Scholarships to reward talent and look to the future

On 8 April, a ceremony celebrating merit and excellence was held at the “Duca degli Abruzzi” Technical Institute for Transport and Logistics in Naples: prizes were awarded to the most outstanding students from 2022-23 and 2023-24. This was made possible thanks to a memorandum of understanding between the institute and the Grimaldi Group.

Launched in 2011, the partnership between the Grimaldi Group and the “Duca degli Abruzzi” Institute is now a well-established alliance between the world of education and the world of work. 14 years ago, the “Cav. Guido Grimaldi” award was assigned for the first time. Named after the Knight of the Italian Republic (or Cavaliere, hence “Cav.”) and founder of the Neapolitan shipping company, this honour is bestowed each year on the school’s top students. The institute’s Aula Magna (Great Hall), also named after the shipowner, was also inaugurated in 2011.

The Guido Grimaldi Aula Magna was where the €1,000 scholarships were awarded to the four students who stood out most in the last two academic years: Michele Pio Costagliola and Federica Monforte from the Nautical Navigation course, together with Antonio Cantalena and Francesco Anzalone from the Marine Engineering and Systems course. The prizes were presented by a delegation from the Grimaldi Group composed of Captains Vincenzo Scotto d’Aniello (Cargo Crew Manager at Grimaldi Euromed), Roberto Colicchio (Ro-Pax Crew Manager at Grimaldi Euromed), and Michele Siniscalchi (Crew Training Manager at Grimaldi Euromed).

Representing the institute at the ceremony was its Principal Antonietta Prudente, who welcomed the guests and awardees, reaffirming the importance of the ties with the Grimaldi Group and confirming the school’s commitment to the partnership’s continued success.

In addition to the scholarships, the four outstanding former students – all of whom graduated with honours – were offered the opportunity to begin working as Cadet Officers aboard the company’s ships, along with a significant financial incentive: €500 for each month spent on board (up to a maximum of €2,000), on top of the already competitive base pay.

Through this initiative, the Grimaldi Group aims to promote youth education by fostering positive synergy with the academic world and to support the integration of increasingly well-prepared and motivated young people into its shipboard workforce — young professionals who represent the future of the company and the maritime transport industry as a whole.