Press Release

A strategic three-year agreement was signed today in Rome, at Acea’s headquarters, between a.Quantum, a company of the Group dedicated to the development of innovative solutions for the unregulated market and the Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), a centre of excellence in scientific research and technology. This signing officially marks the launch of the Robotic Joint Lab, a joint laboratory dedicated to the design and development of advanced robotic solutions for the construction, management, and maintenance of industrial infrastructure in the water, energy, and environmental sectors.

The initiative, the first of its kind in Italy, represents a significant step forward towards increasingly innovative infrastructure management and fits into the implementation plan of the Acea Group’s strategies oriented towards sustainability and smart infrastructure, as outlined in the 2024-2028 Strategic Plan “Green Diligent Growth”.

Within the Robotic Joint Lab, researchers from the Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia and Acea specialists will work side by side to develop robotic technologies and solutions aimed at improving the efficiency, resilience, safety, and sustainability of infrastructure. The joint laboratory will be created by combining IIT’s facilities in Genoa with those of Acea in Rome. The design and prototyping of robots and technologies will mainly take place at IIT’s laboratories – particularly at the Centre for Intelligence Systems and the Centre for Joint Industrial Research, both based in Genoa – while the Rome site will be housed in a building designed for industrial use, provided by the Group, which has undergone architectural and functional redevelopment to foster collaboration between research and business. The building will feature two  main areas: one dedicated to joint planning, where researchers and technicians will co-design solutions in a stimulating and flexible environment, and a second area devoted to prototype testing and the final development of beta versions of robotic solutions, with a view to their market launch. In line with the concept of an open and modular innovation-focused laboratory, Acea will also make its plants and infrastructure available for field testing of the developed solutions.

The agreement signed today, the first to be promoted by a utility, marks an important step forward in the collaboration between industry and research, bringing together multidisciplinary expertise to address the challenges of ecological transition, infrastructure digitalization, and the growing complexity of network and plant management with innovative capabilities. This project consolidates Acea’s role as a key player in industrial innovation serving local regions and communities.

“With this agreement,” said Enrico Resmini, CEO of a.Quantum, “we reaffirm our future-oriented vision and our ability to play a leading role in the technological transition. In addition, we contribute to strengthening the Acea Group’s position in the field of robotic innovation. The solutions developed within this joint laboratory will help make infrastructures increasingly resilient, smart, and sustainable.”

“This joint laboratory,” stated Giorgio Metta, Scientific Director of the Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, “perfectly represents the kind of initiative we want to promote: research and business working side by side to transform advanced knowledge into concrete solutions. Within the Robotic Joint Lab, we will develop robotic systems, artificial intelligence, and advanced sensors capable of supporting management even in critical and complex contexts involving strategic infrastructure, such as water and energy networks. The collaboration with Acea puts our expertise at the service of modernizing industrial infrastructure and strengthens the role of the Institute as a driver of technological innovation for the national industrial fabric”.