On the tables of Eni’s company restaurants in San Donato Milanese, from now on, the salads with rocket, radishes, leeks, red cabbage but also basil and other aromas, come directly from the new (and innovative) aeroponic greenhouse that is a stone’s throw from the company. It is the first time that this technology is used in Italy in the context of collective catering. But it’s just the beginning.
It was Eni himself who announced the start of the new project that combines technology, innovation and corporate welfare through the construction of an aeroponic greenhouse dedicated to the cultivation of salads and micro-vegetables at the Eni research center in Bolgiano. The Center, inaugurated in 1985, has become a scientific avant -garde pole dedicated to technologies for the use of natural resources, wind, for the development of new industrial processes and for the formulation of products aimed at sustainable mobility, for research on environmental issues. In the center, more than 300 people work directly involved in R&D activities, and more than 100,000 analysis are carried out every year.
What is the Aeroponica greenhouse
The initiative, characterized by a high level of automation and the possibility of remote management, is intended to supply Eni’s company restaurants in San Donato Milanese, with the aim of promoting a responsible use of resources and supporting production models based on efficiency, innovation and social responsibility. Aeroponic technology is an innovative cultivation system outside the ground, based on dosed and direct nebulization of water and nutrients on the roots of the plants. This method, as they explain in a note from Eni, guarantees optimal hydration, nutrition and oxygenation, promoting the development of crops efficiently and sustainablely. Thus, thanks to this system, it is possible to drastically reduce the consumption of natural resources: up to 98% less water and a limited use of fertilizers compared to traditional agriculture, and also the elimination of the use of soil.
Made last spring, the system is the result of the collaboration with Dussmann (Manager of Catering Services in SDM) and Agolitur®, an innovative startup owner of the technological patents adopted, engaged in the development of low environmental and high social value solutions. Particular attention has also been reserved for sustainability in the construction phase, through the use of recovered and recycled materials.
Attention to the environment and people
In fact, the project is part of the actions promoted by Eni starting from the territory of San Donato Milanese to encourage virtuous practices in the environmental field, through the adoption of advanced technologies, and at the same time investing in the well -being of their people. The greenhouse is located near the corporate kitchens, thus guaranteeing a very short chain for the production and direct consumption of salads, micro-vegetables (including rocket, radishes, leeks, red cabbage) and aromatic plants such as basil. The result is a very fresh product, without residue, without packaging and with a very small environmental impact. “With a view to further enhancement, they still explain – any production surpluses will soon be made available to employees, who will be able to buy them for domestic consumption”.
But the initiative is not limited to the company. Thanks to the collaboration with the Municipality of San Donato Milanese, the greenhouse will also be a space open to the territory and to schools with the aim of spreading the culture of sustainability, innovation and social responsibility. “With this new realization, Eni – they explain – confirms their commitment to creating a sustainable ecosystem, integrating technology and welfare in a business vision that looks to the future”.
Research in Eni
Eni with its 7 research centers in Italy, more than a thousand researchers and a portfolio of over 10,000 intellectual ownership titles is a company with a strong technological content. “At the basis of the transformation path – explain in Eni – there is technological innovation that represents a driver to achieve the short, medium and long -term goals in Eni’s decarbonization strategy”. Therefore, the research activities “embrace and vertically integrate the entire value chain, based on the following pillars: decarbonisation of the processes; circular and organic products; New, renewable energy and energy storage; Operating excellence “. Technological innovation is made thanks to the synergy between internal research, advanced engineering skills, digital skills and tools and constant interaction with business. The projects and innovation skills are enriched with collaborations with universities and research centers and through Open Innovation activities. In its own activities R&D Eni applies the principle of technological neutrality: there is no single solution to create the energy transition, but it is necessary to have a technological mix adaptable to different applications and needs.