Eni Award, our energy science award

Technological innovation to foster the development of a sustainable and resilient nature within a continuously changing climate scenario, through the enhancement of nature-based solutions, and the preservation and restoration of natural capital, in order to accelerate the transition towards circular economy, bio-economy and environmentally sustainable business models, accordingly with the “One Health - Planetary Health” perspective. 

Holger Braunschweig

Waste and toxicity avoidance through transition-metal-free direct nitrogen functionalization using light elements

Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg (Germany)  

Technological innovation aimed at reducing carbon footprint during the transition towards an environmentally neutral energy production system through improving energy efficiency in transport and industrial processes and promoting the use of sustainable (including from an economic viewpoint) technologies; for capturing, using and storing carbon dioxide (CCUS), together with increased energy efficiency, as a bridge to decarbonization of the energy system.

Marc Fontecave  

Utilization of CO₂ and CO: catalysts and devices for production of hydrocarbons and alcohols

College de France (France)

Technological innovation in the field of renewable energy and related energy management and storage technologies, in the context of decarbonizing energy systems.

Nam-Gyu Park

Discovery of practical solid-state perovskite solar cells

Sungkyunkwan University (South Korea)

Two awards for graduates with PhD theses from Italian universities on these themes: development of a sustainable and resilient nature within a continuously changing climate scenario, through the enhancement of nature-based solutions, and the preservation and restoration of natural capital, in order to accelerate the transition towards circular economy, bio-economy and environmentally sustainable business models, accordingly with the “One Health - Planetary Health” perspective; renewable energies and energy storage; new technologies for H2 production (blue, green and turquoise hydrogen); capturing, using and storing carbon (CCUS), and energy efficiency as a bridge to decarbonization of the energy system.

Stefano Toso

One, two, many nanocrystals: characterizing lead halide nanostructures from single particle to bulk

Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore

Elvira Spatolisano

Novel technologies for H₂S valorization

Politecnico di Milano

Four awards to go to graduates from African countries for a degree or master’s thesis carried out in an African university on these themes: development of a sustainable and resilient nature within a continuously changing climate scenario, through the enhancement of nature-based solutions, and the preservation and restoration of natural capital, in order to accelerate the transition towards circular economy, bio-economy and environmentally sustainable business models, accordingly with the “One Health - Planetary Health” perspective; renewable energies and energy storage; new technologies for H2 production (blue, green and turquoise hydrogen); capturing, using and storing carbon (CCUS), and energy efficiency as a bridge to decarbonization of the energy system. This category was created in 2017 on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the award.

Favour Agbjaor

Appraisal and optimization of energy efficient green buildings in South Africa

Durban University of Technology (South Africa)

Petra Kienyiy Chui

Spatial and seasonal variation of microplastics and water quality in surface water of river Njoro and Lake Nakuru ecosystems, Kenya

Egerton University (Kenya)

Lakhdar Hamidatou

Photovoltaic cell cooling kits

Ecole Nationale Polytechnique de Constantine  (Algeria)

Nomthandazo Precious Sibiya

Treatment of industrial effluent using specialized, magnetized coagulants

Durban University of Technology (South Africa)

Three awards for ideas with the greatest potential for impact in terms of the innovation they could generate and for the best technological innovations resulting from Eni research.

Developed a process for the production of bio-oil from lignin (patent)

Cristina Bonanomi, Rino Bonetti, Silvia Pavoni (Eni), Davide Moscatelli, Edoardo Terreni (PoliMI)

“BioSlurry”, an innovative one-pot process to convert highly contaminated bio feedstocks into valuable products

Riccardo Borgomaneri, Luigi Colombo, Francesca Galimberti, Samuele Gori, Alberto Landoni, Nicoletta Panariti, Rita Ponzo (Eni)

Eni TES, a solution for thermal energy storage

Mirko Barbavara, Gabriele Bianchi, Stefano Cardamone, Lino Carnelli, Davide Deriu, Carla Lazzari, Nicola Mancini, Tamara Passera, Giuseppe Sabetta (Eni)

We also continue to promote the development of an ecosystem of sustainable innovation aligned with Eni’s mission through the Eni Joule for Entrepreneurship award, a prize we have established through Joule our business school, which complements the Eni Award in fostering the implementation, enhancement and transfer of technologies in the field of energy transition. The award aims to promote innovative and sustainable entrepreneurship in the field of decarbonization of processes and products, circular economy, and the fight against climate change, in order to contribute to Italy's social and economic development. 

The special mention “Eni Joule for Entrepreneurship” was awarded to the teams:

HBI - Human Bio Innovation

Founded in 2016 by Daniele Basso, HBI aims to develop innovative technology capable of recovering water, producing renewable energy, and valorizing nutrients (including some Critical Raw Materials) as fertilisers. The current management of sludge through incineration or landfill is neither circular nor sustainable, as it fails to recover these important resources. After several years of R&D and patenting, financially supported by the Autonomous Province of Bolzano (Italy), HBI launched its first demonstration plant in 2021, proving to reduce commonly produced waste by over 90%. The plant was then relocated to Fusina (Venice) in January 2022. 2024 is officially the go-to-market year for HBI. 

SLY

SLY was founded in 2023, with its main operational headquarters in Santa Caterina dello Ionio, in the province of Catanzaro, Italy. It has developed an innovative platform for the early identification of air quality variations caused by atmospheric pollutants, with a particular focus on detecting wildfires and leaks of super-pollutant gases such as methane and SF6. SLY’s solution combines advanced hardware and intelligent software to continuously and proactively monitor changes in air quality. The technology offers significant value by enabling rapid intervention in emergencies, reducing environmental damage, operational costs, and public health risks.

RarEarth

Founded in 2023 in Milan, RarEarth is a startup with the mission of revolutionising the recycling of rare earth elements by developing a new generation of neodymium-iron-boron (NdFeB) magnets made from recycled materials. These magnets, essential for electric vehicle motors, wind turbines, and consumer electronics, account for approximately 30% of the global rare earth elements market. RarEarth addresses this issue through innovative technology that recycles rare earth magnets from end-of-life products, including electric vehicles, wind turbines, compressors, and consumer electronics. The RarEarth team includes Enrico Pizzi (CEO), an environmental engineer; Gianluca Torta (CTO), an industrial chemist and one of Europe’s leading experts in rare earths; Davide Luzzi, a mechanical designer; and Jacopo Neri, CFO. With its sustainable and economically advantageous approach, RarEarth is poised to lead the European market in rare earth recycling, contributing to the ecological and digital transition while reducing European dependence on the import of critical materials.