The High Competence Polytechnic Network is born

It is called the High Competence Polytechnic Network, the cooperation agreement signed by Terna with the polytechnics of Turin, Milan, and Bari, aimed at research, innovation, and higher education for the benefit of the electricity system. One result of the agreement is the start-up, in the 2025/26 academic year, of the first edition of the second-level master's degree programme "Innovation in Electricity Systems for Energy", which aims to seek out specialist skills for the electricity sector, training qualified professionals who can be included in the Group's selection and recruiting processes led by Giuseppina Di Foggia.

In particular, thanks to the master's course, highly specialised profiles will be created in the engineering sector for the following professional qualifications: experts in plants and technologies, experts in asset management, experts in electrical power systems and experts in market and regulation. The master's course, which will last 12 months, envisages a total commitment of 1,500 hours and the acquisition of 60 university training credits (Cfu) for each student. Teaching activities will be divided into courses on specialised topics at the university, address courses run by Terna, and practical experience.

Daniele Amati, direttore risorse umane di Terna

The collaboration with the three polytechnics "is confirmation of Terna's desire to continue to invest in the training of new skills and abilities capable of contributing to the realisation of the dual transition, energy and digital," said Daniele Amati, Terna's Human Resources Director. "The High Competence Polytechnic Network creates a synergy of excellence and represents an important training opportunity for young people. "The energy transition must be tackled in both strategic and tactical terms, requiring investments in both infrastructure and skills training, as it includes various scientific, technological, and regulatory aspects," added Stefano Paolo Corgnati, Rector of the Politecnico di Torino. "Faced with the epochal change that will affect the energy sector and the labour market in the coming decades, training is a central element in ensuring the competitiveness of the industrial sector and requires joint actions capable of having a profound impact," commented Donatella Sciuto, Rector of the Politecnico di Milano. The rector of the Bari Polytechnic, Francesco Cupertino, agreed: 'Today we are taking an important step forward in cooperation between universities in order to offer a new education of excellence to Italian students, but above all we are strengthening the ecosystem of innovation in the key sector of energy. In fact, a decisive game is being played on the new energy supply systems, for the competitiveness of the country in the coming years'.

The High Competence Polytechnic Network, under the coordination of the Steering Committee, envisages the realisation of individual collaboration projects in the areas of Research and Development, Open Innovation, Education and Training, and Social Impact, specifically in the following fields Management of low-inertia zero-carbon electrical systems; Technologies applied to operation, planning and system strategies; Protection, automation and control of electrical systems; Interaction of the system with the electricity market; New technologies for applications in the operational context; IT and programming skills; Operational improvement and asset optimisation for grid resilience and efficiency; Digitalisation and sustainability.

Also in the area of training in the energy sector, Terna has extended the master's degree programme "Digitisation of the electricity system for energy transition", in cooperation with the universities of Cagliari, Palermo, and Salerno, as part of the Tyrrhenian Lab project. The master's degree, which saw the participation of more than 150 young people in its first three editions, will run for a further two editions, until 2027.