Eni Award 2025: Global Leaders in Energy Innovation Honoured

The President of the Italian Republic, Sergio Mattarella, at the Eni Award 2025 ceremony held at the Quirinale Palace

ROME - The Eni Award 2025 ceremony took place on Wednesday, 8 October 2025, in the presence of the President of the Republic, celebrating the world’s finest researchers in the fields of energy and the environment. The special "Eni Joule for Entrepreneurship" mention was also conferred to reward the most innovative and sustainable business ideas. The ceremony was held today at the Quirinale Palace, attended by President Sergio Mattarella, the Chairman of Eni, Giuseppe Zafarana, and the CEO of Eni, Claudio Descalzi. Now in its seventeenth year, the award is considered an international benchmark for research in energy and environmental sectors. It highlights the vital importance of scientific research and technological innovation for Eni, reflecting its commitment to sustainability and energy access in line with the United Nations' 17 Sustainable Development Goals.

A Global Benchmark for Scientific Excellence

Since its inception in 2008, the awards have received more than eleven thousand applications. The Scientific Commission, which evaluates the submitted research, comprises scientists from the world’s most advanced research institutions and has included six Nobel Prize winners over the years.

Breakthroughs in Energy Transition and Battery Longevity The Energy Transition award, one of the three primary honours focusing on innovations for decarbonising the current energy system, was presented to Jeff Dahn of Dalhousie University (Canada). Professor Dahn was recognised for his pioneering studies in energy storage, which led to the development of lithium-ion and sodium-ion batteries designed to last over 50 years. Using sustainable materials and high energy density, his work includes innovative accelerated testing methods and cell designs suitable for hot climates. These advancements help reduce premature recycling, encourage reuse, and accelerate the electrification of global transport. 

Revolutionising Renewable Energy Frontiers

The Energy Frontiers award, dedicated to research on renewable sources and energy storage, was granted to Professor Lydéric Bocquet of the École Normale Supérieure (France). Professor Bocquet was honoured for his exceptional contributions to a revolutionary technology that makes the collection of osmotic energy effective. Derived from the salinity difference between seawater and freshwater, osmotic energy is a completely renewable, carbon-neutral, non-intermittent source available worldwide.

Environmental Solutions and Climate Mitigation. The Advanced Environmental Solutions award, focused on the protection and sustainable use of natural resources, was awarded to Philippe Ciais of the Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l’Environnement (France). Professor Ciais was recognised for his fundamental contributions to quantifying, understanding, and predicting carbon absorption by terrestrial ecosystems at global, regional, and local scales. His work has profound implications for defining climate change mitigation strategies.

Young Researcher of the Year: Italy's Rising Stars

The Young Researcher of the Year award is aimed at researchers who have completed their PhDs at Italian universities; the two accolades were presented to Maria Basso and Virginia Venezia.

Maria Basso, from the University of Padua, focused her doctoral thesis on key materials to address global challenges related to energy consumption and water scarcity, using an approach with a low environmental impact. 

Innovative Materials and Sustainable Solutions

Among the innovative applications in the field of sustainable energy where materials have been tested are thermochromic smart windows and water harvesters from humid air. Virginia Venezia, from the University of Naples “Federico II”, has contributed to developing innovative strategies for the valorisation of waste biomass into multifunctional materials.

Using sustainable chemistry approaches, she has improved the stability and functionality of waste substances, combining them into technologically advanced hybrid materials suitable for food packaging, environmental protection, and the recovery of noble metals from electronic waste. Her work provides sustainable solutions to environmental challenges within a circular economy framework.

Supporting Young Talents from Africa

The Young Talents from Africa section, established in 2017 for the tenth anniversary of the Eni Award and dedicated to emerging researchers from the African continent, has conferred two awards in this edition. These were presented to Asengo Gerardin Mabia of the Institut National Polytechnique Félix Houphouët-Boigny in the Ivory Coast and Shimaa Farag of the American University in Cairo, Egypt. The winning doctoral students receive a prize to strengthen and enrich their research activities during their PhD courses at their respective universities. The research of Asengo Gerardin Mabia focuses on the valorisation of agricultural and agro-industrial waste in the Ivory Coast, particularly sugar cane molasses and cocoa pod husks, to produce polylactic acid, which is a widely used and easily biodegradable bioplastic. The research of Shimaa Farag aims to provide an innovative, ecological, and economical solution for wastewater treatment in Egypt, with a specific focus on the removal of heavy metals and antibiotics.

Advancing Internal Innovation and Bio-fuels

For the Eni for Innovation section, which selects the most innovative projects developed by Eni researchers and technical experts, several teams were honoured. Michele Gerolin, Tiberio Grasso, Luigi Miozza, and Alberto Moro from EniProgetti, along with Simone Ambrosini and Andrea Vignali from Eni, were recognised for a patented robotic system based on real-time acoustic imaging processing using intelligent vision algorithms for the autonomous detection and characterisation of subsea anomalies. Another award was presented to Antonio Amico, Andrea Amoroso, Corrado Fittavolini, Francesca Guarnieri, Alberto Landoni, Nicoletta Panariti, and Francesco Ricci for an innovative integrated process for bio-petrol production, which offers an estimated reduction in CO2 emissions of between 60% and 80% compared to traditional fossil fuel. Furthermore, Alfonso Amendola, Giammarco Gioco, Mario Primato, Simone Sala, Tommaso Audino, Mario Di Marco, and Emanuele Martelli were awarded for a digital decision-support system designed to evaluate decarbonisation opportunities in complex multi-energy systems.

Eni Joule: Promoting a Sustainable Startup Ecosystem

This year, Eni also awarded the Eni Joule for Entrepreneurship Special Mention through its business school, Joule. This recognition is aimed at teams, university spin-offs, and startups to encourage the application and transfer of technologies while promoting a sustainable innovation ecosystem. Three startups particularly distinguished themselves this year. Exe Engineering for Environment developed a patented hardware and software solution to automate and optimise biogas capture from landfills.

Koalisation Società Benefit operates in the carbon finance sector by implementing high-impact projects based on the social development of indigenous communities and ecosystem regeneration. Finally, Eoliann Società Benefit developed a platform based on predictive algorithms for quantifying physical risks related to climate change, such as floods and droughts, to support data-driven resilience strategies. Currently, the calls for applications for the 2026 edition of the Eni Award are officially open.

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