|
|
|
PRESS RELEASES
|
12/3/2004 - ELIO MATACENA IS AWARDED BY THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA. |
| "The President of "Ponte di Archimede S.p.A.", is the only businessman in the world to have received an Award for the creation of an International Scientific Cooperation" |
For the first time ever, an Italian businessman has received a maximum decoration by the Chinese Government in the area regarding International Technology and Scientific Cooperation. He's the Neapolitan Elio Matacena, ship owner, president of Caronte & Tourist SpA.
Matacena is also President of "Ponte di Archimede SpA", a Company for new technologies involving the infrastructures and eco-energy field.
A hyper-active 80 year old, he took a degree in Law, in 1944, at the University of Naples "Federico II".
Since 1996 this entrepreneur has interlaced important relations with the authorities of the People's Republic of China. He has presented projects which have been inserted into two Protocols of Technological and Scientific Cooperation agreed between the Italian and Chinese Governments during year 2000 and year 2002.
Specifically, the projects promoted by the Company, chaired by Matacena, concern a Submerged Fixed Crossing, named the "Archimedes' Bridge". It is a submerged tunnel, constructed according to the Archimedes' Principle and fixed to the seabed or lakebed with a dense set of tie rods.
The other project is called ENERMAR, a "clean" energy production system, capable of exploiting marine currents, which captures their untamed, until now, force.
Today at Beijing, in the Great Hall of the People, situated in the Tienanmen Square, the official award delivering ceremony took place. Top Chinese authorities in the Science and Technology field were present.
The decoration was handed over to the awarded Matacena by Xu Guanhua, Minister of Science and Technology for the People's Republic of China. After thanking for the prestigious award, Elio Matacena underlined the extreme significance of such award. This is the evidence of good prospects of a closer collaboration between Italy and China.
Friendship between nations Matacena said civilizes, generates culture and produces progress. All the technology activities brought into operation by me in the People's Republic of China give hope to achievements on an international scale.
The prototype of Archimedes' Bridge, an innovative typology of a submerged stable crossing, will be built, for the first time ever, in the Lake of a Thousand Islands. The project will be studied by a Chinese - Italian Research Laboratory made up of Chinese scientists from the Academy of Science and of academics from Milan's Polytechnic and from the University of Naples "Federico II".
Such prototype rises interest around the world and should promote its realization in many straits and lakes found in the five continents, where conventional engineering has not yet made possible the construction of stable links.
The patented turbine Kobold for marine currents exploitation said Mr. Matacena is seen with interest by the United Nations who intend to promote it around the world.
The UNIDO (United Nations Industrial Development Organization) believes in its great utility and has elaborated a document project, for the realization of experimental prototypes of Kobold turbine platforms, which will be generating electricity throughout the People's Republic of China, Indonesia and the Philippines.
"My award stimulates me in developing further scientific and cultural cooperation between our two countries. I will be engaged in beginning an academic cooperation between the Zhejiang University and the University of Naples "Federico II", and also to further develop the already existent relationship between the Chinese Academy of Science and the Polytechnic of Milan. I've always wanted the president of "Ponte di Archimede" S.p.A. concluded -to achieve in the People's Republic of China a Cultural Exchange Center. The Center will allow young Chinese students to discover the ancient rooted Italian culture, and enable young Italians to study the Chinese millennium culture.
I proposed to the University of Zhejiang to accomplish in Hangzhou, a city twined with Naples, my native city, the "Villa Italia" Center with the partnership of the Campania Region. Such Center could become a cultural core through which young Chinese and Italians could study their respective cultures, strengthening friendship between our two countries of ancient civilization."
|
|
|
|
