Eni for a Just Transition: innovation, skills and partnerships

What are the elements of sustainable industrial transformation in Italy today? How does technological innovation support this? Only by comparing various experiences can we address these questions and overcome the challenge of the energy and technological transition. Objective: to ensure energy that is not only increasingly decarbonised but also reliable and accessible. At the core of the “Eni for a Just Transition” event – held at the Gazometro in Ostiense (Rome) – on 17 September 2025, universities, research centres, businesses, institutions, and organisations joined Eni in sharing a vision of growth that unites competitiveness, environmental stewardship, and the importance of people, while also enriching local areas and their skills base. The energy transition will take place according to industry timelines and must maintain economic and financial equilibrium, noted Francesco Gattei (Chief Transition & Financial Officer of Eni). Technology, industrial development and financial innovation –the core ideas of Eni’s satellite model – must unite to drive the transition.

How to move from strategy to practical implementation of industrial transformation in Italy? Innovating for sustainability involves reimagining business models and value chains. Going beyond technology to include processes, organisational design and culture – all aimed at generating value for individuals and communities. Giuseppe Ricci (Chief Operating Officer Industrial Transformation at Eni) reiterated that it will take awareness, courage and skill to integrate the environmental, economic and social dimensions. Biorefining is an advanced and innovative model that will help us to make the transport sector more sustainable. Sandro Trento (Director of the School of Innovation of the University of Trento) affirmed the need to pursue a practical, non-ideological sustainability that unites the three dimensions of value. It is a model – as Angela Cipollone (Head of Sustainability and Ex-Ante Impact Assessment, CDP) told us – that has also been adopted by CDP (Cassa Deposito a Prestiti), which has added to the usual risk and return the assessment and monitoring of the potential short- and medium-term impact of loans.

The adoption and application of new technologies, such as Artificial Intelligence, add value for people and the environment. But it cannot do so without effective governance. To move ahead with this transformation, the centrality of the human being is fundamental, explained Alessandra Fidanzi (Head of Data, AI & Agile Experience Center of Excellence at Eni). Fostering an open, collaborative tech ecosystem and prioritising partnerships can amplify environmental and social benefits. For example, in the safety field, we can secure safer systems for workers with less impact on the environment. According to Oreste Pollicino (Professor of Constitutional Law and Regulation of Artificial Intelligence, Bocconi University), there is a transition from automation to autonomy. The autonomy of generative AI impacts the principle of “people at the centre”; this is the challenge that has to be integrated into businesses.

The energy transition places people at the centre of the process of change. The energy and technological transformation we are experiencing is redefining the skills needed in the world of work and the attraction of talented candidates, necessitating new professional roles, training courses co-designed by companies and universities, and new collaborative systems. For Luca De Santis (Head of Human Resources and Organisation at Eni), people must be an active part of the change, while partnerships with academia and institutions remain fundamental. Within the ROAD project, Andrea Belli (Head of Technical Training at the Acea Group) also affirms the importance of partnerships, enabling companies to share their expertise and foster a circular economy of skills. Roberto Zanino (Professor of Nuclear Fusion Reactor Engineering at the Energy Department of the Politecnico di Torino) gave the real-world example of the Next-Gen Nuclear Power master's degree. The course is co-designed with Eni, with mutual benefits: the Politecnico brings its sixty years of experience to the company, while the students get to work on real cases and build up skills useful for entering the industry. Likewise, Elvira Spatolisano (Researcher at the “G. Natta” Department of Chemistry, Materials and Chemical Engineering at the Politecnico di Milano) affirmed the importance of collaboration between universities and industry: business helps academia to strengthen creativity, adaptability and preparation for change.

A collaborative workshop where joint industrial innovation and community partnerships turn the energy transition into reality. Ravenna stands as a beacon of the past, present, and future, according to Francesca Zarri (Italy Manager, Upstream Department, Eni). It exemplifies a region that supports industrial transition and exports its blueprint internationally. Oscar Guerra (Managing Director of Rosetti Marino SpA) points out the significant shift and potential for expansion through initiatives like Open-es. Furthermore, Alessandra Bagnara (Chair of Linea Rosa) represented the point of view of local communities, recounting how the partnership with Eni was born out of listening: the company approached the association to understand its needs and how it works, and then implemented internal training and awareness-raising events.