Friday, 27 May, over 60 Italian students from different schools gathered for the Italian final of the European Youth Debating Competition, during which they debated on the future of the petrochemical and plastics industry, but also on STEM education, sustainability as key elements of Europe’s continued competitiveness. Federchimica, the Italian Federation of the chemical industry, welcomed and supported the debate, held in Milano.
Following the discussion, a jury consisting of industry experts and journalists, identified those who excelled in technical and scientific skills as well as public speaking skills.
The 3 winners qualifying for the October final to be held at the 50th anniversary of EPCA in Budapest are:
- Andrea Battaglia Technical Institute Giulio Natta, Bergamo
- Eljon Bofe Technical Institute Giulio Natta, Bergamo
- Lorenzo Giordano del Liceo Alessandro Volta, Milan
The European Youth debating competition is organized together by EPCA and PlasticsEurope, the association of plastics manufacturers. Following national selections held in Croatia, Spain, Germany and now Italy, 5 other youth debates are expected to take place in Poland (31/5), the United Kingdom (5/7), Belgium, France and the Netherlands. In total, more than 500 students will receive the opportunity to discuss and debate on the role of petrochemical and plastics in the future.