Federico Testa leaves. He signed the resignation letter with which he communicates to the Minister of Ecological Transition Roberto Cingolani that "for personal reasons" he cannot continue his role as president of theAeneas,Agency national for new technologies, energy and sustainable economic development. The news took the insiders and staff of the institution by surprise which Testa has completely revolutionized in recent years, accrediting it as an international-level research center on many crucial issues of the energy and ecological transition and above all as a point of reference for the transfer of technologies to companies.
"Unfortunately - writes Testa - personal problems prevent me from continuing to guarantee the level of commitment that I have had over the years and I am convinced that, in a moment like this, absolute dedication is a must, especially in operational roles, to face the challenges we face".
“Never before has ENEA acquired a central role on the issues of sustainability, energy, research, and the 'merit' of all this – underlines Testa – can only be ascribed to all those colleagues who every day, with their tireless commitment, they bring prestige to our agency”.
“I believe that in recent years we have worked hard to improve ENEA's relations with its stakeholders, multiplying program agreements, research orders and the possibilities for dialogue. I believe that – concludes Testa – this is the path on which to insist: centers of excellence and research certainly, but open and permeable to the needs of the society that surrounds us, to strengthen a role that is undoubtedly recognized today”.
This opens a delicate dossier for Prime Minister Mario Draghi for the appointment of the successor to the top of ENEA. Federico Testa, former parliamentarian and energy manager for the Democratic Party, is full professor of Economics and Business Management at the University of Verona. He arrived at Enea in August 2014 as Commissioner of an institution in great pain, when Matteo Renzi was at Palazzo Chigi. He became its president in 2016 with Paolo Gentiloni and was confirmed in the role last year with Giuseppe Conte in his second term at Palazzo Chigi. Under his leadership, the Agency was relaunched and refocused on four main areas of interest: nuclear fusion, sustainability of production and territorial systems, energy efficiency, energy technologies and renewable sources. But above all his presidency was characterized by a clear direction of strengthening the transfer of innovation to companies, for which – recall his closest collaborators – a special structure was created, a patent database and the Atlas of innovation as well as the Knowledge Exchange Program. The agreements signed with important groups such as Eni, Maire Technimont, Enel Green Power, Confindustria, ACEA, Terna, Confcommercio, Novamont, Versalis, to name a few, are clear evidence of this. 400 recruitments have also arrived to rejuvenate the structure of researchers. And 47 new contracts with the European Commission.
Today Enea participates with its Frascati center in the DTT Project on nuclear fusion (600 million investment under construction in partnership with ENI and important Italian universities); is committed to the circular economy and has long been the point of reference for energy efficiency and more recently for the Superbonus 110%. It was Testa himself who conceived the assignment of credit for the "coats" in condominiums.
In the letter that Testa wrote to the employees, in addition to the thanks "to all those colleagues who every day, with their tireless commitment, bring prestige to our Agency", however, a regret leaks out which reveals the growing effort to carry forward the renewal of Aeneas. Testa writes: "Personally (but I am aware there are different, absolutely legitimate ideas) I believe it would be a mistake to take steps backwards, dreaming of returning to an institution dedicated only to research and not also to its transfer and services, where today the same Universities they are discovering the importance of the third mission”. The reference is clear and is al Sostegni decree recently approved on May 25 with which the Enea Tech Foundation, born with a dowry of 500 million to promote «initiatives and investments useful for the valorisation and use of research results in companies operating on the national territory» has been transformed, by specific will of the Minister of Development Giancarlo Giorgetti, in Enea Biomedical Tech Foundation. Not only the name but also its task changes: it will have to enhance research into the production of new drugs and vaccines and carry out industrial conversion programs in the medical sector. The endowment drops to 200 million, nothing is known about how the remaining 300 million will be used.
Not to mention the new Joint Cooperation Agreement (JCA), a new collaboration with Eni on 6 decarbonization projects. The signing had been announced for June 3 with the presence of Testa for Enea, Claudio Descalzi and Lucia Calvosa (CEO and president of Eni, respectively) but the invitation was suddenly canceled without an explanation.
