Position Paper 39/2025 edited by N. Faraoni and V. Patacchini
The English acronym STEM, which stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, is now widely used to describe fields of education and professional careers considered crucial to innovation and economic competitiveness.
The adoption and dissemination of the term is attributed to the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF), which championed it in its development programs. Quickly, the acronym STEM entered the educational and political lexicon, even to the point of introduction into school curricula and funding to increase the presence of these subjects of study in society. As is well known, the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRP) also includes a number of actions aimed at increasing these kinds of skills in the student population and workers.
