The speed of technological progress forces us to break through the boundaries between academic disciplines and to move our attention away from discoveries themselves to their application, and so to the multidisciplinary skills that are necessary to apply them.

Many of the technological themes in the National Industry 4.0 Plan are embodied in the Strategic Plan through the dissemination of the University’s know-how and through extending its know-how in response to the needs of the local business sector. However, beyond medium and long term projects, this effort to support competitiveness requires the ability to solve real technical problems that have an immediate impact on the industrial sector and the ability to train individuals who can translate their knowledge into innovation.

The projects below aim to improve the competitiveness of the nation:

  • intelligent and additive  manufacturing (AIMI4.0 - Additive and Intelligent Manufacturing for Industry 4.0);
  • quantum technologies (Q@TN - Quantum Science and Technologies in  Trento);
  • development of digital vehicles (VDSD - Veicoli Digitali su Strade Digitali);
  • modelling and simulation (M&S - Modelling & Simulation);
  • energy storage (ERICSOL - area interdipartimentale per la ricerca su immagazzinamento di Energia RInnovabile e Combustibili SOLari);
  • the School of Innovation (SoI – School of Innovation);
  • the Master’s degree in Data Science (DS - corso di laurea magistrale in Data Science);
  • the Master’s degree in Communication of Science and Innovation (SCICOMM - Master in COMMunication of SCIence and innovation);
  • the Leadership School (LEADERSHIP).

These projects go side by side with the fruitful collaboration of the University’s departments with local companies in both training and research. Examples of this collaboration are the “Contamination lab” and the degree courses in the area of technological innovation, such as the Master’s degrees in Innovation Management, Human-Computer Interaction, Quantitative and Computational Biology, Mechatronics Engineering, Informatics and Innovation, and Energy Engineering.

Strategic projects

AIMI4.0 - Additive and Intelligent Manufacturing for Industry 4.0

The purpose of the project is to make the University of Trento a centre of competence in the area of additive technologies and Industry 4.0 by integrating the research activities of the participating departments and reinforcing the capacity to transfer knowledge at the local level, including through collaboration with the ProM Facility of Polo Meccatronica (Mechatronics Hub).
Another goal of the project is to share and give visibility to the skills and results achieved, by strengthening technology transfer with tailored training and support activities aimed at local businesses.

VDSD - Veicoli digitali su strade digitali
(Digital vehicles on digital roads)

The project aims to establish an inter-departmental and inter-institutional laboratory that cooperates closely with businesses in the automotive industry. The research areas currently envisaged concern the development of connectivity, of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) for autonomous driving, of cyber security, and of the application of new materials and technologies.
The project will operate at three levels: education, research, and “local innovation”, to facilitate cooperation with the industrial partners.

M&S - Modelling & Simulation

The goal of the project is to develop shared and cross-sector computing tools for modelling and simulation and to train University staff (technicians and researchers) to efficiently manage, configure and use them. Students, PhD students, technicians, and researchers will be involved in teaching and training initiatives on cross-sector techniques for mathematical/physical modelling and methodologies for the implementation and development of codes for advanced computing, to create a new interdisciplinary research area for the sharing and development of modelling methodologies across physics, engineering, and mathematics.

ERiCSol - Area interdipartimentale per la ricerca su immagazzinamento di energia rinnovabile e combustibili solari

(Interdepartmental area for research on renewable energy storage and solar fuels)

ERiCSoI project website 

The project aims to establish an interdepartmental area involving four departments and one research centre to carry out research on renewable energy and solar fuels in order to create a centre of reference, in Trento, for research, development and professional training in this field.
In addition to specific research activities, the project will train new researchers in the field of renewable energies, with a focus on multidisciplinarity that takes in physics, chemistry, surface science and catalysis, materials science, engineering and synthetic biology.

SoI - School of Innovation

SoI project website

The purpose of this project is to create an interdepartmental School of Innovation which offers multidisciplinary education opportunities, merging management and economics competences with the specialist and technical competences of different disciplines. The project will collaborate with organizations that promote entrepreneurship and the dissemination of innovation at the local level, and serve as a driver for social innovation initiatives. This interdepartmental structure, similar to those established in US institutes of technology, will mainly involve master’s and PhD students of the participating departments and aims to enrich the programme offered to students and to promote the creation of other courses, including through new forms of interactive teaching.

DS - Data Science

Master degree in Data Science website 

The main objective of this project is to establish a Master’s degree in Data Science with the participation of five departments, one research centre and Fondazione Bruno Kessler.

The purpose of this new degree is to develop professional data scientists who have skills in the use of information technology and more general quantitative techniques that are essential to data science, as well as an in-depth knowledge of how data is acquired, handled and interpreted in the social sciences.
There will be a single degree programme, suitable for both students with a quantitative background and students with a background in social sciences.

SCICOMM - Master in Communication of Science and Innovation

SCICOMM project website

The project aims to prepare the content and syllabus for the Master’s degree in Communication of Science and Innovation, which will be taught in English. The purpose of the master’s is to train professionals who will play a key role in defining the communication, dialogue and public engagement strategies at higher education and research and innovation institutions (universities, research institutes and innovation centres), museums and new-generation science centres.

LEAD - Leadership

The purpose of the project is to design a highly innovative training programme on leadership for students and company managers.
The programme will integrate the managerial and organizational skills of management and leadership with skills in neuroscience and language. This advanced training project is a response to the current inadequacy of courses on the subject, which still use traditional generalist methods lacking in innovation.

Documents are available in Italian.

Progetti che prevedono la ricerca scientifica e innovazione tecnologica per la competitività del paese
Progetti che prevedono la ricerca scientifica e innovazione tecnologica per la competitività del paese