Riccardo Mereu Speaker at the Third INAET Conference in Abidjan: Education and Skills at the Heart of the Energy Transition
The Department of Energy faculty member participated in the panel on education, knowledge, and capacity building, presenting Politecnico di Milano’s experience in training programs and international cooperation initiatives for sustainable energy.
Among the event’s speakers was Riccardo Mereu, Associate Professor at the Department of Energy and Co-Holder of the UNESCO Chair in Energy for Sustainable Development. He contributed to the panel “Empowering the Transition: Education, Knowledge, and Capacity-Building”, which focused on the role of education, knowledge dissemination, and skills development in supporting energy transition pathways.
The panel brought together representatives from academia, public institutions, and industry to discuss how investment in human capital and the strengthening of local technical and scientific capacities are essential prerequisites for building sustainable, resilient, and inclusive energy systems.
During his presentation, Mereu shared Politecnico di Milano’s experience in international education programs, capacity-building activities, and scientific cooperation initiatives developed over recent years with numerous African partners. These included projects carried out within the framework of the H2020 Long-Term Europe–Africa Partnership for Renewable Energy (LEAP-RE), the PNRR-funded SHARE_Africa project, and the activities promoted by the UNESCO Chair in Energy for Sustainable Development. These initiatives have engaged students, researchers, professionals, and institutions from several countries across the continent.
Participation in the conference reaffirms the Department of Energy’s commitment to contributing to the development of the skills and expertise needed to address the challenges of the global energy transition. It also highlights the Department’s dedication to fostering international collaborations capable of generating tangible local impacts and promoting equitable and sustainable access to energy.
“Energy transition is not only about technologies and investments. Above all, it requires skills, knowledge, and the ability to develop solutions tailored to local contexts, while strengthening the knowledge chain at all levels. Sharing experiences and building educational pathways with African universities, institutions, and professionals means helping to create the conditions for a sustainable and lasting transition.”
