RESTART Concludes with a Final Plenary Event in Rome: The Department of Energy’s Contribution to Renewable-Powered Telecom Networks
Through the R4R (Renewables for Resilience) project, coordinated in Milan by Prof. Francesco Grimaccia, the Department of Energy has worked on integrating renewable power systems and intelligent algorithms to enhance the sustainability and resilience of communication access infrastructures.
From 19 to 21 January 2026, Rome hosted the final event of the RESTART Programme, “Shaping Horizons in Future Telecommunications”, dedicated to presenting the outcomes of three years of research and innovation in the telecommunications sector. The RESTART Programme—funded by the European Union’s NextGenerationEU under Italy’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR)—has supported research and technology transfer activities nationwide, with a total investment of approximately €116 million.
Within the event’s demo area, the results of R4R – Renewables for Resilience were also showcased. The project focuses on integrating renewable energy supply systems into communication access infrastructures to simultaneously increase network sustainability and resilience. R4R operates within Spoke 3 – Wireless Networks and Technologies of the RESTART Programme.
The Department of Energy at Politecnico di Milano contributed to the project through its Milan-based unit, coordinated by Prof. Francesco Grimaccia, together with Prof. Sonia Leva and researcher Ana Cabrera Tobar. Their work highlights the strategic interface between energy and digital infrastructures: distributed power generation from renewable sources combined with energy storage, optimization through intelligent algorithms, and enhanced ability to respond to stress and disruptions—including scenarios exacerbated by climate change.
“With R4R, we have once again demonstrated that energy and telecommunications cannot be treated as mere ‘commodities’; on the contrary, they are true critical infrastructures. Integrating distributed renewables and intelligent algorithms into access network infrastructures means designing communication systems that are both more sustainable and more resilient, delivering tangible benefits for essential services, security, the environment, and competitiveness.”
Discussions during the final event reaffirmed the central role of telecommunications in European economic competitiveness and technological autonomy. Among the contributions presented was a technology foresight study developed with the Digital Innovation Observatories of Politecnico di Milano, proposing an ecosystem model and quantifying the European telecommunications market (estimated at €1,142 billion in 2024) as well as expected growth rates.
In addition, within the RESTART Programme, Prof. Antonio Capone (DEIB, Politecnico di Milano) holds a leading position in the programme’s governance as National Scientific Coordinator.
RESTART website: https://fondazione-restart.it/
