“My life has been an engineer’s dream come true.”

“Thanks to the PNRR, by 2024 53,000 people will be working with us to build the Italian infrastructure of the future.”

 

GENOA, May 26, 2022 – “My life has been an engineer’s dream, who had the good fortune of being able to build complex and very challenging infrastructure,” said Pietro Salini, Chief Executive of Webuild, in a speech after receiving a laurea honoris causa in civil engineering from the Department of Civil Engineering, Chemistry and the Environment at the University of Genoa.

“By conferring this laurea honoris causa to Pietro Salini, the University of Genoa acknowledges talent, creativity and technical expertise (all Italian) both in the man and his company – as well as the ambitious courage to look ahead with enthusiasm for innovation,” said Federico Delfino, the university rector. “I applaud and share the attention that is being given to young people. It shows a commitment to train and promote talent. In this regard may I take this occasion to remind you of UniWeLab, the joint project launched in 2021 by UniGe and Webuild to bring students and recent graduates from the academic work to the working world, enabling them to continue their journey between study and research.”

The official ceremony at Villa Cambiaso, home of the Polytechnic School of the University of Genoa, was attended by Giovanni Toti, President of the Liguria region; Marco Bucci, Mayor of Genoa; Renato Franceschelli, Prefect of Genoa; professors of the Department; and many students.

“With this achievement, I would like to thank my father, who prepared me for this journey,” said Salini. “My professional life is mixed with that of the many families and entrepreneurs who brought this Group to life. They are, symbolically, here with us today, along with everyone else in the Group.”

This academic acknowledgement is particularly significant because it comes from Genoa, the city where Webuild built the Genoa San Giorgio Bridge and is currently working on the Terzo Valico dei Giovi, which will bring high-speed rail travel to the heart of the Ligurian capital.

The awarding of the laurea honoris causa was also a sign of acknowledgement for the active role played by Salini in Genoa and Liguria, in addition to the technical know-how that Salini brought to the management of the Group, creating jobs and developing the region by building infrastructure that is complex, innovative and sustainable.

In his speech, "Infrastructure for the Challenges of the Future. New Models of Sustainable Development”, Salini said: “We have to start to plan new projects that can satisfy the needs of the next 20 years today. Most of all, we have to design and build those that have already been identified as a priority. The PNRR (National Recovery and Resilience Plan) is obviously very important, part of a wider plan for the country. It is certainly one of the levers for development. In fact, thanks to the PNRR, Webuild estimates that it will reach a total of 53,000 workers in Italy by 2024, involved in the construction of public works. It is an opportunity to grow by bringing together the know-how of the private sector with that of the public sector. These two sectors must for a public-private partnership just like how it was done for the Genoa San Giorgio Bridge, a project that greatly benefited the city and its residents.” 

In his final remarks, Salini addressed the young university students attending the ceremony. “For us, growth is not just economic. It is also about people, the ability to attract and maintain talent and young people. We are investing in professional and training courses in initiatives with 18 universities throughout the world. We finance scholarships to the best talent, such as the Giovannini Award, which focuses on innovation and finances doctoral bursaries and awards the best theses with international apprenticeships at our company. We have recruitment programs for young people, such as the 100 young engineering graduates from the universities in southern Italy. Internally, we provide a lot of training. In 2021 alone, we provided 11,150 hours of training for people under 35 years of age.”