Metaverse tool the first target for newly opened project ROAD

Italian energy company Eni has inaugurated its ROAD project; The first tool it will develop will be a digital twin metaverse to experiment with combining projects and push the project’s goals to develop new supply chains.

The Rome Advanced District (ROAD) project was created by the companies Eni, Acea, Autostrade per l’Italia, Bridgestone, Cisco, Gruppo FS and NextChem (MAIRE).

The project is a technology research center for new energy supply chains and is based at the Gasometer facility site of the Ostiense district of Rome, Italy, with the aim of developing applied industrial research collaborations and academic research.

The first common working tool developed by ROAD will be a metaverse environment, a digital twinthrough which experiments combine projects with future visions to design the best solutions to support urban communities.

Did you read:
Alliander opens an AI laboratory for network digitization
Eni’s €2.2 billion share buyback program and network intelligence for investments

The objectives of the ROAD network will be:

• Development, promotion and acceleration of innovative projects and scientific, industrial and technological research;
• Building supply chain collaborations between the research and development departments of companies, universities, research centers, start-ups and innovative SMEs in the field of energy and digital transition technologies;
• Use the Ostiense facility as a “living laboratory” to experiment with new technologies to support urban communities;
• Attract and train talent to develop new professions.

The network’s areas of activity range from technologies for decarbonisation, circular economy (water and waste management) and energy efficiency and storage to sustainable mobility, smart cities and the promotion of health and safety.

The goals of ROAD also include the development of a model for the energy districts of the future, starting with an analysis of sustainable mobility and characteristics of smart cities.

Did you read:
The Metaverse: What is it and why is it important for the energy sector?

All co-founders of ROAD will be involved in the project according to their respective expertise to develop and accelerate industrial supply chains.

Research and development of new materials, collection methods and material reuse will be at the heart of ROAD’s activities, as well as the study and testing of new materials digital solutions This will pave the way for ever more sustainable mobility.

In addition to research collaborations, ROAD will set up training programs to expand the capabilities of partner companies, encourage internal co-innovation, test integrated mobility solutions (using the Ostiense asset) and set up a joint observatory for the labor market transformation related to these newly developed ones supply chains.

The project is located in the Gasometer in Ostiense, Rome, Italy – a complex of buildings owned by Eni, with a total area of ​​about 13 hectares, currently undergoing rehabilitation and rehabilitation – from the early 20th century.

It currently also houses the Joule Business School, Eni’s new research labs and the ZERO accelerator (part of the CDP National Network dedicated to funding the best clean tech startups).