Next Energy Project: 10 ideas selected for the grid of the future

• The panel, headed by Catia Bastioli, Terna's Chairwoman, has chosen the 10 projects qualifying for access to the 6-month empowerment programme

• The selection took place at the Innovation Days event, two days of exchanging and sharing ideas in the Cariplo factory

Rome, 23 September 2016- The Next Energy Project panel, headed by Catia Bastioli, Terna's Chairwoman, chose the 10 best ideas in the field of innovation in the energy sector. As announced in the regulations of the project, set up by Terna and the Cariplo Foundation with the support of PoliHub, the 10 teams promoting the ideas selected will have access to a 6-month business empowerment and acceleration programme, at the end of which the 3 winning projects will be chosen. The winners will be awarded vouchers to use to develop their projects, to the respective value of € 50,000 for the winner, € 30,000 to the second-ranked team and € 20,000 to the third-ranked.

The selection of the 10 best ideas took place at the Innovation Days event, two days of exchanging and sharing ideas in the Cariplo factory during which the competing teams were involved in an 'Expert Feedback Session', a training course which enabled them to share their projects with tutors, expert technicians in the sector, so as to improve and optimise the final project. The Innovation Days were the first occasion for innovators and talents in the next Energy Project to meet and exchange ideas. In fact, the 15 young people selected for the six-month training course at Terna were also present at the Cariplo Factory and were able to observe the construction and presentation of the innovative ideas selected.

'We are very happy to have worked with the Cariplo Foundation and Polihub in an all-round experience of training and business creation for young talents - declared Catia Bastioli, Terna's Chairwoman - The Next Energy Project is a unique experience which should be repeated; an integrated learning, meritocracy-based workshop which we hope will act as an example to other companies, universities and foundations. Offering practical support to young university students and new entrepreneurs with innovative projects is the best way of supporting the future of the new generations.A commitment which we should all share'.

'When we announced the creation of the Cariplofactory in May this year with the aim of creating job opportunities for young people, we made a serious and ambitious promise' - said Giuseppe Guzzetti, Chairman of the Cariplo Foundation. 'The project with Terna is already bearing its first fruit. The initiatives with Microsoft, Novartis and Fastweb have also got under way. It's the right path for giving practical answers. Cariplo and these big companies have got on board with a positive initiative against youth unemployment'.