Italian power grid operator Terna is increasingly looking to California as a strategic hub for innovation in the energy sector. The company has strengthened its commitment to open innovation through partnerships with startups, universities, and research centers, aiming to modernize electricity networks and accelerate the energy transition.
A major step in this direction has been its collaboration with the University of California, Berkeley, one of the world’s leading academic institutions in technology and entrepreneurship.
The partnership was highlighted during the event “Innovating the Grid, an Open Innovation Perspective,” held in Rome at Terna’s headquarters. The initiative showcased how the Italian company is combining internal expertise with external ideas to face the growing challenges of digitalization, grid resilience, and renewable energy integration. Professor Henry Chesbrough, widely considered the father of open innovation, emphasized the importance of collaboration in today’s technology ecosystem.
California plays a central role in Terna’s international strategy because it represents one of the world’s most advanced innovation ecosystems. Through its Terna Innovation Zone in San Francisco and its ties with Silicon Valley, the company can monitor emerging technologies connected to energy infrastructure, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and grid management.
For Terna, California is more than a market – it is a laboratory for the future of energy. Both Italy and California are dealing with similar issues, including renewable integration, rising electricity demand, electrification, and climate-related stress on infrastructure. By working with California’s research and startup ecosystem, Terna hopes to strengthen Italy’s electricity grid while contributing to a broader global transformation toward smarter and more sustainable energy systems.
