Interview with Prof. Dr. Sergio Ulgiati—Winner of the Energies Editor of Distinction Award

Energies (ISSN: 1996-1073) owes much of its success and reputation to the dedication of its Editorial Board Members. The Editorial Office deeply appreciates the hard work and commitment of our editors. The Energies Editor of Distinction Award is given annually to acknowledge Editorial Board Members’ exceptional contributions in maintaining the journal’s high international standards.

We spoke with Prof. Dr. Sergio Ulgiati, one of the winners of the Energies 2024 Editor of Distinction Award, to hear about his scientific research experience.

Name: Prof. Dr. Sergio Ulgiati
Affiliation: Department of Science and Technology, Parthenope University of Naples, Centro Direzionale, Isola C4, 80143 Napoli, Italy
Research interests: life cycle assessment; energy–exergy–emergy; environmental impact assessment; circular economy; urban metabolism and sustainability; food and water security; disparity in access to energy sources; large efforts invested in energy and resource efficiency, prosperous way down, and environmental integrity

1. Could you briefly introduce yourself?
My name is Sergio Ulgiati and I am a retired professor from the University of Parthenope, Naples, Italy. However, I keep working even though I am retired, for interest and pleasure. I teach environmental chemistry and environmental accounting. These include many other aspects, among which are energy and circular economy. These methodologies and topics find the interest of many students and they are happy to attend in-person and online courses. I am also involved with Beijing Normal University, China, where I hold in-person and online courses. At both universities I sometimes supervise PhD students.

2. How was your experience being an editor for Energies?
I had a very good experience with the journal, and it also helped me to stay in touch with my colleagues. It is also a way to help young researchers and expand my knowledge. I am lucky enough to be able to gain contacts all over the world due to this editorial activity. I can also help young scholars to be involved with the journal and make them involved in writing and sharing academic articles. Sometimes the workload was heavy, but apart from this I believe publishing papers is important for teaching and research.

3. Do you have any suggestions for improving our editorial process?
We need greater support from the reviewers, and we must find a way to help them help us. We need their contribution to help those who submit papers. Submitting a paper is only part of the process: reviewers are the ones who help make better papers—suggesting and offering advice. We know that reviewers are also very busy, so we must find a way to compensate them (e.g., providing the possibility to publish with discounts). They are an important part of the journal, and we should more often have meetings with them and discuss with them what we really need. We should possibly also encourage their work. We also need more creative support from the members of the Editorial Board. I know they are very busy, but we really need editors to not only teach students but also teach authors and transfer their experience to them.

4. What motivated you to participate actively in the editorial process, and what do you find most rewarding about it?
For me, working on research is a way to relax. The most important thing for me is to maintain relations with colleagues, students and friends worldwide, in order to work on topics of common interest like energy, climate, and sustainable production and consumption. The most important thing is to share results with the community of researchers and policy makers and support them in order to improve relations between science and society.

5. How do you manage your time and balance your responsibilities as a researcher and an editor?
First of all, I must say that I like to perform this task. It is a way for me to continue my research. To read new papers submitted by other colleagues is a way to learn and grow. I do believe that what pushes me is that I am convinced that society needs the contribution of scientists to improve and understand better what is happening and what should be done, for example increasing the diversity of topics, attracting young scientists’ contributions and trying to match the needs of the world. For instance, we can talk about sustainability and societal happiness. My experience has been that many people who have known some scientists and read their papers have then tried to apply their work and maybe write about their topics directly; this may have been a great opportunity to share and learn from them. Innovation is not possible alone but can only be implemented by collaborating together.

6. How do you see the role of editors evolving with the advancements in artificial intelligence and automated tools in research publishing?
It’s a difficult topic. I believe that for sure AI is a way to go deeper into what is happening in the world, the research that is developed, and the results that are achieved. It’s also certainly a way to make things easier and to know what others are writing about and trying to achieve. AI helps in finding out what’s being developed around the world, like a research engine that makes scholars able to read more. In any case, when I read, I need to understand, add my own ideas, develop interpretations. I do not consider AI a substitute for my work or anybody else’s work. It is a way for me to find more information in order to interpret the work of others and add my opinion. We are the intelligence. We will use AI but we will not be replaced.

7. In your opinion, which research topics will be of particular interest to the research community in the coming years?
The world’s population is increasing and its needs are increasing as well, as everybody wants to have a better life. A better life does not mean a bigger car or becoming richer. I believe the future we need to develop must enable us to meet each other and stay more in touch, do things together, share our ideas and use that sharing to do better things. All of this aims at promoting a better life for everybody. A better life means more and better relations. Working together for common happiness. This is our goal and duty. I believe Energies is an excellent journal for that, i.e., many papers published here contain tools and suggestions for a better life. I would like to provide my contribution.