Terna: opening of the Tyrrhenian Lab, a centre of excellence to support the country’s energy transition

TERNA: OPENING OF THE TYRRHENIAN LAB, A CENTRE OF

EXCELLENCE TO SUPPORT THE COUNTRY'S ENERGY

TRANSITION

The first Master's Degree course begins for the 45 selected students at the Cagliari, Palermo and

Salerno campuses: at the centre, technological and digital skills for the management of the

electricity system are being fostered

170 applications in just two months: at the end of the course, the students will be hired at the

relevant local branches

The company led by Stefano Donnarumma is set to invest €100 million in the project over the next

5 years

Rome, 14 November 2022 - With events organised simultaneously at the Universities of Cagliari, Palermo and Salerno, Terna has officially launched the Tyrrhenian Lab. This marks the beginning of the three 2nd-level Master's Degree courses promoted as part of the project, in which the Italian national electricity grid operator will invest €100 million over the next 5 years.

Present in Salerno were Terna's Chief Executive Officer Stefano Donnarumma and the Rector of the University, Prof. Vincenzo Loia; in Palermo were Terna's Chairwoman Valentina Bosetti and the Rector of the University, Prof. Massimo Midiri; while in Cagliari, finally, were Francesco Del Pizzo, who is Terna's Head of Grid and Dispatching Development Strategies as well as the Chairman and Scientific Coordinator of the Tyrrhenian Lab, and the Rector of the University, Prof. Francesco Mola.

The Tyrrhenian Lab is a training centre of excellence to foster the technological and digital skills essential for managing the electricity system and accelerating the energy transition process. It is spread across the three cities where the undersea cables of the Tyrrhenian Link will land: one of Italy's main infrastructural works and crucial to the development and security of its electricity system.

At the end of the 12-month Master's course, which aims to produce new professionals who will have managerial, engineering, IT and statistical expertise, the 45 selected students will be hired in Terna's local branches and can begin work as: experts on algorithms and models for the electricity market; experts on analysis and regulation systems; experts on the management of equipment in the field; experts on Substation Automation Systems (SASs); and experts on Substation IoT Systems.

"The energy transition is one of the greatest challenges of our time. Today, we can finally see our initiative begin to bear fruit with a project that looks to the near future by placing our trust in young people. We are delighted to be able to count on three prestigious universities in setting out on this shared journey of growth, both for Terna and for the young people gathered here today. We need people who know how to handle the transition and who are capable of recognising the needs of a sector readying itself for radical changes, in which the process of gradual decarbonisation will be one of the key elements", declared Valentina Bosetti, Chairwoman of Terna.

"The Tyrrhenian Lab is a sustainable project, which will boost the entire electricity system and bring added value to the South of Italy. At their fullest, at least 200 people will work in the campuses of the Tyrrhenian Lab, with a further 1,000 professionals indirectly involved", announced Stefano Donnarumma, CEO of Terna. "With the opening of this important training centre of excellence, Terna is reaffirming its commitment to developing the highly specialised skills which will help the system to shift gears while following what we believe to be the fundamental necessities: bold investments in renewables, networks, and the storage of electrical energy".

In just two months, between 18 July and 18 September, and despite the summer holidays, no fewer than 170 applications were received. Of these, 45% were for Cagliari, 31% for Salerno and 24% for Palermo. Women were well represented among the total applications received, making up around 21%, higher than the average proportion for engineering faculties.

Energy Engineering was the most common degree among candidates (23%), followed by Electrical and Mechanical Engineering. Finally, the Tyrrhenian Lab even attracted the attention of students from universities other than the three directly involved: in fact, applications were also received from graduates of the Federico II University in Naples, the Politecnico di Torino and La Sapienza in Rome.