Politecnico di Milano (Polytechnic University of Milan), represented by Chancellor Donatella Sciuto, and UCIMU-SISTEMI PER PRODURRE, led by President Barbara Colombo, signed a three-year cooperation agreement to strengthen ties between academia and manufacturing industry. The signing ceremony took place during the final Board Meeting of 2023 at UCIMU‘s headquarters, aiming at further boosting up the collaboration between these two entities as they predominantly share common interest fields.
The Framework Agreement focuses on streamlining coordination between the two organizations, fostering joint projects and activities in the realms of machine tools, robotics, automation, digital, and additive manufacturing. The strategic collaboration encompasses two primary lines of action, with a focus on enriching the academic experience and driving technical-scientific advancements.The first line of action concentrates on promoting initiatives to familiarize university students with the machine tool industry. This includes funding scholarships in relevant disciplines, such as the establishment of UCIMU Prizes, the development of degree theses on mutually beneficial topics, organizing visits to industry companies and trade fairs, and involving final-year students in tutoring activities for high school students attending trade shows.The second line of action is geared towards facilitating technical-scientific collaboration on study and research projects of common interest. This involves participation in national and international calls for proposals, fostering innovation and knowledge-sharing in the academic and industrial domains.
Barbara Colombo, President, UCIMU, highlighted the importance of the agreement, stating, “For UCIMU, the signing of this agreement is an important tool to support the association’s work in encouraging a dialogue between the academic and research worlds and the industry of the sector. In particular, in our opinion, the agreement may help reduce the mismatch between manpower supply and demand in our industry. Indeed, our companies encounter great difficulties in finding young, prepared and motivated resources and Politecnico di Milano is certainly one of the main partners to turn to for recruiting technical and managerial profiles. In addition, with this agreement, together with Chancellor Sciuto, we think we can work more smoothly and intensively on the development of studies of common interest, by contributing – association and university, each for their own competences and roles – to the creation and sharing of knowledge, which is also the basis for the continuous industrial progress of this and all manufacturing sectors”
Chancellor Donatella Sciuto expressed enthusiasm about the partnership, emphasizing its focus on young people and their transition from university to the workforce through industrial doctorates. She acknowledged UCIMU as a crucial partner for the university, contributing to the training of qualified personnel and fostering state-of-the-art research and innovation. “The commitment made for the next three years, by both parties, is a testimony to a mutual understanding that focuses on merit and competence, which are two vital elements for us and two essential levers for the industrial system to maintain the competitiveness of the member companies of the Association, which represent the vast majority of the “Made in Italy” in the field. Focusing on young people means laying the foundation for long-lasting and shared growth paths between the Public and the Private, in a sector, such as manufacturing, which has always been central to our economy”, adds Chancellor Sciuto.
The cooperative agreement extends its scope to activities that highlight employment opportunities within UCIMU member companies. This includes the implementation of placement, internship, and traineeship services, along with participation in “Career Day” events organized by Politecnico di Milano.
