Italian Technology Award Programs

Now in its second decade, the ITA - Italian Trade Agency (ICEAgenzia, in Italian; www.ice.it/en), along with several partners, has sponsored the Italian Technology Award. ITA and its partners have made it possible for groups of students and professors, not only from NAFTA but from around the world, to gain firsthand knowledge of Italian technology for the machinery manufacturing industries, including machine tools, textile, plastic, ceramic, glass and packaging.

In November, awarded students and faculty of these programs will take part in an educational program at Università Carlo Cattaneo, in Varese, Italy, along with visits to leading Italian machinery manufacturers.

ITA program partners have been able to connect students, faculty members and Italian companies and associations that have been part of program thanks to the online alumni network of past and present winners. The ITA alumni network allows participants to continue exchanging ideas and experiences through social media. Previous and current students and faculty have ccess via the web site www.machinesitalia.org/itaalumni.

Italian Machine Tool Technology

The Italian Machine Tool Technology Award (IMTTA) program asks upper-level students attending premier North American

universities to write theses on contemporary innovations and issues taking place in mechanical engineering-related industries.

For longer than a decade here in the U.S., the IMTTA has been coordinated and sponsored through the ITA’s Chicago Office, and co-sponsored in Italy by UCIMUSISTEMI PER PRODURRE - Association of Italian Manufacturers of Machine Tools, Robots, Automation Systems and Ancillary Products (www.ucimu.it), and recently in the U.S. has worked with SME (www.sme.org). This year will also see the second edition of IMTTA Canada and the third edition of IMTTA Mexico, coordinated by the ITA’s Toronto and Mexico City Offices, respectively. Canadian and Mexican students will have the opportunity to experience educational and intercultural activities with their counterparts from other countries while in Italy.

Italian Packaging Technology

The Italian Technology Award program includes the Italian Packaging Technology Award (IPTA), known in Mexico as IPaTA (Mexico’s fourth edition), specific to the packaging technology sector. The IPTA program awards student winners of a writing competition on technical innovations in packaging with a trip to Italy to visit leading packaging machinery manufacturers.

The IPTA program in North America is coordinated and organized by the Italian Trade Agency’s Chicago and Mexico City Offices, and co-sponsored in Italy by UCIMA - Italian Packaging Machinery Manufacturers Association (www.ucima.it), along with major academic institutions in the U.S. and Mexico recognized for their studies in packaging engineering.

Italian Glassworking Technology

The Italian Glassworking Technology Award (IGTA) will be conducted in the U.S. for its third edition and in Canada for its first. It is organized by the ITA’s Houston and Toronto Offices and co-sponsored in Italy by GIMAV, the Association of Italian manufacturers and suppliers of machinery, equipment and special products for glass processing (www.gimav.it). This program brings students and faculty from leading academic institutions in the U.S. recognized for their studies in glass-related technologies.

Italian Plastic Technology

The Italian Plastic Technology Award (IPTA) was developed to further developed Italian Technological Center in Puebla. AMAPLAST - Italian Plastics and Rubber Processing Machinery and Moulds Manufacturers’ Association (www. amaplast. org) has championed projects of further tech education and innovation in Mexico, through the Technological Center and IPTA’s six editions.

Italian Ceramic Technology

The Italian Ceramic Technology Award (ICTA) was pioneered in Mexico and works as reinforcement for students linked to the ceramic industry. Together, ITA and ACIMAC - Association of Italian Ceramic Machinery Manufacturers (www.acimac. it) have been promoting seven editions of the award, with more than 20 award-winning students.

The Mission

The initiative’s fundamental mission is to enrich the engineering education of North American students while providing a fast track to the academic research conducted by students all the way through a ready audience of Italian machinery manufacturers, for their consideration and potential implementation. Some research of note from the 2017 edition in the area of machine tools included the creation of new mechanical bonds of metals and materials and addressing applications that reduce material volume thus keeping production and distribution costs low. The research related to the packaging sector included the design of a machine running only with pneumatic air and the analysis of technologies behind smart packaging like bags for potato chips with alcohol detection systems to prevent drunk driving.