On October 31, at the Mapei Auditorium in Milan, Matteo Maestri, professor at the Department of Energy of the Politecnico di Milano, received the “Giorgio Squinzi” Medal awarded by the Italian Chemical Society (SCI) – Division of Industrial Chemistry, in memory of the entrepreneur Giorgio Squinzi, who passed away in 2019.
The award recognizes scholars who stand out for excellence in scientific research and for their contribution to innovation in the field of chemistry and materials.

The medal was presented to Prof. Maestri for his innovative contributions to the understanding of heterogeneous catalysis, through the development of kinetic and multiscale methodologies that integrate experimental and theoretical analyses, bridging the gap between the molecular and reactor scales. His work has led to the creation of advanced numerical tools for the simulation of catalytic reactors and to the establishment of a spin-off of the Politecnico di Milano, which translates research results into practical applications, fostering industrial innovation.

“Receiving the Giorgio Squinzi Medal is a great honor for me,” commented Matteo Maestri. “I am deeply grateful to all the collaborators and students with whom I have shared this scientific journey at the Laboratory of Catalysis and Catalytic Processes (LCCP) of the Department of Energy of the Politecnico di Milano. Their creativity and collaboration have been essential to every achievement. A special thought goes to Mapei, for the inspiring legacy of Giorgio Squinzi. In the introduction to the lecture I gave today during the award ceremony, I was inspired by his vision, which encouraged expanding boundaries and promoting cross-disciplinary contamination — a message that is increasingly relevant to how true innovation is born.”