Italian superbike manufacturer Ducati and the University of Bologna have signed a framework cooperation agreement that will soon see them working together in both the research and training fields.
05 May 2015 | 7356 Views | By Autocar Professional Bureau
Italian superbike manufacturer Ducati and the University of Bologna have signed a framework cooperation agreement that will soon see them working together in both the research and training fields.
A new Motor Vehicle Engineering module will be introduced as part of the master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, held in ...
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Italian superbike manufacturer Ducati and the University of Bologna have signed a framework cooperation agreement that will soon see them working together in both the research and training fields.
A new Motor Vehicle Engineering module will be introduced as part of the master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, held in Bologna. This module will draw extensively on the support of Ducati, Bologna’s most renowned motorcycle manufacturer and also an internationally acclaimed designer and producer of sports and racing bikes. In addition to the degree module, Ducati will also be funding a new 3-year research project at the Faculty of Industrial Engineering.
The most significant new development is the Motor Vehicle Engineering module, introduced by the Faculty of Industrial Engineering as part of the Master’s degree course in Mechanical Engineering (School of Engineering and Architecture). The bulk of the module just introduced will be taught in the second academic year (2015/2016). Students interested in the motorcycle industry will therefore have a great opportunity to follow lectures, gain work experience, analyse case studies, engage in work projects, and other thesis-related activities, all in close collaboration with highly qualified Ducati engineering staff.
Constant interaction between the University and Ducati Motor Holding will be ensured not only by the continuous nature of the cooperation, but also by the establishment of a six-member Coordination Committee (three from the University, three from Ducati). The committee will have the task of assessing and planning projects and monitoring their results.
“This framework agreement,” commented the Rector of Bologna University, Ivano Dionigi, “strengthens a longstanding tradition of cooperation with one of the region’s most important engineering firms, a true icon of Italian style famous worldwide. This new Motor Vehicle Engineering module offers an effective response to the demand for industrial training that draws on the very best of Bologna’s mechanical engineering traditions. The aims of the agreement are to promote the exchange of knowledge between business and university, accelerating the process of technological transfer and innovation, while at the same time making it easier for new, highly specialised graduates to find jobs”.
“In the global economy in which the times and costs of information transfer have been dramatically reduced, it’s the knowledge that gives the region its competitive edge,” said Claudio Domenicali, CEO of Ducati Motor Holding. “Ducati competes with the world’s best to produce highly technological yet exhilarating motorcycles, and in the long run it is only a continuous flow of new ideas and innovation that allows the company to be successful. University is one of the best places to generate that creative buzz, and our goal is to actively help generating new ideas and train up new talents. This is essential to keep our region competitive on global markets, bringing research and training, university and business ever-closer together.”