Lectio Magistralis, Spring 2016 Term Opening Ceremony

GLOBALIZATION PROGRAM

Thursday, 18 February 2016
at 4pm, Aula Magna

Opening Remarks
Amb. Umberto Vattani
President
Prof. Agar Brugiavini
Dean

Lectio Magistralis by Honored Guests

Dr. Andrea Valcalda, Head of Sustainability, Enel SpA

Professor Piero Martin, Università degli Studi di Padova

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Lectio Magistralis
Leading the energy transition: integrating sustainability into a “progressive” business model

Dr. Andrea Valcalda, Head of Sustainability, Enel SpA 

There is a transition in place in the energy sector, driven by fast changes in technology and customers’ needs. The model of producing and distributing electricity lasted more or less the same for the past 50 years, while today many forces are “disrupting” the traditional power sector.
The “utility dilemma” is: how are today’s utilities evolving to remain competitive? Can they adapt fast enough?
Sustainability and innovation are at the heart of this transition. Both are key elements affecting the scenario, but also giving opportunities to more “progressive” companies for the redefinition of their business model, strategies and operations.

Andrea Valcalda (Genoa, 1965), graduated in H.B.Econ., is Head of Sustainability at Enel SpA where he has been working since 1996.

Dr. Valcalda held various positions in the corporate headquarters, from assistant to the President of the company, to member of the Planning and Control Department. After a year as Chief of Staff to the CEO, he was named in 2008 Vice President for Innovation and Environment, where he was responsible for defining the company’s technological roadmap and drawing up the Group’s innovation plan. Since 2013 he has been Head of Environmental Policies and Climate Change until his appointment as Head of ENEL’s Sustainability Department in 2014.

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Lectio Magistralis
Fusion: Energy for tomorrow, opportunities for today

Professor Piero Martin, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Università degli Studi di Padova

Bringing to earth fusion, the process that powers the sun and the stars, and harnessing it as a sustainable and clean energy source is one of the main scientific  and technological challenges of the mankind. Fusion is a global effort, and scientists from the world over are working on it. Present experiments are facing this concern at its core, thanks also to the "ITER", the largest fusion device ever built. Italy has a tradition of excellence in this field of research, and is giving key contributions on fusion physics and engineering.
This lecture will review the role of fusion for a sustainable future and discuss on the present status and goals of the international  research. We will also show that, in addition to its long term goal as player in the global energy arena, fusion is a big opportunity for technology development and industrial growth.

Prof. Piero Martin, physicist, is professor at the Physics and Astronomy Department of the University of Padova and Fellow of the American Physical Society. His research activity deals with plasma physics and controlled thermonuclear fusion. He is a member of the “Ateneo Veneto di Scienze, Lettere ed Arti” and of the European Physical Society.
Since 2014 Prof. Martin is  Leader of the “Medium Size Tokamak Campaigns” Task Force of the European Research Consortium “Eurofusion” (Germany). Between 2007 and 2013 he has been the scientific director of the RFX-mod experiment (Padova), a research project on controlled thermonuclear fusion as a clean, renewable and broadly available energy source, operated in the framework of the Euratom-ENEA association. He chairs the “MHD, Disruptions & Control Topical Group” of the International Tokamak Physics Activity (ITPA), which provides a framework for internationally coordinated fusion research activities.