Highlighting the role of women in shaping a fairer, more efficient and sustainable mobility system—while also encouraging younger generations, especially girls, to pursue STEM subjects—was at the heart of the “Women and Sustainable Mobility: Equality, Innovation and Opportunity” workshop, which was held with great success on Monday, October 6th, in the “Attilio Alto” Auditorium of the Polytechnic University of Bari. The event saw the participation of over 350 attendees, mostly high school students from Bari and its province.
The initiative, organized within the CO-SMART project (Communicating Sustainability: innovations in Material Recycling and new production Technologies for the automotive sector), is part of the activities promoted by the National Centre for Sustainable Mobility (CN MOST), and funded by the Ministry of University and Research (MUR) under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP) – Mission 4, Component 2, Investment 1.4.
Especially noteworthy was the strong presence of students from the Cartesio High School in Triggiano, ITT Vivante of Bari, IISS Gorjux-Tridente-Vivante of Bari, IISS Federico II di Svevia of Altamura, ITT Elena di Savoia of Bari, Galileo Galilei of Bitonto, and ITS Lenoci-Euclide of Bari, who actively and enthusiastically engaged in the various sessions of the workshop.
After the institutional greetings by Prof. Umberto Fratino, Rector of the Polytechnic University of Bari, Dr. Debora Ciliento, Regional Councillor for Transport and Sustainable Mobility, and Prof. Michele Ottomanelli, Chair of the CN MOST Spoke Coordination Committee, the workshop offered a wide-ranging and in-depth overview on the themes of sustainable mobility and gender inclusion.
Among the most well-received contributions were those of Engineer Carmela Iadaresta, who explored the region’s strategies for smart public transport, and Engineer Irene Di Tria, who illustrated infrastructure investments related to the 2021–2027 programming period and the NRRP. Dr. Antonella Comes, CEO of Pikyrent, shared her entrepreneurial journey in the car-sharing sector, while Prof. Nadia Giuffrida presented the academic offerings of the Polytechnic in Sustainable Mobility Engineering.
The second part of the morning was dedicated to innovative research developed within the CO-SMART project. Prof. Maurizia Seggiani from the University of Pisa showcased new recycling technologies for the automotive industry. Prof. Maria Michela Dell’Anna, PhD student Alessia Iennaco, Dr. Ester D’Accardi, PhD student Francesca Derobertis and research fellow Maria Stella Leone presented a series of experimental studies, ranging from biofuels derived from used cooking oil to the production of polyurethane foams and innovative fuels from electronic waste and cigarette filters.
The workshop—coordinated by Prof. Maria Michela Dell’Anna, Dr. Ester D’Accardi and Dr. Angela Cusanno—was a dynamic and inspiring moment of dialogue between academia, institutions, businesses, and schools, clearly demonstrating that the sustainable mobility of the future must include the full participation of women and recognize the value of their talent.
