ST Foundation has a say at Italy’s Festival for Sustainable Development
On May 7, Claudia Angelini, our Country Manager for Italy, took part as a speaker at the “Festival dello Sviluppo Sostenibile”, Italy’s leading national initiative dedicated to economic, social and environmental sustainability, in support of the goals of the 2030 Agenda.
Alongside representatives from Leroy Merlin, Sky, Tetra Pak and Elleci Service, the panel explored the role of skills-based volunteering in creating meaningful social impact. The discussion highlighted how volunteering can strengthen the connection between companies and local communities, while contributing to more inclusive, responsible and sustainable development.
This was for us an important opportunity to reaffirm the value of collaboration between business, local communities and inclusion. Supporting initiatives that foster dialogue, shared action and collective engagement is part of our broader commitment to sustainable development and to building stronger relationships with the communities around us.
During the panel, Claudia shared the experience of ICB – Introduction to Computer Basics, our digital training project in prisons, which has been active since 2009 and was first launched in Bollate, near Milan, together with Associazione Sesta Opera San Fedele. The project addresses a very concrete need: today, without basic digital skills, reintegration into society becomes even more difficult. For this reason, we chose to create a training model that combines access to technology, learning and empowerment.
Elena Salda, RSI President (left) and Claudia Angelini (right)
The program includes computer labs inside correctional facilities, a 20-hour basic course and a train-the-trainer methodology, through which selected trainees receive additional lessons to become trainers themselves. This approach makes the initiative sustainable over time and creates new opportunities for personal and collective growth.
Since 2015, 213 ICB courses and 20 trainer courses have been delivered, reaching 2,207 beneficiaries. In Bollate, where the project has been active since 2016, 78 courses have been delivered, involving more than 900 people. The model has since been replicated in several Italian correctional facilities and internationally in India, where it has reached more than 11,000 beneficiaries across 14 prisons.
Claudia also highlighted the project’s impact within STMicroelectronics. Volunteers who take part in these activities return with a different perspective: greater listening skills, stronger empathy, and a more open view of people’s complexity. The experience helps strengthen a corporate culture rooted in inclusion, responsibility, and the social value of skills.
We are proud to have contributed to this important moment of exchange and to continue supporting initiatives that generate social impact, shared growth and long-term value for communities.
