Italian transmission operator Terna is working with the Polytechnic Universities of Turin, Milan and Bari to pursue research, innovation and higher education for the benefit of the electricity system.

The collaboration agreement will see the first level II master’s degree in innovation in electricity systems for energy start during the 2025-26 academic year.

The High Skills Polytechnic Network represents the birth of a close synergy between the skills of the Italian national electricity grid operator and those of each polytechnic university, for the purposes of research, innovation and higher education with benefits for the safety and resilience of the grid and the electricity system.

“The energy transition must be tackled both strategically and tactically, requiring investments not only in infrastructure but also in training and skills development, as there are many scientific, technological and regulatory aspects to the challenge,” said Stefano Paolo Corgnati, rector of the Polytechnic University of Turin (www.polito.it). “Therefore, technological universities like the polytechnics can and must make themselves available to the community in order to create specific, wide-ranging skills through synergistic networks as a catalyst to speed up progress towards this transition. For us, this is an excellent opportunity for a highly qualified collaboration that centres higher education, with close links to research activities for our institution, in this case in service of the nation’s electricity system.”

The course has been established to nurture specialised skills for the electricity sector, training qualified professionals suitable for Terna’s recruitment and hiring processes. Specifically, the master’s degree will produce specialised profiles in the engineering sector, with professional qualifications providing expertise in systems and technologies, asset management, electrical power systems, and markets and regulations. Each student on the 12-month course will devote 1500 hours, and must acquire 60 university training credits. Educational activities will consist of courses on topics in which the institutions specialise, courses for guidance prepared by Terna, and practical experiences.

“This initiative further strengthens the established relationship between the Polytechnic University of Milan and Terna, who are working together in various fields of research, like the management of electricity systems with large inputs from renewable sources and the stability of electrical power grids,” said Donatella Sciuto, rector of the Polytechnic University of Milan (www.polimi.it). “In the face of the fundamental changes that will sweep through the energy sector and the labour market over the coming decades, education is a vital element in guaranteeing the competitiveness of the industrial sector and requires joint actions with a profound impact. That’s why Terna’s initiative, uniting the three polytechnic universities at the centre of the agreement, is paving the way towards a new model of collaboration in which the Polytechnic University of Milan strongly believes.”

Coordinated by a steering committee, the network will involve individual collaboration projects being carried out in the areas of research and development, open innovation, education and training, and social impact. Specifically, they will focus on the management of zero-carbon, low-inertia electricity systems; technologies applied to systems operation, planning and strategies; the protection, automation and control of electricity systems; interaction between the electricity markets and the system; new technologies for applications in the operational context; IT and programming skills; operational improvement and asset optimisation for grid resilience and efficiency; and digitalisation and sustainability.

“We are taking a significant step forward in terms of cooperation between universities,” said Francesco Cupertino, rector of the Polytechnic University of Bari (www.en.poliba.it), “in order to offer excellent new educational opportunities to Italian students. But, above all, we are strengthening the innovation ecosystem in the key sector of energy. In fact, the new systems for energy procurement represent a crucial piece of the puzzle for the country’s competitiveness over the coming years. As a polytechnic university in central-southern Italy, we are eager to seize every opportunity for the sustainable development of the industry and for the skilled employment of graduates.”

As part of the training projects to develop skills in the energy sector, Terna has also extended the master’s course in digitalisation of the electricity system for the energy transition, promoted by the group in collaboration with the Universities of Cagliari, Palermo and Salerno as part of the Tyrrhenian Lab project. With more than 150 young people having taken part in the first three programmes, two additional editions are now confirmed, bringing it up to 2027. This project also has a positive impact in terms of boosting employment and bringing added value to the local communities.

“The collaboration confirms the group’s dedication to continuing its investments in training new skills and abilities that can help bring about the energy and digital twin transition,” said Daniele Amati, head of human resources at Terna (www.terna.it). “The High Skills Polytechnic Network generates extraordinary synergy and represents an excellent educational opportunity for young people.”