The Muviq–Politecnico experience: advanced technology and solid scientific culture
The collaboration between Muviq and Politecnico di Torino, in particular with the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering-DIMEAS and the Interdepartmental Center CARS, represents over 25 years of productive collaboration, founded on the value of the people involved, and their scientific and research expertise. Today, this collaboration is a strong example of what can be achieved when a company and university find common spaces for work.
“We started with limited, specific contracts on a few research projects and supported some students through their theses. Everything then took on a more complete form in 2020 with a Partnership Agreement,” explains Federico Licata, Director of Innovation and IP Manager at Muviq, a company leading in innovative mobility solutions.
Initially focused on mechanics, the activity soon expanded into mechatronics for automotive applications as the market and technology evolved. But why establish a collaboration with Politecnico? Licata is clear:
“A company – he explains – cannot possess the deep and transversal expertise of a major university like Politecnico. We certainly have technical and technological capabilities, but, as has happened, we may face new challenges for which we lack the necessary skills. Beyond this, Politecnico brings a rigorously scientific approach that a company cannot achieve with the level of detail required”.
This is a crucial point regarding a specific aspect of business activity: alongside product engineering, it is essential to fully understand the product itself and the context in which it will operate. “For Muviq, simulating the system in which our product will operate has often been the factor that meant greater competitiveness in the market,” emphasizes Federico Licata.
The benefits for Politecnico are also significant. “Over the years, we have developed and tested a highly innovative way of working: creating teams composed of our researchers and company technicians. We moved beyond the simple ‘contract-based work,’ where researchers work independently to produce a solution, toward projects carried out by groups composed of mixed Politecnico–company personnel and infrastructure,” explains Andrea Tonoli, DIMEAS professor, noting that today Muviq technicians work daily in shared offices at Politecnico. This “visibility” on company-specific topics and approaches also brings advantages for Politecnico’s research and teaching.
Two examples further illustrate the achievements. First, Muviq has funded a specific teaching position within Politecnico, based precisely on the joint work conducted over the years. “It is a highly prestigious and unconventional initiative that demonstrates the level of collaboration we have reached,” emphasizes Nicola Amati, also a DIMEAS professor and coordinator of the CARS Center. “In addition to the professor position, Muviq also supports several doctoral scholarships in vehicle engineering to develop joint research topics”.
The second example concerns a project funded by Regione Piemonte – Piattaforme Tecnologiche: AUTO-ECO, in which Muviq and CARS, together with other local partners, developed a new hybrid powertrain for a commercial vehicle (an Iveco Daily), capable of integrating assisted driving with improved energy efficiency and emission control.
Today, depending on the project, the joint Muviq–Politecnico activity involves 10 to 15 people. They collaborate on projects and execution methods, pooling different and complementary skills and bringing diverse perspectives to the complex field of automotive technology.
This situation is effectively summarized by Licata, Tonoli, and Amati, who agree: “Academics feel the need to understand the company context and its way of thinking; company technicians need close ties with research and academia to gain scientific feedback on their work.” In this way, the “product” of the collaboration is not only a high-tech object but also a cultural and human growth that would be difficult to achieve otherwise.