The effort of Politecnico in the digitalization of schools in Milan

In collaboration with the Municipality of Milan and Moncler, Politecnico will provide technical support and training courses to primary and secondary schools to encourage the integration of new technologies in teaching strategies

As part of the collaboration project with the Municipality of Milan and Moncler, thanks to which the primary and secondary schools in Milan will receive a supply of 3.600 tablets, PCs and connections, Politecnico will take care of offering support to schools and teaching staff, with the aim of promoting quality educational planning, which relies on an adequate and intelligent use of technology.

Moncler has donated to primary and middle schools in Milan a supply of approximately 3.600 tablets, PCs and connections based on the reported needs as well as technological support and training courses for the teaching staff. The support and helpdesk service, dedicated to children, will be managed by the Politecnico di Milano through its students. Moncler will also offer, through University professors, a training course aimed at supporting teachers in defining an innovative training model integrated with new technologies. The project has a total value of approximately 2.1 million euros.

Politecnico will be of support in schools: 130 university students will be selected to accompany students and teachers throughout 2021, providing technical support for the use of teaching technologies (devices and software); in addition, our professors will provide a path for 75 teachers of the schools involved in order for them to become agents of change in their own schools. The ultimate goal of the training is that professors can promote methodologies among their colleagues that provide for the integration of new technologies into "traditional" teaching strategies.

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Cover Photo by Tran Mau Tri Tam on Unsplash

The European Commission finances the tests on an innovative hydrogen reactor made in Polimi

With the ERC PoC INSTANT project, prof. Tronconi of the Department of Energy obtains new funding to explore the potential of a compact reactor, more efficient and less invasive from the point of view of environmental impact

European project INSTANT (effIcieNt Small-scale uniT for distributed heAt and hydrogeN generaTion), led by Prof. Enrico Tronconi of the Energy Department aims to develop an efficient catalytic fuel processor as the key component of a compact unit to produce hydrogen. Based on hydrogen-fuel cells and fed by natural gas, air and water, researchers will develop units for combined heat and power (CHP) generation that may be used in small-scale applications, such as the cogeneration of heat and electricity for domestic residential use or refueling hydrogen-powered fuel cell vehicles. Sustainable on-site and on-demand hydrogen generation will reduce or eliminate the transport and storage costs associated with traditional production technologies, improving their energy efficiency and carbon footprint.

INSTANT, funded with 150,000 € under the Horizon2020 program, is a Proof of Concept ERC project that stems from the AdG ERC INTENT project. INTENT developed and validated the concept for a new generation of catalytic reactors to produce energy carriers, with a revised design based on thermally conductive cellular structures packed with catalyst microparticles. With INSTANT, researchers aim to test this novel configuration of the fuel processor on a semi-industrial scale (TRL5). Indicators which will be evaluated during the test sessions include:

  1. H2 productivity for a given catalyst load (target = +30%);
  2. start-up time to full load (target = -30%);
  3. response time to a load change (target = -30%).

Based on the experimental outcomes, INSTANT will also assess the potential for reducing the footprint of the CHP unit, the system volume being currently one of the main constraints for domestic CHP applications, as well as the overall production cost, including life-cycle costs.

If successful, INSTANT will pave the way to a new generation of CHP systems based on hydrogen fuel cells and explore the commercial and social potential of their research work.

Cover photo by Mihály Köles on Unsplash

Anche questo, come tutti i progetti di ricerca del Politecnico di Milano, è possibile grazie ai nostri dottori di ricerca, che sono tra i migliori al mondo. Se vuoi aiutare uno studente bisognoso ad intraprendere il percorso di Dottorato, aiutaci a finanziare una borsa: ogni contributo può fare la differenza. Give now

From Politecnico di Milano, Narvalo masks arrive on Kickstarter

Yes, it is also good against Coronavirus: Narvalo Urban Mask is a certified PPE according to the law, an FFP3 mask equipped with the best filtration standards and an Active Shield (patent pending) that constantly optimizes the internal air flow for maximum comfort and to facilitate respiratory performance

Support the masks Narvalo on Kickstarter

Narvalo's storyread more here on MAP 8) inizia sui banchi della Scuola del Design del Politecnico di Milano dalla tesi di Ewoud Westerduin, con il contributo di Venanzio Arquilla (rivedi il Digital Talks in cui è stata raccontata anche la storia di Narvalo), Professore del Dipartimento di Design e suo relatore di tesi, passa per l’incubatore PoliHub e una serie di test e sperimentazioni all’interno di Polifactory. (Find out more about the research-territory-incubation system of the Politecnico di Milano in the Digital Talk of the Alumni: "Startup, engine for restarting")

Today the spin-off of Politecnico di Milano, Narvalo, launches the campaign on Kickstarter for the industrialization of the second version of its mask: "Active", which contains some important smart electronic components. In the device there is a sensor capable of reading three parameters: pressure, temperature and humidity, which provide a precise and direct reading of the user's respiratory rate and regulate the speed of a fan. This fan extracts the heat and humidity that usually accumulate inside, making breathing more comfortable. The valve can be blocked by inserting the special COVID-19 “plug”. The Narwhal App interacts with the sensors of the mask to report the respiratory rate and monitor the quality of the air along the user's movements. Urban Active filters have a 99% guaranteed filtration level and protect against fine dust, smog, pollen, viruses and bacteria and, thanks to the activated carbon layer, are able to filter odors.

Credits images: Narvalo Design

Rethinking Universities and Research to be competitive in the knowledge economy

The good news is that 40% of Italian universities are among the 1000 best in the world. But the transformations of the economy that have taken place in the last 40 years have been great and our universities are struggling to adapt. Today, the knowledge economy confronts us with the need for a new project for university education.

Alumnus Roger Abravanel, author of Aristocrazia 2.0, a new elite to save Italy (Solferino editions), in his book describes the need for a shift towards a project for the enhancement of a mass meritocracy, which meets the desire of young people to improve and improve their social condition through university studies to access the so-called "high value jobs". In the book, the writer analyzes and tells how the problem of relaunching the Italian economy after the pandemic crisis appears particularly complex and the university system plays a key role in this complexity. Millions of young people today know that a degree from an excellent university is the passport to access the best opportunities for professional growth. These young people, who will become the best scientists, graduates and managers, represent a vital resource for the country.

The themes of the book are discussed at a live event at Politecnico di Milano between the author Roger Abravanel (Director Emeritus McKinsey, advisor and essayist), the rector Ferruccio Resta, the president Alumni Politecnico di Milano Enrico Zio and the Alumni Paolo Bertoluzzo (CEO Nexi), Elena Bottinelli (AD IRCCS San Raffaele Hospital and IRCCS Galeazzi Orthopedic Institute) and Alberto Sangiovanni-Vincentelli (The Edgar L. and Harold H. Buttner Chair of EECS, University of California, Berkeley).

"Why are Italian universities lagging behind?", Is Abravanel's starting question, who in the book talks about the necessary difference between teaching universities and research universities, inviting a comparison with the market model of American universities, with a consequent rethinking of the relationship between public and private financing. The debate comments on a benchmark published in the essay, in which the author compares the Polytechnic, Imperial College and ETH. The difference in access to funding stands out, 467 million euros per year against over 1000 of competitors, and in the relationship between "tenured" teachers, that is, ordinary, young researchers and students.

"At the Politecnico, the per capita investment per single student, each year, is about 10 thousand euros - comments the Rector Ferruccio Resta. In the schools being compared, we are talking about figures of around 80 thousand euros per year ". It is a starting point to keep in mind “without”, adds the Rector, “becoming an alibi”. But it is on the relationship between tenured, researchers and students that the debate focuses in particular, seeking a mediation between economic sustainability, social role and the role of innovation engine of the Polytechnic and the university system as a whole. And on this the rector adds: "Italy has a primacy in the ability of its researchers to attract per capita funds for research, both from Europe and from businesses". An important development lever is therefore to increase investments in young researchers, comments Resta: "Since 2017 we have invested a large part of free resources on this, increasing the number of doctoral students by 50% and that of researchers by 25%", and concludes opening the discussion on some possible structural reforms, in particular that of increasing the autonomy of universities in the management of funding and that of opening up more and more to international alliances.

The importance of young people, and in particular of researchers, is a key topic of the debate. "Focusing on researchers of the highest level is the way to create a virtuous ecosystem" comments Bottinelli, "so that research and innovation can be accelerated from the contamination between different professionals".

Sangiovanni-Vincentelli emphasizes the importance of people, capable of generating ideas. Human capital is the real engine capable of innovating, understanding and accompanying the development process from universities to businesses, which, for their part, feed the research system with new problems and new questions. He also talks about cross-fertilization, referring to the mobility of researchers in American universities and in the rest of the world, adding that "it is the ecosystem that counts: without large universities, without the proximity of large companies, SMEs and startups, there is no development".

In the book, Abravanel proposes a long-term program to make Italian universities less and less dependent on public funding, while emphasizing the importance of continuing to guarantee the right to education. Bertoluzzo comments: "the diversification between teaching universities and research universities can really be a way to recompose the dichotomy between the need to have many, good, graduates to be included in the world of work but at the same time excellent researchers", who feed ideas into the system research and innovation. In emphasizing once again the importance of the right to study for all, central to not stopping the social elevator, Bertoluzzo focuses on the importance of creating a system between teaching and research universities. “It is difficult to separate the two missions: we must prevent these two worlds from drifting apart, there must be mutual interaction. And also interaction with the business world. Proximity is essential to prevent the university from taking a path that takes it away from what the country needs, and vice versa, businesses need to be close to the university "

The Rector concludes: "We must have the courage to enhance the vocations, relations with the territory, and the strengths of each university”

Politecnico, 1st in Italy and among the top 20 universities worldwide in Engineering, Architecture & Design

The general QS World University Rankings places Politecnico di Milano 1st in Italy and 137th  in the world. The analysis takes into account 6 indicators: Politecnico is particularly strong in Academic Reputation, i.e. the evaluation of the best universities by academics in that sector, and in Employer Reputation, an international survey in which 40,000 employers indicate which are the universities from which they prefer to hire talent. The other indicators are the ratio between the number of students and that of teachers, the number of scientific citations per researcher, the presence of international teachers and students.

"Politecnico di Milano grows in the international rankings and confirms its position of excellence. We are proud of this – comments the Rector, Ferruccio Resta - but we need to move forward. Covid has confronted us with choices that will change the university's future. Digital technology, international collaboration, and new teaching and research methods are the levers that we must use to reconfigure our global position and direct the growth of universities and the regions where they operate.”

QS World University Rankings also compares the university according to its disciplinary field: this approach is more relevant for Politecnico, because it is a technical university and not a generalist one and therefore deals with a smaller number of disciplines. In the Italian panorama, Politecnico di Milano is confirmed again first both in Engineering (in all the subjects analyzed by QS: Computer Science & Information Systems; Chemical Engineering; Civil & Structural Engineering; Electrical & Electronic Engineering; Mechanical, Aeronautical & Manufacturing Engineering ) and in Architecture and Design. In the global ranking, we are in 5th position for design, 10th  for architecture and 20th for engineering & technology.

In making the QS Ranking one of the most relevant indicators is the Employer Reputation. 
For this reason we invite our Alumni to express their opionion by participating in the QS Global Employer Survey – Sign Up 2021.

Se vuoi aiutare studenti brillanti e bisognosi a studiare al Politecnico, contribuisci alla creazione di una borsa di studio. Even with a small contribution you can help a needy and deserving student: Give now

Corriere della Sera: relaunching Italy starting from universities of excellence

"To compete in the knowledge economy, which is made up of ideas, innovation and science, Italy must deeply rethink its university and research system": Corriere della Sera on Tuesday, March 2nd summarizes yesterday's debate, March 1st, live with the Alumni of the Politecnico di Milano.

In the virtual and classroom (between virtual and digital, in connection between Milan and the USA), Roger Abravanel (Director Emeritus McKinsey, advisor and essayist), the rector Ferruccio Resta, the president Alumni Politecnico di Milano Enrico Zio and the Alumni Paolo Bertoluzzo (CEO Nexi), Elena Bottinelli (AD IRCCS San Raffaele Hospital and IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Galeazzi) and Alberto Sangiovanni-Vincentelli (The Edgar L. and Harold H. Buttner Chair of EECS, University of California, Berkeley) discuss it.

The speakers comment on the importance of investing in the university-research-industry system, with a focus on the difference between teaching universities and research universities, and identifying young researchers as an important development lever. Resta comments: "Since 2017 we have invested a large part of free resources precisely in this, increasing the number of doctoral students by 50% and that of researchers by 25%", and concludes by opening the discussion on some possible structural reforms, in particular that of increasing the autonomy of universities in the management of funding and that of opening up more and more to international alliances.

Soon the video of the event will be uploaded, a part of the Alumni Politecnico di Milano Digital Talks cycle: meetings with Alumni and experts from all over the world to talk about research, professional developments in today's world and themes of innovation, human capital, entrepreneurship and society.

Digital Talks are free meetings with Alumni and experts from all over the world to talk about polytechnic research, discover the professional evolutions of today's world, experience the international soul of the Politecnico and discuss issues of innovation, human capital, entrepreneurship and society in a continuous exchange of knowledge and experiences.
Do you wish to support the project? Give now

The future of the university is not taught remotely

“We are now one year after patient zero, the first case in Codogno. It was a difficult and complex year, but it also gave us the chance of having the privilege of decision, of responsibility ", says the rector of Politecnico di Milano Ferruccio Resta in an interview to askanews.

It took the Politecnico 15 days to transfer teaching to digital platforms, with the primary goal of securing students' careers. Once that was completed , the University has started planning for the future. "We must now find a balance, understand how these tools are still valid".

Returning to classrooms in presence, according to the rector, is important "because relationship and comparison are the basis of every training process”. If it is true that the pandemic, like the University, found us prepared and responsive, now it is important to look ahead and plan the next steps, to ground what we have learned and what we have missed in recent months.

 “We need to undertake a training path that is not simply notional, but is personal growth”, comments the Rector. In short, the value of university education also lies in experience, in the project, in joint work, in multicultural and multisocial communities. "Every time one manages to rearrange one's ideas, to compare oneself with other people, to expose them, to tell them, to listen to criticism, it grows and whenever this fails we are losing an important piece of training, but also of life".

Aristocracy 2.0 | a new élite to save Italy

"Without high-tech universities of excellence, no high-tech entrepreneurs are made, people who found corporate giants creating high value jobs in return."
Ing. Roger Abravanel, "Aristocracy 2.0 a new élite to save Italy"

A few days ago the book Aristocracy 2.0 a new élite to save Italy of the Alumnus and member of the Advisory Board of the Politecnico di Milano Roger Abravanel.

In the book, the writer analyzes how the problem of relaunching the Italian economy after the pandemic crisis appears particularly complex and how the university system plays a key role in this goal. Millions of young people know today that a degree from an excellent university is the passport to access the best opportunities for professional growth. These young people, who will become the best scientists, graduates and managers, represent a vital resource for the country.

We will discuss it on Monday March 1st with the author Roger Abravanel (Director Emeritus McKinsey, advisor and author), the rector Ferruccio Resta, the president of the Alumni Polytechnic of Milan Enrico Zio and the Alumni Paolo Bertoluzzo (CEO Nexi), Elena Bottinelli (AD IRCCS San Raffaele Hospital and IRCCS Galeazzi Orthopedic Institute) and Alberto Sangiovanni-Vincentelli (The Edgar L. and Harold H. Buttner Chair of EECS, University of California, Berkeley).

Live Monday March 1st 2021 | 18:00 
The event will be an opportunity to discuss the essay by Alumnus ing. Roger Abravanel Aristocracy 2.0 | a new élite to save Italy (Solferino editions).

The essay, written by Alumnus and member of the Advisory Board of the Politecnico di Milano Roger Abravaneltells how the challenges of post-Covid require a profound transformation of our economic paradigm to exploit the opportunities of the acceleration of the knowledge economy and the birth of a new ruling class, which the author defines as a new aristocracy of talent and education..

Abravanel outlines interesting development scenarios for the university system in the knowledge economy.

The comparison will address the following topics:
Why is the knowledge economy leading to a profound global transformation in the world of university and research?

What do the best Italian universities lack to compete successfully in this transformation?

In conclusion, how to start the transformation towards a university of excellence? What concrete proposal is outlined in the essay?

Together with the author, Alumnus Roger Abravanel, will also be with us the rector Ferruccio Resta, the president of the Alumni Politecnico di Milano Enrico Zio and the Alumni Paolo Bertoluzzo, Elena Bottinelli and Alberto Sangiovanni-Vincentelli, who will bring an international perspective on the impact of the knowledge economy on universities, on the world of venture capital of large digital companies, health care and life science.

Partecipants:
Roger Abravanel | Director Emeritus McKinsey, advisor and writer
Paolo Bertoluzzo CEO Nexi
Elena Bottinelli CEO IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele and IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Galeazzi
Ferruccio Resta| Rector of Politecnico di Milano
Alberto Sangiovanni Vincentelli| The Edgar L. and Harold H. Buttner Chair of EECS, University of California, Berkeley

Moderator:
Enrico Zio | Rector's Delegate for Alumni and President of the Association of the Alumni of Politecnico di Milano

4 Alumni of Politecnico di Milano in Luna Rossa’s team

The Italian crew beat the British team 7-1 during the last Prada Cup, taking Luna Rossa to the America's Cup for the first time in 21 years.
Luna Rossa will have the opportunity to challenge the defender and host Emirates Team New Zealand from March 6th, in the 36th edition of the America's Cup, the oldest sporting trophy in the world.

The boats used during the final are a mixture of a sailboat, a catamaran and a hydrofoil. Jokingly called "boats with mustaches", they have lateral appendages whose movement allows the hull to sail raised from the surface of the water, reaching almost 50 knots of speed, more than 90 km / h.

The new hulls are the result of three years of study, tests and experiments, elegant in their perfect aerodynamics, ready to dance on the race course between one maneuver and another, always having to deal with the dreaded wind changes. 

In the italian team 4 Alumni of Politecnico di Milano:

Alessandro Franceschetti, Head of Structural Engineering, Alumnus Polimi Ingegneria dei Materiali
Fabrizio Marabini, Performance, Alumnus Polimi Ingegneria Aeronautica
Stefano Baruffaldi, Drone – Electronics, Alumnus Polimi Disegno Industriale
Andrea Romani, Base Operations Manager, Alumnus Polimi Architettura

Cover photo © LM/DPPI/Chris Cameron / IPA

Credits home: https://it.fashionnetwork.com/news/Luna-rossa-vince-la-prada-cup,1281691.html

Researching, writing and collecting news about the achievements of Alumni from all over the world are one of the many services that we offer free of charge to all Alumni of the Politecnico di Milano. Do you want to give us a hand? Give now

What is the job status of graduate students 5 years from graduation?

5 years from graduation, 98% of italian graduate students are employed with a net income of 2.063 euros.

Employment for graduate students of Politecnico has grown by 7% in 4 years (91% employed 1 year from degree) and salaries increased by 600 euros in the same span of time (1.463 net income in one year time)

82% of graduates are employed by a company and 88% have a fixed contract. In 4 years the number of graduates with a fixed contract has increased by +36%. 92% are employed in the private sector and 55% works for a SMEs. The italian market is still the main destination of employment for the majority of graduates. 

College is a springboard, a wealth of knowledge and tools that we put into practice over many years to follow. It is the basis for all our subsequent experience in the professional world. This is why we believe it is important to measure the value of the degree and its spendability over time: to understand how our graduates move in the world of work, to what extent they grow not only in economic terms, but also in terms of transversal skills and classification.

In 2020 thanks to the support of Alumni we were able to assign 87 scholarships. If you wish to support young students in need to join Politecnico, Give now

Agreement between the Municipality of Milan and Politecnico di Milano for the future of the Bovisa-Goccia area

Last Thursday, February 11th, the urban redevelopment project for the future of the Bovisa-Goccia area was presented during a press conference on the Framework Agreement between the Municipality of Milan and Politecnico di Milano. The guidelines of the project were illustrated by the Mayor of Milan Giuseppe Sala, the Councilor for Urban Planning Pierfrancesco Maran and the Rector of Politecnico di Milano Ferruccio Resta

The project includes, among other interventions, a 100 million euro investment by the University, which will expand its presence in the Bovisa district where, as the rector explains, 20,000 students and 5 of the 12 departments of the University are based. The redevelopment of the district includes a new university area surrounded by 215,000 square meters of greenery: the Parco della Goccia and the Parco dei Gasometri. The overall development of the area includes four related projects: the Garden of Arts and Sciences; the new building of the Department of Energy; Smart City Innovation inside the first of the two former gasometers and the Fabbrica dello Sport in the second of the former gasometers.

The works for the Gasometers Park will begin as soon as the last administrative steps are completed, "by the end of 2021", explains Resta, they should be finished. Also by the end of the year, construction sites will start to reconvert the two gasometers, which will last two years. "In the northern gasometer", continues Resta, "we have four levels, covering an area of ​​ten thousand square meters. In the basement, there will be a 25x16 swimming pool and some play pools, the second level will be multisport with pitches and stands; paddle in the third with fitness area. The terrace will be green, with an outdoor field, where you can play basketball on top of the roof."

As for the southern gasometer, it is 20,000 square meters spread over eight levels: “in the first, there are going to be microelectronics and sensors laboratories for artificial intelligence”, continues the rector. “The next three floors will instead be dedicated to Polihub, our start-up incubator: today we have 120 start-ups, but we aim to double them. The last level will host companies to create an ecosystem of innovation with those who want to develop together with the Politecnico. The university follows two guidelines: "Technology as a tool and sustainability as a goal" continues Resta, confirming the University's commitment to participate in the transformation of the city and intercept the needs of the new generations. "In this context, the well-being and quality of the spaces is fundamental", as is the proximity to an important research and innovation center such as the Politecnico di Milano. "The two gasometers they will be extraordinary containers of some of the driving functions for the world of innovation, entrepreneurship, training, well-being and culture with the aim of promoting the growth of a knowledge and innovation district that starts from the university and which extends to the community. A concrete response for sustainable and inclusive development”, concludes Resta.

Cover photo from Repubblica.it

Credits home: https://milano.repubblica.it/cronaca/2022/05/31/news/renzo_piano_campus_bovisa_politecnico_progetto_boeri_kipar_resta_gasometri_goccia-351875576/