Technology and Research: how the Politecnico Supports A&T
A long-standing partner of the event, the Politecnico di Torino brings a wide range of contributions to A&T, all focused on supporting businesses. Once again this year, A&T will showcase the best in technological innovation for manufacturing and testing and the Politecnico will play a key role.
Offering an overview of the university’s participation is Gianmario Pellegrino, professor in the Department of Energy “Galileo Ferraris” (DENERG) and delegate for technology transfer to industry: “The Politecnico is a long-time participant at A&T.” - explains Pellegrino – “This year, we’re bringing 12 student teams who will present their stands and prototypes. In addition, several colleagues will speak on topics such as logistics, additive manufacturing, and artificial intelligence.”
He continues: “As always, the university’s contribution is rooted in our core strengths. First and foremost, our talents—not just students, but many alumni who now work at companies that are key players at A&T”.
The participation of student teams is seen as one of the most valuable aspects of the Politecnico’s presence at the event. Their ability to innovate and develop real-world solutions to technological challenges already plays a vital role in helping businesses grow and become more competitive.
The second "ingredient" that characterizes the presence of the Polytechnic at A&T are the technologies.
Pellegrino emphasizes that: “Incremental innovation in manufacturing and testing is no longer enough. What’s needed is the ability to anticipate and adopt emerging technologies and in that respect, the Politecnico is a true innovation hub”. That’s why the University is working to continually improve its academic offerings, training highly qualified professionals capable of bringing advanced technologies to market. The Politecnico’s approach includes strengthening technology transfer initiatives, guided by a clear innovation strategy. This includes evaluating the true market potential of research, patents, and spinoffs, as well as fostering entrepreneurial culture among students, researchers, and faculty. A tangible example is the "Fucina delle Idee" (“Forge of Ideas”), a physical space where students, starting in their first year, are supported in developing innovative ideas, often in collaboration with local companies.
In terms of research, the University’s contribution to A&T therefore focuses on two areas: additive manufacturing and artificial intelligence, particularly for the mobility and aerospace sectors.
Additive Manufacturing: IAM Supporting Industry
The Politecnico established the Interdepartmental Center for Additive Manufacturing IAM@PoliTo several years ago. Its goal is to build a multidisciplinary research platform that can address key challenges in additive manufacturing, such as materials, systems, design methods, and applications and to contribute, alongside industry partners, to the development of next-generation production systems within the Industry 4.0 framework.
“Together with the Competence Center CIM 4.0, the Politecnico has co-authored a position paper titled ‘Additive Manufacturing: A Key Factor for Industry’, which will be presented during this year’s program - explains Luca Iuliano, professor in the Department of Management and Production Engineering (DIGEP) and coordinator of IAM@PoliTo - the paper is mainly aimed at SMEs and is intended to guide them in adopting additive manufacturing and integrating it with traditional technologies”.
More broadly, the Politecnico’s presence at A&T underscores how companies can leverage the University’s infrastructure and that of CIM 4.0, where the Politecnico is a founding member, to test emerging technologies and prepare for the challenges of tomorrow.
Artificial intelligence, business applications and PA
On the AI front, the Politecnico’s presence at A&T is anchored in HD Motion, a digital hub dedicated to AI and digital applications in the mobility sector. Funded through Italy’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP), HD Motion supports companies and public administrations in their digital transition, with a particular focus on sustainability in mobility.
“AI in mobility management is aimed at improving efficiency, safety, and sustainability - explains Claudio Ettore Casetti, professor in the Department of Control and Computer Engineering (DAUIN) and scientific lead for HD Motion - Just think of urban traffic management systems, where AI can be leveraged to process and learn from the massive amounts of available data”.
What sets the Politecnico apart is its ability to offer end-to-end solutions, enabling companies and public bodies to solve complex challenges autonomously, without relying on third-party platforms.
