An exciting day that accompanied and outlined the future of sustainable transport in pragmatic, theoretical and even philosophical terms.

The conference organised by the SMET Group in collaboration with ALIS, IVECO and MECAR took place yesterday in Capaccio Paestum. There was a lot of synergy of ideas, important programmes and above all the presentation of Fuel Hero, a hyper-technological vehicle developed to achieve maximum fuel savings, made by Iveco for SMET, a true symbol of the company’s long journey in the field of sustainable mobility.

The meeting, which brought together a large and interested audience, reviewed many different aspects in the field of sustainable mobility, from territorial analyses to assessments of upcoming European scenarios, showing the SMET Group’s real programmatic strategies in partnership with IVECO and MECAR.

The eagerly awaited meeting opened with a remembrance of Gianandrea Ferrajoli, the young CEO of Mecar who passed away in 2021, whose mention was strongly desired by Domenico De Rosa. Very heartfelt and grateful words were expressed for his colleague and friend: ‘Many visions of the SMET Group have always been shared with him,’ said Domenico De Rosa, ‘and the resonance of his words still resonates in me. My reflections are still inspired by his excellent strategic mind’.

Franco Alfieri, mayor of Capaccio Paestum and President of the Province of Salerno, was also present, emphasising the importance of these meetings ‘that combine beauty with progress, history with modern times’.

Alfieri discussed at length the right preconditions for the work of businesses: “All businesses, entrepreneurship in general, in times of serious difficulties push the country’s economy forward and we very often forget that they need the institutions and politics to build infrastructure, for example, so that mobility develops towards eco-sustainability, for every aspect that is fertile ground for businesses and for the improvement of the collective quality of life. The south does not need a magic wand or a miracle, it has proven to be the great opportunity for Italy and Europe, thanks also to entrepreneurial families like SMET’. 

Regarding the ban on endothermic engines in Europe from 2035, the speech by Massimiliano Perri, General Manager of IVECO, was certainly enlightening: ‘The future of sustainable mobility will necessarily have to be a multi-technological and alternative approach. Electricity certainly cannot be the one-size-fits-all solution for every application, but it may well contribute to the decarbonisation of transport’.

Guido Grimaldi, ALIS president, is also critical of European regulations: ‘The immediate consequence will be a market that will benefit, the Chinese, while European companies will be castrated. The energy transition is a mechanism that must be triggered by many factors, first and foremost the renewal of the circulating fleet with government incentives, including Marebonus to invest in new technologies. Change starts from afar and with necessary and realistic interventions’. 

Domenico De Rosa spoke several times during the conference to talk about the results obtained in synergy with Iveco and Mecar, outlining the programmatic lines for the future: “Fuel Hero is another manifestation of intent that will see us sa protagonista to demonstrate that all alternative tractions contribute to zero emissions, as we have always maintained with serious results. The real democracy is you who are thinking about these things right now, not the unrealistic dirigisme of the EU. The EU forgets that democratic freedom also came about when an individual was able to secure a vehicle for his mobility. We are probably also going backwards in democratic rights, with the fake slogan of sustainability’.

Continuing on the right path is what the SMET Group will continue to do:

“We will move forward by always experimenting and promoting other technologies, biomethane, hydrogen, opening up more and more to all alternative tractions,” concludes De Rosa. “The SMET Group is distinctive because it is at the forefront in sustainable mobility and with proven results. If we are the leading logistics and transport group in Italy, it is probably because we are still visionaries and our actions always have the dream as a matrix, a concept to be spread also to young people, from whom they are stealing everything: hopes, promises. Nurturing a dream is the first step to success, let us return to passing on the value of the concept of imagination as a driving force’.