Women and sustainable mobility, between equality, innovation and opportunity
CO-SMART Project. Workshop at Poliba with 350 high school students
October 9, 2025
Gender equality and sustainable mobility are two closely related issues. Combining and promoting them means ensuring inclusive and equitable policies, services, and infrastructure.
A workshop, “Women and sustainable mobility” organized by the CO-SMART project (COmmunicating Sustainability: innovations in MAterial Recycling and new production Technologies for the automotive sector), as part of the activities carried out by the National Center for Sustainable Mobility (CN MOST), funded by the MUR with PNRR M4C2 I1.4 funds, was held last October 6 in the “Attilio Alto” main hall of Poliba. The initiative aimed to enhance women’s skills and promote gender equality in the field of mobility through the dissemination of ongoing activities for the development of increasingly sustainable mobility by women active in the world of professions, public administration, business, and academia.
Particular attention was devoted to female engineers who graduated from the Polytechnic University of Bari, with the broader aim of bringing new generations and women closer to STEM subjects.
The workshop (Chair, Maria Michela Dell’Anna, Spoke 14, CN MOST) was opened with greetings from the Rector of the Polytechnic University, Umberto Fratino, the Regional Councillor for Transport and Sustainable Mobility, Debora Ciliento, and the President of the CN MOST Spoke Coordination Committee, Michele Ottomanelli.
During the event, which was attended by about 350 students and teachers from seven secondary schools in Bari and the Metropolitan Area, the measures implemented by the Apulia Region, thanks to PNRR funds, on sustainable mobility were highlighted. The topics addressed and speakers were: “Public transport and technology for smart mobility” (Carmela Iadaresta, Apulia Region); “Measures under the new 21/27 programming period and PNRR, aimed at strengthening and establishing modal interchange areas” (Irene Di Tria, Apulia Region); “The importance of car-sharing for sustainable mobility” (Antonella Comes, CEO of Pikyrent); “Specialized training at the Polytechnic University of Bari in the field of sustainable mobility” (Nadia Giuffrida, Poliba); “Communicating Sustainability: Innovations in Material Recycling and New Production Technologies for the Automotive Sector” (Maurizia Seggiani, University of Pisa).
The young participants were impressed by the research presented at the Polytechnic University of Bari for decarbonization in the automotive sector. The environmental problems associated with the use of fossil-based resources were highlighted. The following topics were discussed: “Biofuels from waste cooking oil” ((Maria Michela Dell’Anna, Poliba); “Polyurethane foams from waste cooking oil” (Alessia Iennaco, Poliba); “Testing procedures and protocols based on the use of thermographic techniques for the analysis of damage in composite materials for automotive use” (Ester D’Accardi, Poliba); “Recycling in sustainable mobility: the use of electronic waste for the synthesis of fuels alternative to fossil fuels” (Francesca Derobertis, Poliba); “Recycling in sustainable mobility: the use of waste cigarette filters for the synthesis of fuels alternative to fossil fuels” (Maria Stella Leone, Poliba).
Finally, on equality, Anna Castellano, President of the CUG Poliba, addressed the topic, “An academic career: a matter of gender?”.
The schools that participated in the Poliba workshop : Cartesio High School Triggiano; ITT Vivante – Bari; IISS Gorjux-Tridente-Vivante Bari; IISS Federico II of Swabia – Altamura; ITT Elena di Savoia-Bari; Galileo Galilei, Bitonto-Bari; ITS LENOCI-EUCLIDE, Bari.
The article Women and sustainable mobility, between equality, innovation and opportunity comes from Poliba Chronicle.
