International Academy

Green Economy Festival 
Academy Project

“The Sustainability Factories” Tour | 14-16 April 2026
Parma Green Economy Festival | 17-19 April 2026

Next application deadline is: 

Applications are now open for participation in the Academy Project of Green Economy Festival, open to students enrolled in bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral programs at all itaian universities or ITS, scheduled to take place in Parma from 14 to 19 April 2026. 

Promoted by ItalyPost and L’Economia del Corriere della Sera, in collaboration with the Municipality of Parma, the Green Economy Festival represents an extraordinary opportunity to explore and discuss the paths that companies most attentive to sustainability issues, are pursuing.

The Green Economy Festival Academy aims to offer a unique opportunity for meeting, exchange, and training through active participation in the event, which guarantees selected students:

• guided tours in companies that are symbols of sustainability and the green economy (April 14-16, 2026);
• preferential access to major events and conferences in over 10 thematic sections, including: construction and infrastructure, logistics, reuse and recycling, economic and social sustainability, food industry, fashion, research and technology, energy, water, and tourism;
• opportunities to meet and learn from leading figures in sustainability, the green economy, and ecological transition.

The Academy Project

‘THE SUSTAINABILITY FACTORIES’

The first part of the Green Economy Festival (14-16 april 2026) is dedicated to a tour of the most innovative companies in terms of eco-sustainability. The selected candidates will meet entrepreneurs and company specialists through a program of guided tours, workshops, and conferences during which the various scientific, cultural, and technological approaches adopted will be revealed.

Among the companies that have opened their doors to participants of the Green Economy Festival Academy in the past: ABS – Accaierie Bertoli, Amorim Cork Italia, AMB, Autorità di bacino distrettuale del fiume Po, Cielo e Terra Vini, Cereal Docks, Conceria Gi-Elle-Emme, Conceria Montebello, Consorzio Melinda, Dal Maso Group, Davines, Feralpi Group, FITT, Fomet, Gemata, Goglio, Italscania, Irsap, IREN, Lago, Lapi Gelatine, Manteco, Mutti, Medio Chiampo, Metlac, Officine Mario Dorin, Medio Chiampo, Officine di Cartigliano, Piovan, Revet, Rosa dell’Angelo, Sicit, Simonelli Group, Sirmax group, Sofidel Group, Saib, SNAM Sergnano, Verallia Italia, Viacqua, Tfl, Zordan 1965.

 THE GREAT TALKS OF PARMA

The second part of the week (April 17-19, 2026) will focus on the city of Parma and the Green Economy Festival. All the leading national and international experts on the green economy and ecological transition will be present, along with the most important entrepreneurs and journalists in the sector.

Guests of the previous editions have included economist Jeffrey Sachs, David MacMillan, winner of the 2021 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, Andrej Gejm, physicist and winner of the Nobel Prize in Physics, Peter Wadhams, world-renowned glaciologist, Maxine Bédat, founder and director of the New Standard Institute and author of The Dark Side of Fashion, and Henry Sanderson, journalist and author of The Price of Sustainability. Winners and losers in the global race for electric cars, Jan Lundqvist, senior scientific advisor at SIWI-Stockholm International Water Institute, Ermete Realacci, president of Symbola, Maria Chiara Carrozza, president of the National Research Council, Sister Alessandra Smerilli, secretary of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, Bruno Tabacci, former Undersecretary of State to the Council of Ministers, Roberto Cingolani, former Minister for Ecological Transition, Giulio Boccaletti, honorary associate researcher at the Smith School of Enterprise, Oxford University, author of Acqua: una biografia (Water: a biography) (Mondadori, 2021), Alessio Terzi, professor at HEC Paris and Sciences Po, economist at DG ECFIN European Commission, and architects Mario Cucinella and Matteo Thun.

Among the entrepreneurs, we would like to mention Davide Bollati, president of Davines Group, Giuseppe Pasini, president of Feralpi Group, Diego Bolzonello, CEO of SCARPA, Francesco Starace, CEO of Enel, Luigi Lazzareschi, CEO of Sofidel, Gianpiero Calzolari, president of Granarolo, Maria Paola and Alessandro Chiesi, of Chiesi Farmaceutici, Daniele Lago, CEO of Lago, Catia Bastioli, CEO of Novamont, Gilda D’Incerti, CEO of PQE Group, Camilla Lunelli, Cantine Ferrari, and Andrea Illy, president of IllyCaffè.

THE THEMATIC SECTIONS IN PARMA

From April 14 to 19, 2026, in Parma, the program of talks with distinguished guests will be accompanied by over 10 thematic sections, featuring the participation of  around 300 experts and industry professionals. Participants in the Green Economy Festival Academy will be able to choose which events to attend. Among the thematic sections: construction and infrastructure, logistics, reuse and recycling, economic sustainability and social sustainability, food industry, fashion, research and technology, energy, water, tourism.

Participation in Green Economy Academy

 

Once again this year, Green Economy is paying particular attention to involving young people from Italian universities and ITS students, offering them a unique opportunity to meet, exchange ideas, and learn. To this end, the organization is offering a select number of university students the chance to apply for the Green Economy Academy, which has 300 places available for an experience that includes:

• Preferential access and reserved seats at event activities, with the opportunity for direct dialogue with speakers at the end of the meetings;
• Guided tours of companies: discover the secrets of green management, sustainable production, and much more (for those participating in the “The Sustainability Factories” option);
• accommodation in shared rooms in affiliated facilities for the entire duration of the stay;
• fixed-price lunches and dinners in facilities to be indicated by the organization;
• transfers from hotels to Festival venues (where necessary) and to the selected companies during the tour itinerary;
• shared collective experience with other students from all over Italy;
• official certificate of participation, issued at the end of the event.

Interested students can choose to apply for one of three different options:

• Option 1 I “Study Tour: The Sustainability Factories”: the Academy will take place from Tuesday 14 to Thursday 16 April, for a total of 3 days and 2 nights. For this option, the is participation fee, which covers the actual costs of organization;

To confirm their participation in the event, selected students are required to pay a different fee depending on the option chosen.

Note: Travel expenses to the city of departure are the responsibility of the participants.

An Extra bonus for your CV!

At the end of the event, you will receive an official certificate of participation, which you can include in your resume as proof of an exclusive training experience recognized by leading Italian companies.

Selected students are required to follow the program of events defined by the Green Economy Festival organizers and to actively participate in the activities planned for the days of the event.

How to Apply

Dont waste time! The application closes on 16 March 2026!

Click here to apply and secure one of the 300 places available. Selection takes place on a weekly basis, so act now!

Selected students are required to follow the program of events defined by the organization and to actively participate in the activities planned for the three days of the event.

The selection of candidates will be made at the sole discretion of the event’s organizational management; applications will be selected and approved on a weekly basis until all available places are filled.

Our staff will provide selected students with all the information regarding meals, accommodation, and the schedule of events, and will communicate the methods for paying the participation fee.

FAQ

For any information, please refer to our FAQ page: click here

For further information, contact us

Monday-Friday 9am-1pm; 2pm-6pm: 

ItalyPost / Progetto Academy
academy@italypost.it

internationalrelations@italypost.it

Ph. 0490991240