Building on a long-standing alliance that has seen them work on key projects and develop new skills, Bologna University and Imola-based SACMI - the leading producer and marketer of machines and complete plants for the Ceramics, Packaging and Advanced Materials sectors - have just signed a new five-year agreement
Bologna, 1st October 2024 - Bologna University and SACMI have renewed the Framework Agreement that sees them cooperate in areas ranging from research, innovation, technological development and scientific consultancy to higher education and careers guidance. The five-year protocol was signed today, by Dean Giovanni Molari and the President of SACMI, Paolo Mongardi.
This Agreement renews a mutually rewarding educational and scientific partnership model. Over the years, numerous synergies have been created, strengthening the business model of SACMI - world-leading provider of technology to the ceramics, packaging and advanced materials sectors - and furthering the institutional goals of Bologna University.
Research and technology transfer play key roles in a multi-faceted partnership that involves joint participation in regional, national and international research tenders/programs, the establishment of shared infrastructure (labs) and scientific publications. Accordingly, the agreement acknowledges the rationale, aims and methods of the various projects already completed or in progress... and takes them into the future. While the first Framework Agreement between SACMI and the Alma Mater dates back to 2018, numerous research and industrial agreements were already in place during the 2000s.
The Agreement also renews the Coordination Committee, set up to identify priorities and monitor the progress of joint projects. Specific implementational contracts, referred to in the document, streamline every aspect of each project: from staffing set-ups to management of industrial property rights, all in keeping with company policy and the statutory provisions of the University.
As one might expect, training - both technical-specialist in specific areas and multi-disciplinary - plays a pivotal role in the partnership. This includes both training for SACMI employees (i.e. to develop internal skills as per needs) by drawing on the University's resources, and opportunities for graduates and undergraduates to access thesis, internship and post-graduate opportunities within the company's Italian and international facilities. Every year, in fact, SACMI hosts dozens of students completing their dissertations, research associates and PhD students to realize key development projects concerning the different Businesses. No less than 146 young people have benefited from these in-company experiences and/or been taken on by the company since 2021 alone.
This historic partnership between SACMI and the University has generated several successes. For example, in 2012, a joint research facility was set up within the Rigid Packaging Laboratory following an agreement between SACMI and Unibo CIRI-MAM (Interdepartmental Center for Advanced Mechanics and Materials). Its initial aim was to investigate and characterize materials developed with proprietary SACMI CCM (continuous compression molding) technology.
This ‘experiment’ (i.e. the institution of a true joint LAB with state-of-the-art equipment, shared by company and university) proved to be highly successful and has, over the years, led to multiple lines of research.
“We’re excited to announce the signing of this latest agreement with SACMI. Our partnership has gone from strength to strength over the years, and this renewal offers further opportunities to build ties between higher education and the manufacturing world”, stated Dean Giovanni Molari. “We believe the university to be not just a training ground for new talent, but also a powerful driver of progress. Our relationship with SACMI is solid and mutually rewarding. It involves a range of multidisciplinary activities involving several university research groups, lecturers, researchers and many of our students. This agreement highlights our commitment to reinforcing relations with our partners so we can build a more sustainable, inclusive, technologically sophisticated future”.
“We’re proud to be renewing this strategic partnership”, points out Paolo Mongardi, President of SACMI, “as it reflects both our values and our development goals. Working alongside the University goes hand-in-glove with our vision of the future, which means maintaining our high standing on a market that’s hungry for innovation and research and, above all, creating synergies that fortify our team by bringing new talent into the company”.