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Innovative design for energy sector
Published on Thursday, November 27 2025
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Challenge Expiration Date: June 29, 2026
Reward:
5000€ for the best proposals
Abstract
SUBTITLE: Enel's call for IED students to find innovative concept design solutions in the energy sector
ABSTRACT: Enel has long collaborated with the world of design to develop cutting-edge solutions, placing innovation, efficiency, and sustainability at the center. In this context, and in line with the open innovation approach — based on collaboration between the company and the external innovation ecosystem — the Enel challenge “Innovative Design for the Energy Sector” is aimed at students of the Bachelor’s degree program in Product and Service Design at the Istituto Europeo di Design (IED Rome).
The challenge invites students to enter a strategic sector — energy — which is undergoing a profound transformation driven by the energy transition.
It represents a unique opportunity to shape design concepts with the potential to evolve over time into real projects, as the goal of the challenge is to address concrete innovation needs within our business.
The challenge is structured around three distinct business areas: the dynamic world of Retail; the open and collaborative environment of Innovation Labs and Hubs, which host startups and innovators; and the advanced technology sector focused on energy awareness.
All these areas intersect with key themes such as digitalization, sustainability, and the ability to meet the needs of Enel’s stakeholders.
Get ready for an exciting innovation experience!
This is your chance to challenge yourself in one of today’s most cutting-edge technology, expand your network, and accelerate your growth:
- Select one or more Open Challenges you wish to apply for.
- Complete and submit the solution form, attaching the required documents (a cv is mandatory).
- Your proposal will be evaluated by a technical panel of experts.
- The panel may contact you for clarifications.
- If your solution is selected, Enel will reach out to discuss the next steps.
SDGs
This challenge contributes to the following sustainable development goals (SDGs) to transform our world:
· SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
· SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
- SDG 13: Climate Action
Description
Enel is a global leader in energy generation, distribution, and sales, operating in 28 countries.
The Company has been recognized among the 100 most effective companies worldwide in open innovation—a strategic lever we rely on to generate value for our business through solutions that make a real impact. We've embraced an open model, evolving it to be more concrete and deeply connected with the external world.
The Enel challenge “Innovative Design for the Energy Sector” invites students of the Bachelor in Product and Service Design at the Istituto Europeo di Design (IED Rome) to develop concept designs that address real innovation needs within our business.
Below, you’ll find links to the six specific challenges, each detailing:
- A general overview of the context and Enel’s needs,
- The mandatory and optional requirements for solutions, which define the KPIs Enel will use for evaluation
- The deliverables you are expected to submit.
OPEN CHALLENGES
#1 | Catania Innovation Lab&Hub design experience
[Inserire link challenge]
Concept design development of self-guided and interactive paths to enhance the Innovation Lab experience
#2 | Elettra Smart Plug: new design for the future
[Inserire link challenge]
Concept design development of an innovative product and packaging to enhance the user experience.
#3 | EBITTS: design connection from virtual to real.
[Inserire link challenge)
Concept design development aimed at improving user perception.
Challenge rules
All participants are invited to carefully read the challenge and its Regulations, which can be found below in the Attachments section, before submitting a solution.
BY SUBMITTING A SOLUTION, YOU AUTOMATICALLY ACCEPT THE ATTACHED REGULATIONS, IN ADDITION TO THE TERMS OF USE OF THIS PLATFORM.
Explain your proposal clearly in Italian attach documents (max 5 files, 35MB total size, ZIP, JPG, PDF format) if needed. You can also provide link so that the evaluation team can access and verify the demo (please pay careful attention to the validity period of the link).
Eligibility
Only IED students of BA in Product and Service Design (academic year 2025-2026) are eligible for participation in this Challenge.
Individual or teams consisting of up to 3 eligible members are allowed to participate.
The submission will be completed by a Team Leader and the list of team members (name , surname, email address) must be specified in the application.
Award and Intellectual Property Rights
Participants who upload the solution(s) declared as winner(s) will receive a net prize of €5,000.00 for each winning solution. If a winning solution is the work of a team rather than an individual, the €5,000.00 prize will be divided equally among all team members.
All intellectual and industrial property rights related to the winning solution(s) of this Challenge, except for the authors’ moral rights, will be owned by Enel S.p.A. or another company within the Enel Group designated by Enel S.p.A. Intellectual and industrial property rights related to all remaining solutions, not declared as winners, will remain the property of IED, except for the authors’ moral rights.
Deadline
Submissions to this Challenge must be received by 30h June 2026.
Late submissions will not be considered.
Specific regulation attached at the bottom of this page
What happens next?
After the Challenge deadline, the Challenge Owner will complete the review process and decide with regards to the Winning Solution(s). All participants that submit a proposal will be notified on the status of their submissions. However, no detailed evaluation of individual submissions will be provided. The Challenge Owner will evaluate the proposal considering the Solution’s required features and characteristics, focusing the following criteria: You will receive feedback at the end of the assessment. In the event of success, an Enel contact person will get in touch with you to discuss the next steps. The final reward for this Challenge is contingent upon the satisfactory completion of the pre-awarding process, including acceptance of the Challenge Regulations. The pre-awarding process includes obtaining some documents from the participants such as the signed Challenge Regulations and the Counterparty Analysis Questionnaire (CAQ).