The skills ecosystem for the energy transition: at Maker Faire Rome to share stories of innovation with MAIRE and the Green Innovation ITS Academy
NEWSThe 13th edition of Maker Faire, the international event dedicated to innovation and promoted by theCamera di Commercio di Roma, took place from October 23 to 25, 2026, at the Gazometro Ostiense. The Fondazione MAIRE – ETS, the MAIRE Group, and the Green Innovation ITS Academy participated with a shared booth to meet with students, families, institutions, and businesses, highlighting their commitment to educating the next generation and building a more sustainable future.
For three days, Maker Faire once again transformed Rome into a meeting place for technology, creativity, research, and innovation. It was the ideal setting to engage in dialogue with students, families, schools, and professionals interested in understanding how the major transformations of our time are changing the way we study, work, and shape the future.
For the fourth consecutive year, the Fondazione MAIRE – ETS participated in the fair, sharing a space with MAIRE dedicated to the themes of sustainability, the energy transition, and the education of the younger generations; joining us this year to round out the picture was the newly established Green Innovation ITS Academy.
The Fondazione MAIRE – ETS presented its educational projects aimed at the younger generation, demonstrating how complex topics such as sustainability, the energy transition, and innovation can be made accessible and can serve as opportunities for the academic and professional futures of today’s students.
MAIRE introduced the Group to the general public, highlighting its activities and the role that engineering, technology, and innovation can play in addressing the challenges of the energy transition. Among the highlights of the exhibition space was the Green Innovation ITS Academy, the first Higher Technological Institute entirely dedicated to the energy transition, created to train the professionals of tomorrow through free two-year post-diploma programs that combine coursework, labs, and hands-on experience in the workplace. In particular, the ITS Academy’s “Energy Transition Specialist” course, set to begin by the end of the year, was presented.
For youngsters, the booth was an opportunity to learn about the MAIRE Group and its foundations, explore their educational offerings in greater depth, and discuss career prospects with industry professionals. Informational materials, publications, and giveaways—along with a refreshing ice cream—were offered to anyone who stopped by to ask for information.
In addition to our presence at the booth, there were several opportunities to engage with attendees during the fair: two workshops on the main stage and a presentation tailored to a specific audience. The first workshop, “Engineering and technology: skills in the service of sustainability”, was aimed primarily at high school students interested in science and technology. Starting with a definition of sustainability and the major contemporary environmental challenges, participants explored real-world examples and innovative solutions applied to industry and technological development through group activities. The second workshop, “How sustainable are you? how your choices make a difference”, drew a larger audience. Through quizzes, interactive activities, and group exercises, participants reflected on their daily habits, exploring topics such as responsible resource consumption, waste reduction, and the circular economy. It was a simple and engaging way to demonstrate how even small, individual choices can help bring about positive change.
Saturday morning was dedicated to the presentation of the Green Innovation ITS Academy and the opportunities offered by its training programs in relation to the job market. The students from the MAIREmpower project also took part in the meeting; after visiting the event’s booths and gathering insights and ideas from the exhibitors, they participated in a discussion on training and career opportunities related to the energy transition and will be required to submit a project work. For them, this year’s fair once again served as one of the mentoring sessions with the Fondazione MAIRE – ETS, as part of Phase III of the currently ongoing project (13 scholarships were assigned).
Over the course of thirteen editions, Maker Faire Rome has attracted more than 895,000 attendees, over 7,000 exhibitors, and more than 8,000 projects, bringing together businesses, institutions, universities, schools, researchers, and innovators from diverse fields in Rome. It is an important opportunity for dialogue to forge connections between the worlds of education, innovation, and business; a perfect showcase to highlight the commitment of MAIRE and its Foundations to building an ecosystem of competences for the implementation of the energy transition.
