Sala (Eni); Tommaso Audino, Mario Di Marco (Plenitude); Emanuele Martelli (PoliMI) for the digital solution consisting of a decision support tool to select, through an optimisation model, best decarbonisation opportunities in complex multi-energy systems since the pre-feasibility stage.

Once again, this year Eni, through Joule, its Business School, has awarded the Eni Joule for Entrepreneurship Special Mention intended for teams, university spin-offs, and start-ups focused on the application, enhancement and transfer of technologies by creating a sustainable innovation ecosystem. 

The three startups that distinguished themselves were:

Exe Engineering for Environment, which has developed a patented hardware and software solution to automate and optimize biogas capture from landfills.

Koalisation Società Benefit, which operates in the carbon finance sector, implementing high-impact projects based on the social development of indigenous communities and the regeneration of environmental ecosystems.

Eoliann Società Benefit, which has developed a platform based on predictive algorithms for quantifying the physical risks associated with climate change (e.g. floods, droughts, heat waves) to support data-driven resilience strategies. 

Applications for the Eni Award 2026 edition are open.