On July 16th, at the Gazometro, ROAD’s headquarters, the final event of the ROAD Challenge took place—a collaborative journey that involved experts, professionals, and company representatives in the creation of future-oriented professional profiles, starting from the Job Transition Book (JTB).

Through guided discussions and structured work across two previous stages, participants from various ROAD network companies, divided into two teams, designed and presented new professional figures capable of addressing the ecological and digital transitions. The JTB, a dynamic map of over 1,000 skills, served as the starting point for developing profiles that integrate technical knowledge, applied skills, and soft skills.

The Challenge

The challenge focused on three key dimensions:

• Knowledge: core expertise, divided into the eight areas of the JTB (climate change, circular economy, sustainable mobility, smart cities, advanced technologies, data analysis, infrastructure & IT security, innovation management);
• Know-how: the ability to apply skills in real and changing contexts;
• Soft skills: the set of personal competencies needed to drive change consciously.

A central element was the creative approach: teams worked at the intersection of creativity and innovation, from rewriting Dante’s Inferno in new ways to creating virtual colleagues, generating new digital professions. They presented the new profiles narratively, conveying vision, identity, and potential organizational impact.

The projects were evaluated by a multidisciplinary jury of professors and experts—Paolo Merialdo, Andrea Ciarini, and Alberto Luna—who awarded the team “10 Profiles in Search of Transition” for the effectiveness, coherence, and vision of their proposal.

The winning team combined creativity and foresight, emphasizing human intelligence and the conscious, ethical use of artificial intelligence. Their project embraced the challenge of “emerging to see the stars again,” imagining change as an opportunity for the new generation of professionals.

A special mention went to the second team, which enriched the experience with original and innovative ideas. Although the two teams adopted different approaches—one focusing more on human intelligence, the other on artificial intelligence—both produced professional profiles that, while following different paths, proved complementary and highly innovative.

The Road Ahead: the Change & Transition Lab

Beyond selecting a winner, the initiative confirmed the value of the JTB as an enabling tool for anticipating skill needs and building upskilling and reskilling paths. The ROAD Challenge is just the beginning. Starting in September, the permanent Change & Transition Lab will come to life—a space dedicated to continuous knowledge updates and the promotion of a transformation culture. In this collaborative environment, companies, professionals, and experts will contribute to the evolution of the Job Transition Book and foster discussions on the skills of the future.