This research theme focuses on technologies and manufacturing systems. The goal is to develop new technologies and production processes that are efficient and environmentally friendly. In particular, the sector deals with the transformation processes of materials and information that realize the life cycle of products from their conception to production and eventual recycling and reuse. Processing technologies and manufacturing systems are used in various stages of the production process, along with methods and tools for conception and management.
Entrepreneurship is the process of designing, launching and running a new business, which is often initially a small business. It involves identifying a need in the market and taking the necessary steps to fulfill that need by creating a product or service. Potential avenues of research that a PhD student could investigate include the determinants and effects of entrepreneurship on economic growth and development, the role of innovation in entrepreneurship, and the challenges faced by entrepreneurs in starting and growing their businesses.
The research topic on “Management and digital transformation” involves the integration of digital technology into all areas of a business, resulting in fundamental changes to how businesses operate and deliver value to customers. It requires organizational, cultural and behavioral changes. Digital transformation management responds to the strong demand from productive sectors to train interdisciplinary professional figures, with skills in the fields of computer science and economics: research is exploring the integration of these skills and the associated performance when completing and governing the digital transformation of processes and business models.
The economics of innovation is a growing field of economic theory and applied/experimental economics that emphasizes innovation and entrepreneurship. Some examples of the several avenues of research: the role of creativity, regional dynamics, technology transfer, university-industry relationship. Various methods are employed, especially empirical research (including case studies, econometric analyses and historical research), to support and frame existing economic theory.
This research area studies how to foster economic growth and development while ensuring that natural assets continue to provide the resources and environmental services on which our well-being relies. Sustainability is expected to catalyze investment and innovation which will give rise to new economic opportunities. Current avenues of research investigate the impact of innovation on economic growth with respect to social and environmental sustainability.
The research areas of the Economic Unit deals with firms, markets, institutions and the evaluation and implementation of public policies on different economic domains. In particular, the research is focused on the implications of new digital technologies on competition, firms and market outcomes, on the relationship between globalization and economic development and on the interactions between the firms and the financial and legal institutions.
The research topics in this macro-area concern 3D modeling aimed at product design in these fields and contexts: the industrial and medical ones, in particular the surgical field; the study of user interaction with interfaces, robots, systems thanks to behavioral and emotional analysis; the design of virtual, augmented and mixed reality applications. Artificial intelligence is adopted for mapping, categorizing and predicting the individual's movements and moods, as well as for automating her/his interaction procedures, according to the "augmented human" paradigm. For further information on this area please visit the website www.3dlab.polito.it.
The Research and Innovation in Logistics and Project Management (RESLOG) research group investigates supply chain processes in several industrial contexts, internal logistics processes and warehouses. These topics are accompanied by the analysis of logistic-distribution systems in urban areas and the study of macro- and micro-logistics processes in healthcare contexts.
The Research and Innovation in Logistics and Project Management (RESLOG) group investigates Project Management about a number of key topics concerning the effective management of projects. Methodologies for the application of Project Management processes are studied and developed, including traditional approaches such as Waterfall, innovative methods such as Agile and hybrid solutions that combine both of them. In addition, approaches to Project Portfolio Management are developed to optimize the selection, prioritization, and execution of projects within an organization. Quantitative approaches are then investigated to identify, evaluate and mitigate project risks. Finally, the research also includes the study of Project Financing and Public-Private Partnerships, as well as the development of advanced methodologies for project monitoring and control, using approaches such as Earned Value and mathematical tools based on Machine Learning.