Energy, Markets, Transition: Bocconi inaugurates the Enel Foundation Chair in Competitiveness and Transition
What does it mean to build energy markets capable of supporting the ecological transition without compromising competitiveness? This will be the question at the heart of the inaugural lecture with which, on Monday, November 24, the Enel Foundation Chair in Competitiveness and Transition will be inaugurated at Bocconi, entrusted to Francesco Decarolis, full professor of Economics.
In his speech, entitled “Beyond Prices: Aligning Energy Markets with the Goals of the Transition,” Decarolis will reflect on how markets can be reimagined to guide the transformation of the European energy system, linking individual incentives and collective goals. “The energy transition is not just a technological or environmental issue,” Decarolis anticipates, “but a matter of market design: it is about understanding how rules and incentives can promote innovation, efficiency, and sustainability at the same time.”
The lecture will mark the official launch of the chair, created through a partnership between the Enel Foundation and Bocconi University, with the aim of studying and interpreting the dynamics of competitiveness and energy transition at a global level, exploring the interaction between public regulation and private enterprise strategies.
“The establishment of this chair confirms Bocconi’s commitment to promoting cutting-edge research on issues crucial to the future of Italy and Europe,” emphasizes Rector Francesco Billari. “Competitiveness, sustainability, and innovation are the three dimensions that guide our academic and institutional choices today.”
In addition to the keynote speech by Katheline Schubert (Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne) on “The Macroeconomic Implications of the New Energy Order,” the event program includes a conversation with Laura Cozzi, Director of the Sustainability, Technology and Outlooks Division of the International Energy Agency and Chair of the Scientific Committee of the Enel Foundation, moderated by Miriam Allena, Director of Bocconi’s Master’s in Transformative Sustainability. The conclusions will be presented by Andrea Sironi, president of Bocconi.
With the Enel Foundation Chair in Competitiveness and Transition, Enel Foundation and Bocconi are taking a significant step towards consolidating their role as a point of reference in the international debate on the rules and economic models of the energy transition. In the coming years, the chair will develop research and dissemination activities on the topics of electricity market architecture, investments in clean technologies, and competition in regulated sectors — helping to outline a new balance between competitiveness, sustainability, and innovation.
