From June 22 to 26, the Department of Energy at Politecnico di Milano contributed to the first edition of the Industrial Engineering Summer School @OFF CAMPUS, an initiative promoted by Politecnico di Milano to introduce high school students to STEM disciplines, with a particular focus on industrial engineering.

The Summer School was made possible through the collaboration between the Off Campus program and the four Politecnico di Milano departments involved in the initiative: the Department of Energy, the Department of Mechanical Engineering, the Department of Aerospace Science and Technology, and the Department of Chemistry, Materials and Chemical Engineering “Giulio Natta”. Through lectures, hands-on activities, and visits to the University’s laboratories, the program provided participants with a multidisciplinary experience, offering a close-up look at engineering research and its real-world applications.

The Department of Energy Explores the Challenges of the Energy Transition

The Department of Energy focused its contribution on the key challenges of the energy transition, providing students with the knowledge needed to understand the role of engineering in developing sustainable solutions.

Following an introductory lecture by Francesco Grimaccia on the central role of energy as a fundamental and cross-cutting element of all engineering disciplines, Abdullah Bamoshmoosh explored the topic of climate change and low-impact energy production systems in his lecture Climate Change and Us: New Low-Impact Energy Production Systems. Nicolò Stevanato addressed the issue of universal access to energy in his talk Energy Accessible to All, while Adriana Angelotti presented strategies for designing high-energy-performance buildings in her lecture Towards Zero-Emission Buildings.

From the Classroom to the Laboratories

The final day of the Summer School took place across the Bovisa and Leonardo campuses of Politecnico di Milano, where participants visited some of the University’s main experimental facilities. Among them was the Micro- and Nanostructured Materials Laboratory (NanoLab), with the visit coordinated by Davide Orecchia. Students had the opportunity to discover ongoing research on advanced materials and nanotechnologies and to learn how these contribute to the development of innovative technologies across a wide range of applications, including the energy sector.

Guiding Students Through Research

The Department of Energy’s participation in the Industrial Engineering Summer School @OFF CAMPUS provided another valuable opportunity to bring students closer to research, laboratories, and the expertise developed in energy engineering. By offering direct exposure to scientific research and engineering practice, the initiative supports students in making informed decisions about their future academic paths while promoting scientific awareness of the energy transition and sustainable development.