The National Energy Technological Cluster (CTN) is a non-profit association (established on 9 October 2017 with registered office in the Municipality of Rome), chaired by ENEA, which proposes itself as a structure open to the participation of all national stakeholders interested in energy issues, with the aim of creating a single aggregative reality of national significance (community), which is representative of the reference sector in a European and international perspective, as well as a meeting point with institutional bodies, companies and administrations regional and national.
The association was recognized by the Prefecture of Rome on 20 August 2018 with registration in the Register of Legal Persons no. 1303 and with MIUR Directorial Decree n. 466 of 14 March 2019 published in the Gazzetta Ufficiale no. 125 of 30 May 2019, the final recognition by MIUR of CTN Energia took place.
The Energy Cluster currently has 77 distinct members, in accordance with the articles of association, in the following categories: Industry, Public Research Bodies and Universities, and Territorial Representations.
The Board of Directors is chaired by Eng. Gian Piero Celata, President of the Cluster, former director of the Energy Technologies Department of ENEA, while Eng. Claudia Vivalda is the Director of the Technical Secretariat, and Eng. Giorgio Graditi, Director of the Energy Technologies and Renewable Sources Department of ENEA, coordinates the Technical-Scientific Committee.
Dr. Chiara Busto of the ENI Company, is the referent of the Industry Committee, Prof. Alberto Tenconi of the Polytechnic of Turin, is the Referent of the Institutional Research Committee and Eng. Stefano Valentini of the ART-ER Consortium, is the Referent of the Territorial Organisms Committee.
The Energy Cluster, whose technological domain is that of Source-Utilization energy processes, promotes actions aimed at supporting research, development and technology transfer in the Energy Specialization Area, with the aim of combining the demand for innovation in the sector with the offer of innovation coming from the country’s highly qualified research structures to support the achievement of the expected targets, in terms of research planning, from the main international and national strategic agendas (Mission Innovation, SET-Plan, Energy Union Strategy, PNIEC, PNR, Smart Specialization Strategy, Industry 4.0, PNRR, i.e., the Italian Plan for Next Generation EU).
In this context, we want to promote a coordinated and inclusive action, also of industrial subjects with more “competition” difficulties at European and international level (such as SMEs), playing an important role of stimulus and support for the development of projects coordinated by our country, taking care, in particular, the connection and integration between research, innovation and industrial development in the energy sector, in order to increase the success rate and encourage greater concentration on research lines of strategic interest for the national industry , as well as the technological transfer of the results and products of the research itself.
The Cluster therefore aims to research, develop and mature the next generation of innovative technologies, products and services for Energy, in a logic of inclusiveness of all the players operating at various capacities and levels in the energy sector to support the decarbonization process of the economic system and the transition to a new eco-sustainable energy model.
The technological sectors of interest of the Energy Cluster, in line with the provisions of the SET-Plan of the European Commission and the national and international energy agendas, concern renewable sources of energy, energy efficiency and end use, smart grids, with a broader meaning regarding all energy networks and their possible integrations, the sustainable use of fossil fuels associated with decarbonisation processes such as the capture, use and storage of carbon dioxide (CCUS), and those from source renewable (in particular biofuels), the use of carbon-free energy carriers, such as hydrogen, energy storage, sustainable mobility, intended as a contribution to the development of innovative power trains and fuel systems.
In order to support the development of high-potential technological sectors and meet the innovation needs relating to the energy specialization area, a set of priority technological trajectories has been identified, grouped into the following six technological areas:
- Smart networks and micro-networks: technologies, systems and methods of management and control
- Energy storage: technologies and management and control systems
- Innovative devices, technologies and measurement methodologies for Smart grid applications
- Energy efficiency and renewable energy sources
- Smart energy
- Value chain of hydrogen and CCUS
These areas are characterized by a different level of technological maturity, product innovation, patent activity and the presence, in most cases, of an adequate and qualified national production sector, including its related activities, which, supported by targeted policies and strategies to support research and innovation, will be able to strengthen its positioning in the international market for energy devices and systems, facilitating the energy transition towards a low carbon economy.
The technological trajectories, grouped in the specific technological areas mentioned above, concern the activities that can be developed in the short term, in the medium term and those potentially that can be developed.
The Energy Cluster intends to contribute to the definition of the intervention priorities of the National Research Program (PNR) and of the National Research Infrastructure Program (PNIR), of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) within the Specialization Area Energy, directing them towards the enhancement of the competitiveness of the scientific and production system, the virtuous integration of interventions and sources of financing and the identification of a coherent framework without duplication, through which to support economic growth, competitive development, employment and well-being of our country.
The Cluster therefore operates to pursue the lines of action indicated and the related objectives, in order to obtain the following main results:
- activate a structured network of technical-scientific relationships and collaborations between research and higher education operators with the business system, promoting international development and contributing to national competitiveness and economic growth
- strengthen the design, operational and prototype capacity of the country’s applied and industrial research
- consolidate research and technology transfer infrastructures in relation to the needs and expectations of the national production companies in the sector, as well as European and national strategies for competitiveness, innovation and sustainable development
- facilitate the transfer of knowledge and technology in particular to SMEs (basis of the national industrial production)
- promoting and supporting the emergence of new high-tech companies
- encourage the training growth of existing skills and the creation of new professional figures
- strengthen Italy’s role in guiding the future SET-Plan and contribute to the definition of national strategic agendas for research in the Energy sector.