Press Release – First Edition of ‘HEYSUN’

The first edition of HeySun registered a great success with over 10,000 attendees, nearly 100 exhibitors and more than 14 high-profile technical and popular scientific conferences. At the Polo Fieristico di SiciliaFiera, in Misterbianco, the largest exhibition event dedicated to Renewable Energies in the Mediterranean area was celebrated, demonstrating the strategic role that Sicily can play and connoting it as the economic driver of Southern Italy in terms of Energy.

SiciliaFiera President Nino Di Cavolo highlighted how “HeySun is an important attractor for stakeholders from across the Mediterranean. The future of the environment passes through good citizen practices and we at SiciliaFiera are very pleased to be spokesmen for positive messages for the Community. During this fair, important partnerships were developed with city institutions, sealing future collaborations such as that of the AmtS, which provided some dedicated electric buses that transported our visitors from the “Monte Po’- SiciliaFiera” Metro station exit to the entrance of Block C of the Fairgrounds. The Metropolitan City of Catania hosted us at the Ciminiere for our ‘HEYSUN EXPERIENCE’ party dedicated to all those who worked, participated and enthusiastically believed in our first event organized by the Polo Fieristico, charting a new collaborative path between public and private. We are already at work for September 2025 with important news.”.

Coordinating the conference was Professor Engineer Rosario Lanzafame, Chairman of the Scientific Technical Committee, Professor of Machines and Systems for Energy and the Environment, Departmental Delegate of Energy at the University of Catania, and former chairman of the Regional Scientific Technical Committee for the evaluation of “Hydrogen Valley” projects. Professor Lanzafame organized workshops, seminars, roundtables and in-depth discussions on the energy transition in all its aspects, involving university professors and researchers belonging to the University of Catania as well as Messina, Palermo, Milan, L’Aquila, Modena and Reggio Emilia, as well as influential representatives of the domestic and foreign energy industry. They could not miss in the discussion with the stakeholders, institutional representatives of the municipal administration, the Metropolitan City and the main economic, social and employer associations of Sicily. The topics addressed were many: from the effects of the transition on the economic and social landscape of the Catania area to the development prospects of the Renewable Hydrogen sector, from the positive effects of the development of new energy technologies for companies and citizens to the Renewable and Sustainable Energy Communities, from the importance of E.S.Co. in the energy transition to the drafting of energy diagnoses aimed at the development of “Industry 5.0” Projects. Special attention was paid to the development of offshore renewable energies, with specific focus on the major mutations taking place in Ports and their related infrastructures. And then, again, a conference dedicated to the very topical theme of “Agriculture and Energy,” which was followed by an important round table that debated and highlighted to the large audience of participants the point of view of professionals, representatives of the world of research and business managers.

The Scientific Technical Committee consists of distinguished academics and specialists of high institutional profile as well as international energy managers: Professor Antonello Pezzini of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), member of the Consultative Commission on Industrial Mutation (CCMI) and member of the National ETS Committee as representative of the Ministry of the Environment of Energy Security; Professor Engineer Roberto Cipollone, full professor of Energy and Environmental Machines and Systems at the Department of Industrial Engineering, Information and Economics of the University of L’Aquila and columnist of the “Journal of Sustainable Energy”; Engineer Paola Brunetto, Head of Hydrogen Business Unit of Enel Green Power; Professor Agata Matarazzo, associate professor of Merchandise Science in the Department of Economics and Business at the University of Catania; Professor Alessandra Gentile, professor of General Arboriculture and Tree Crops in the Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment at the University of Catania; Professor Giuseppe Ioppolo, professor of Merchandise Science in the Department of Economics at the University of Messina; and Engineer Alfonso Morriello, ceo of ‘Enego Holding’ Energy Transition – Paris.

University and Heysun together for a “Strong Synergy.” After participating in the opening of the conference activities by the Magnificent Chancellor, the relationship with the University became concrete: on Sept. 27, the closing day of the Fair, thanks to an AmtS electric bus, a group of Researchers led by Professor Agata Matarazzo, Associate Professor of Merchandise Science at the Department of Economics and Business of the University of Catania moved with the Governance of the Fairgrounds, to University Square, to participate in Sharper Night, the European Researchers’ Night.

There was great participation of high school students for the “Mobility Day” project, which contemplated a series of activities ranging from road education to bike routes by Fiab, to learning about the Archimedes project, which won first prize in Europe. At the photo exhibition, curated by architect Massimo Inzerilli, where photos of the evolution of the Circumetnea Railway trains are shown, the young students had the opportunity to discover the function of the pantograph and in particular were shown the procedure by which the storage batteries of the AMTS electrically driven shuttles are recharged. For the complete coverage of automotive topics, a conference dedicated to mobility was, finally, held. The speakers were Engineer Salvatore Capri of AMTS; Professor Antonio Condorelli; Engineer Francesco Contino for Ferrovia Circumetnea; Engineer Sebastiano Cateno for Fiab; President of the Sustainable Development Foundation, Dr. Massimo Ciuffini; and Dr. Laura Romano of the State Police.

HeySun had the Patronages of the Ministry of Enterprise and Made in Italy; Ministry of Environment and Energy Security; Enea National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development; Sicilian Regional Assembly; Sicily Region Department of Energy and Utilities; Assessorato Territorio e Ambiente Regione Sicilia; Autorità di Sistema Portuale del Mare di Sicilia Orientale; Città Metropolitana di Catania; Municipality of Catania; City of Misterbianco; University of Catania; University of Messina; Azienda Metropolitana Trasporti e Sosta Catania SpA; Ordine degli Ingegneri Catania; Order of Engineers Messina ; Order of Agronomists and Foresters Province of Catania; Order of Surveyors; Order of Industrial Technicians and Graduate Industrial Technicians of the province of Catania; Association of Architectural Engineering and Technical-Economic Consulting Organizations; Offshore Renewable Energy Association; Associazione Italiana Agrivoltaico Sostenibile; Ance Catania; CDO Sicilia; Confagricoltura; Confcommercio Sicilia; Confambiente ;CSEI Centro Studi di Economia applicata all’Ingegneria; Ecosistema Formazione Italia; Federazione Italiana Mediatori Agenti d’Affari della Regione Sicilia; Fondazione Italia Sostenibile.

We look forward to seeing you at the second edition of HeySun!

   SiciliaFiera Press Office