Origami – Technology is emerging as one of the most promising initiatives of the 2025 edition of Switch2Product. On February 25, 2026, the technology received the grant from the Switch2Product (S2P) program, the initiative promoted by Politecnico di Milano that supports the creation of high-tech startups and the transfer of research to the market.
Origami Technology was evaluated among the best projects of the edition, standing out for its level of technological innovation, its potential impact on the energy and digital sectors, and the entrepreneurial vision behind the initiative. The recognition marks an important step in the development of the technology, which now enters the incubation phase at TEF Tech Europe Foundation, where the technical, economic, and business aspects will be further developed with the goal of transforming the initiative into an innovative startup.
The initiative was born within the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Politecnico di Milano through the collaboration between Riccardo Camusso, a master’s student in mechanical engineering, Matteo Cavestri, an expert in server management and infrastructure, and Professor Francesco Ripamonti. The initiative combines engineering, digital, and scientific expertise with the aim of developing a new generation of sustainable technological infrastructures.
At the core of Origami lies an idea that integrates two strategic sectors: marine renewable energy and distributed digital infrastructures. The technology develops offshore modules capable of producing energy directly at sea and using it to power computing systems, creating an autonomous and sustainable digital infrastructure.
The technological core of the system is a mechanical device for converting wave energy, known as a Wave Energy Converter (WEC), based on the principle of the
RM3 converter. This system consists of two oscillating bodies that exploit the relative motion generated by ocean waves to produce electrical energy. Through integrated power generation systems, this mechanism enables the conversion of wave motion into electricity, making energy production directly in the marine environment possible.
The energy produced powers technological modules installed on the same offshore platform. These modules can host distributed computing infrastructures, enabling the creation of autonomous digital systems powered by renewable energy. An additional advantage is the natural cooling provided by the marine environment, which improves the energy efficiency of computing infrastructures by reducing the need for artificial cooling systems.
This approach opens new perspectives for the development of sustainable and modular data centers capable of operating close to renewable energy sources while reducing dependence on terrestrial power grids. The combination of offshore energy generation and distributed digital infrastructures represents a potentially scalable solution capable of supporting the rapidly growing global demand for computing capacity.
With the entry into the incubation program of Tech Europe Foundation, the team will now focus on developing the first prototypes and validating the technology. The incubation path includes support in defining the business model, industrial development, and market strategy.
The medium-term goal is to transform Origami - Technology into a startup capable of developing offshore energy and digital infrastructure s, opening new opportunities in the fields of marine energy and sustainable cloud computing.
In a global context where the demand for computing power continues to grow rapidly, solutions such as the one proposed by Origami – Technology suggest a possible direction for the future of digital infrastructures: distributed, sustainable systems integrated with renewable energy sources.
