Barbara Picutti Creative Contest
Archives are a repository of stories:
the “Barbara Picutti Creative Contest” is the right time to tell them!
The theme for 2026 is:
TIES TALES
Following the success of the first two editions, our creative format “Barbara Picutti Creative Contest” is back for 2026! The project born thanks to the inspiration of our colleague Barbara Picutti, “engineer and humanist”, -as she liked to describe herself-, who passed away prematurely in 2023.
Once again this year, the challenge is open to colleagues (active or retired) of the MAIRE group who can draw inspiration from the Group's archival heritage, preserved in the Digital vault (digital historical archive) to write a tale.
In every company, community, or family, what holds people together is not only common goals, but the invisible bonds that are created over time: collaborations, shared challenges, small gestures of trust, resilience, and change.
“TIES TALES” invites you to delve into the Group's archives in search of those hidden or forgotten bonds that have shaped individual and collective stories.
Whether it is a team that has overcome a crisis, a leader who has left their mark, a group that has built something lasting, or an innovative chemical bond that has changed history, each story will be a tribute to how relationships, collaboration, and a sense of belonging have brought people together, generating transformation and progress for the community and for the company.
Because every bond is a story, and every story reminds us of who we have been... and who we can become.
Enjoy your writing!
THE REGULATION
Colleagues who wish to participate in the competition must follow the following rules, under penalty of exclusion:
1. The competition is reserved for employees of MAIRE Group Companies and retired colleagues. Applications from members of the contest jury, employees of MAIRE Group Companies continuously involved in the activities of Fondazione MAIRE – ETS, employees of Fondazione MAIRE – ETS, and members of its Board of Directors will not be accepted.
2. The use of AI for the creation, drafting, or revision of the text is notpermitted. Each tale must be previously unpublished. Any partial exceptions (e.g., quotes) must be declared and will be reviewed by Fondazione MAIRE – ETS.
3. Each tale may have a maximum length of 8,000 characters, including spaces.
4. Each tale can be submitted in Italian or English.
5. Each tale must relate to the theme of the 2026 edition, “TIES TALES”, focusing on the concept of legacy, and be inspired, in any way or to any extent, by materials preserved in the Digital vault (Digital Historical Archive) of the Group.
6. Each tale may focus on one or more materials from the Archive.
7. Each tale must be submitted along with images and/or archival materials used as the subject of the story.
8. Each tale may be structured in paragraphs.
9. Footnotes are not allowed.
10. Only narrative writings (true or fictional) will be accepted. Essays, manuals, historiographic texts, and other forms of writing are not allowed.
11. Each participant may submit only one tale. However, participation in pairs or groups is allowed, with the submission of a single tale.
12. Participants are fully responsible for the tale’s content, including intellectual property rights, usage rights, and compliance with applicable laws regarding confidential or sensitive information.
13. Participants agree to fully transfer the copyright of the submitted tale to Fondazione MAIRE - ETS.
TERMS, CONDITIONS, AND INFORMATION:
The tales, accompanied by images and/or archival materials referenced in the narrative, must be sent via e-mail, in Word and PDF format, to the attention of Francesca Rinaldo at the e-mail address francesca.rinaldo@fondazionemaire.com no later than March 6, 2026.
To browse the digital Vault (the historical digital Archive) of the Group and explore its materials, you must register for the Vault at this link: Login https://groupmaire.archivio.com/console/login. Registration is free of charge.
The tales will be evaluated by a specially appointed jury.
The most compelling tales will be awarded and subsequently highlighted through publication on the internal and external communication channels of Fondazione MAIRE – ETS as well as the MAIRE Group and may also be used by Fondazione MAIRE – ETS for additional external activities (e.g., submitted as entries for contests outside the company).
The authors will be notified of every use of their stories.
For any clarification you can contact Francesca Rinaldo, at the e-mail address francesca.rinaldo@fondazionemaire.com.
For any additional information about the contest visit Fondazione MAIRE – ETS’s website: Barbara Picutti Creative Contest 2026 | Fondazione.
Enjoy your writing!
THE JURY
The jury, chaired by President Fabrizio Di Amato, is composed of:
- Franco Ghiringhelli, MAIRE Group Human Resources, ICT, Organization & Procurement Senior Vice President
- Carlo Nicolais, MAIRE Group Institutional Relations, Communication & Sustainability Vice President
- Gianni Bardazzi, MAIRE Group Risk Management, In-Country Value and Special Initiatives Senior Vice President
- Sergio Paggi, Tecnimont Technology Implementation and Engineering Advisor
- Simona Dolce, MAIRE Group Corporate Affairs, Governance, Ethics & Compliance Vice President
- Maria Selli, MAIRE Group HSE&SA and Project Quality Vice President GROUP HSE&SA AND PROJECT QUALITY VICE PRESIDENT
- Sathiamoorthy Gopalsamy, Tecnimont Engineering & Services Projects Vice President
- Edoardo Disarò, KT Tech Technology Process Engineer
- Ivana Mennella, Tecnimont Proposal & Prequalifications Management Assistant
DISCOVER ALL EDITIONS
To find out more about the project and the pages dedicated to all its editions, scroll down and click below!
“Barbara Picutti Creative Contest” – ed. 2025 Route tales
In the second edition, the challenge will be to browse our digital vault, the Group's Digital History Archive, and be inspired by a project, photo, document or video to write a story on the theme of “travel,” in all its meanings: travel of memory, travel as exploration, business travel or journeys into the future...
“Barbara Picutti Creative Contest” – ed. 2024 Tool tales
In its first edition, the challenge was to write stories, true or fancy, about ancient working tools and historical models found in MAIRE offices. Are you intrigued to read all the tales and experience the award event again?
“Barbara Picutti Creative Contest” – the concept
The “Barbara Picutti Creative Contest” is a creative format dedicated to MAIRE colleagues, named after the memory of colleague Barbara Picutti, an “engineer and humanist” - as she liked to call herself -, who left her imprint. The project enhances the company's history and heritage, testing colleagues' creativity and courage to dare: each year a competition is launched, a call to action to “create” something.
DIGITAL ARCHIVE
This digital vault is an information technology platform where about 20,000 drawings, plans, documents from MAIRE's historical archive have been digitized; it enables efficient and quick consultation of materials by cross-referencing descriptive categories, metadata, vocabulary terms, chronological references and tags.
Register for free and explore the vault!
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