The Innovation District serves as an open platform linking start-ups with established companies and investors, fostering product and service development and supporting the growth of sustainable businesses. It highlights companies investing in research and development, presenting advanced solutions and acting as a forum for technological progress across energy transition sectors.
DPE confirmed as co-event at KEY 2026
The Start-up & Scale-up area will showcase projects and concepts across KEY’s seven focus areas: solar, wind, hydrogen, energy efficiency, energy storage, e-mobility and sustainable cities. Thirty-two Italian and international start-ups and SMEs, selected from 67 applicants to the Call for Start-ups organised by Italian Exhibition Group together with ITA – Italian Trade Agency, ART-ER, Fondazione MAI, ANGI and Plug and Play Tech Center, will present their solutions.
Young companies showing the way forward
Seven young companies, one from each sector, will receive a plaque of recognition. Solutions on display will span energy efficiency and electric mobility, with a particular emphasis on artificial intelligence for energy management, including real-time consumption monitoring, anomaly detection and resource optimisation to reduce waste and increase savings for industry, businesses, citizens and energy communities.
KEY 2026 expo line-up highlights finance and energy strategies
Projects range from next-generation heat pumps and gravitational storage systems to advanced monitoring technologies combining satellite imagery, drone surveys and ground sensors. Other solutions automate technical project management and enhance system performance, including self-cleaning treatments for photovoltaic panels and integrated platforms to deploy and monetise electric vehicle and e-bike charging points.
The programme also features collaborative models linking companies with citizens investing in solar energy, alongside advisory services that help users identify, develop and implement sustainability-driven business opportunities. In research, exhibitors will present reactor concepts designed to optimise catalyst efficiency and recyclable thermoplastic materials for wind turbine manufacturing.
Innovation Award, Green Jobs & Skills
On Wednesday 4 March at 17:15 in the Innovation Arena, seven exhibitors, one from each product category, will receive the Lorenzo Cagnoni Innovation Award and an official plaque recognising the most advanced projects on display. The initiative recognises companies developing innovative products and services for the energy transition sector.
The energy sector is driving global job growth, yet the supply of qualified workers continues to lag demand. To help narrow this gap and connect job seekers with employers in energy and sustainability, KEY 2026’s Innovation District will host the Green Jobs & Skills initiative with Green Factor. The programme is aimed at recent graduates and technical school-leavers, young professionals, workers seeking a transition into sustainability and companies looking to recruit.
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For those entering the green job market, the project offers a platform for career orientation. The official event website, accessible via desktop and app, features a dedicated “Green Jobs” section. Exhibiting companies can promote recruitment-focused events, while students, professionals and researchers may pre-register for presentations and submit CVs or cover letters directly through the platform.
Friday 6 March will focus on training and career guidance. In addition, a three-day hackathon organised in partnership with ENEA and CNA will bring together energy students from technical institutes across Italy. (hcn)
