On November 14, the conference titled "Sustainable Hospitality Facilities: Funding and Opportunities" was held at Palazzo Stella, the headquarters of the Association of Hoteliers and Tourism Enterprises of the Province of Trento (ASAT) in Trento. The event aimed at promoting the adoption of sustainable practices within the hospitality sector.
The event was curated by Alessandro Bortolin and Gianluca Cadelano from the Padua unit of CNR–ISAC, Trentino Sviluppo, and ASAT, and promoted within the framework of the Enterprise Europe Network (EEN). The conference targeted hoteliers, designers, and technicians interested in learning about the benefits of the energy and ecological transitions for hospitality facilities.
During the opening remarks by the organizers (Davide Cardella, ASAT president, Luca Capra, manager at Trentino Sviluppo, and Alessandro Bortolin, researcher at CNR–ISAC), the EEN network was introduced with a particular focus on the Friend Europe Project. This project is a consortium of institutions offering services to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) located in Veneto, Friuli-Venezia Giulia and Trentino-Alto Adige. The consortium aims at guiding SMEs towards environmental sustainability, innovation, digitalization and internationalization.
Adriana Bernardi, research associate at CNR–ISAC, focused her presentation on innovation support for the sustainability of buildings and highlighted the current decarbonization strategies at international and national levels and the synergies between research and industry to reduce the environmental impact of building sector.
Carlo Battisti, Living Future Europe president, tackled the impact of human activities on the planet, suggesting an approach that goes beyond sustainability to embrace the concept of "regeneration". A regenerative approach to human activities, according to Carlo Battisti, aims not only at reducing harm but also at creating environmental and social benefits.
A roundtable discussion on energy retrofitting for hotel buildings followed, moderated by Carlo Battisti. Participants included Christian Ferrante, researcher at ENEA, Maurizio Fauri, professor at the University of Trento and Arrigo Jacobitti, the owner of Eco Hotel Bonapace in Torbole sul Garda (TN).
During the roundtable, Christian Ferrante presented the outcomes of an ENEA report concerning the analysis of energy audits of the hotel sector, emphasizing the most effective interventions from a technical and economic perspective. Maurizio Fauri highlighted the potential of energy communities for the hospitality sector. Finally, Arrigo Jacobitti shared his daily experiences as a hotelier committed to implementing sustainable practices.
The event concluded with a presentation by APIAE (the Provincial Agency for the Promotion of Economic Activities of the Autonomous Province of Trento), detailing the financing mechanisms available to Trentino companies for adopting sustainable technologies.
The conference was well-received, with significant participation from local hoteliers and companies thanks to the promotional efforts of ASAT and Trentino Sviluppo. The event attracted 60 attendees.
