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FINCANTIERI AND GENOA UNIVERSITY TOGETHER FOR NAVAL TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION
23 set 2013
23 set 2013
Fincantieri, one of the world's leading shipbuilding groups, together with Genoa University's Polytechnic School, is promoting Innovation Challenge, an invitation to tender aimed at selecting projects in the field of naval technology innovation for subsequent industrialization.
The initiative, arising from the prestigious and well-established collaboration between the company and Genoa University, will be financed by Fincantieri with a total investment of up to Euro 500 thousand.
The initiative will seek to capitalize on and develop the best ideas originating from the university in order to translate them into product innovations in areas most critical to competitive advantage, such as product cost and weight reductions, quality perceptions, greater energy efficiency and payload maximization, in other words all those factors that provide shipping companies with a financial return.
The first phase of the tender involves a "call for ideas" from the 5 departments in Genoa University's Polytechnic School, taking the areas indicated by Fincantieri as the starting point. Six proposals will then be selected to receive funding of Euro 15,000 each in order to conduct further research in the following three months. The two projects judged most interesting in terms of innovation will be supported and funded up to Euro 200 thousand each, allowing them to reach the industrialization phase.
Fincantieri will have the task of evaluating ideas and plans and of financing the initiative, while Cetena, its naval engineering research subsidiary, will help evaluate proposals as well as be in charge of coordinating and overseeing activities in the industrialization phase. The evaluation grid will focus on the quality of science and technology (solidity and quality of objectives, effectiveness of the methodology) and on results (impact on Fincantieri's manufacturing model, applicability to the product).
The Genoa University's Polytechnic School will act as the reservoir of ideas and will be involved through its departments in implementing the chosen projects.
Innovation Challenge forms part of a series of initiatives promoted by Fincantieri in the field of Open Innovation, a model of collaboration between companies and research bodies that has emerged in recent years especially in the most innovative industries, such as ICT and Biotech, and in the most technologically advanced countries.
Giuseppe Bono, CEO of Fincantieri, said: "This collaboration represents a very important step for strengthening and revitalizing Fincantieri's technological leadership. We are the first in Italy to adopt the Open Innovation model in a traditional industry like shipbuilding, characterized by a highly specialized production system. We are confident that this initiative will strengthen our ties with the world of higher education and enhance the spread of a more conscious corporate culture even in the academic sphere, both of which are key factors for making the most of the wealth of knowledge and know-how available in our country." Bono concluded: "This is why we are ready to extend this collaboration to other universities."
Giacomo Deferrari, Rector of Genoa University, said: "I consider it essential that universities have a close and constant relationship with the productive sector. Collaboration with the business world is even more essential at a time of economic crisis. The agreement with Fincantieri is a clear example of best practice; this is a meeting on the one hand between one of the world's leading shipbuilders and on the other one of the leading names in the field of education and research. I would like to extend my personal thanks to Giuseppe Bono and Fincantieri's entire management team for their confidence in our ability to invest in research and to transfer technology."
Aristide Fausto Massardo, Dean of Genoa University’s Polytechnic School, said: "The idea of collaborating with Fincantieri is very innovative for the university and we are very proud to be developing the Innovation Challenge together with a world leader in naval technology, for which our School’s history and expertise are unique within Italy. The approach agreed represents a great challenge for researchers in the Polytechnic School's departments, who now have a unique opportunity to present their ideas on a wide range of technical and scientific matters." Massardo concluded: "I am also sure that we will provide the company with concrete responses within the agreed deadlines, as I am similarly convinced that this will be a very important step forward in the collaboration between Fincantieri and our School."
The initiative, arising from the prestigious and well-established collaboration between the company and Genoa University, will be financed by Fincantieri with a total investment of up to Euro 500 thousand.
The initiative will seek to capitalize on and develop the best ideas originating from the university in order to translate them into product innovations in areas most critical to competitive advantage, such as product cost and weight reductions, quality perceptions, greater energy efficiency and payload maximization, in other words all those factors that provide shipping companies with a financial return.
The first phase of the tender involves a "call for ideas" from the 5 departments in Genoa University's Polytechnic School, taking the areas indicated by Fincantieri as the starting point. Six proposals will then be selected to receive funding of Euro 15,000 each in order to conduct further research in the following three months. The two projects judged most interesting in terms of innovation will be supported and funded up to Euro 200 thousand each, allowing them to reach the industrialization phase.
Fincantieri will have the task of evaluating ideas and plans and of financing the initiative, while Cetena, its naval engineering research subsidiary, will help evaluate proposals as well as be in charge of coordinating and overseeing activities in the industrialization phase. The evaluation grid will focus on the quality of science and technology (solidity and quality of objectives, effectiveness of the methodology) and on results (impact on Fincantieri's manufacturing model, applicability to the product).
The Genoa University's Polytechnic School will act as the reservoir of ideas and will be involved through its departments in implementing the chosen projects.
Innovation Challenge forms part of a series of initiatives promoted by Fincantieri in the field of Open Innovation, a model of collaboration between companies and research bodies that has emerged in recent years especially in the most innovative industries, such as ICT and Biotech, and in the most technologically advanced countries.
Giuseppe Bono, CEO of Fincantieri, said: "This collaboration represents a very important step for strengthening and revitalizing Fincantieri's technological leadership. We are the first in Italy to adopt the Open Innovation model in a traditional industry like shipbuilding, characterized by a highly specialized production system. We are confident that this initiative will strengthen our ties with the world of higher education and enhance the spread of a more conscious corporate culture even in the academic sphere, both of which are key factors for making the most of the wealth of knowledge and know-how available in our country." Bono concluded: "This is why we are ready to extend this collaboration to other universities."
Giacomo Deferrari, Rector of Genoa University, said: "I consider it essential that universities have a close and constant relationship with the productive sector. Collaboration with the business world is even more essential at a time of economic crisis. The agreement with Fincantieri is a clear example of best practice; this is a meeting on the one hand between one of the world's leading shipbuilders and on the other one of the leading names in the field of education and research. I would like to extend my personal thanks to Giuseppe Bono and Fincantieri's entire management team for their confidence in our ability to invest in research and to transfer technology."
Aristide Fausto Massardo, Dean of Genoa University’s Polytechnic School, said: "The idea of collaborating with Fincantieri is very innovative for the university and we are very proud to be developing the Innovation Challenge together with a world leader in naval technology, for which our School’s history and expertise are unique within Italy. The approach agreed represents a great challenge for researchers in the Polytechnic School's departments, who now have a unique opportunity to present their ideas on a wide range of technical and scientific matters." Massardo concluded: "I am also sure that we will provide the company with concrete responses within the agreed deadlines, as I am similarly convinced that this will be a very important step forward in the collaboration between Fincantieri and our School."