INTERVIEW WITH FRANCESCO ORTIX: MADE IN ITALY, INNOVATION & YOUTH

INTERVIEW WITH FRANCESCO ORTIX

In a global context in which competition is growing and market dynamics are changing rapidly, what strategies do you consider essential to strengthen the value of Made in Italy and protect the uniqueness of Italian products?

Enhancing the value of Made in Italy is a commitment ART delivers on a daily basis: resources, highly specialized skills and industrial production reside in our national territory. It is essential to focus on key strategies: innovation, sustainability and branding. It is important to carry forward and communicate a company that, like ART, is the bearer of a solid culture and values, two strengths that allow the achievement of great Made in Italy successes.

Some examples: in 2014 ART was the first company in the world to produce an Apple Carplay-certified product and the first Tier-1 to produce an assisted parking system certified by the U.S. Department of Transportation, as well as the first to integrate Alexa into a super car. These and other milestones have marked the growth of our company and have been possible thanks to the enhancement of technological skills developed in Umbria, in our own Italy, but without however forgetting the challenge of internationalization.

What initiatives could ART S.p.A. undertake in order to identify and enhance the talent of young people in the area, and how do you think Italian companies in general can create growth pathways for new generations to develop?

At ART, the value of people has always been central, as is the value of nurturing young talent. It is precisely to them that we give the opportunity to gain experience, with programs such as the Z-Incubator that allows, even those with no real training in STEM disciplines, to apply. It is the human aspect that counts, along with the approach of the individual who wants to work in ART: skills are learned in the field thanks to dedicated mentors who value knowledge transfer. In addition to these programs, there are training internships and apprenticeships, without forgetting that it is the average age of the company that speaks for itself: as of today it is under 33 years old.

ART has established and nurtures strategic partnerships each year with top universities and graduate schools, such as ITS Academy. The value of young people must be recognized and helped to grow. In general, an increasingly competitive market requires professionals/resources who never stop updating, with a strong ability to innovate: this is why it is necessary for companies to join efforts to give young people the opportunity to test themselves in dynamic realities in which they can grow, humanly and professionally.

At a time when corporate welfare and technological innovation are increasingly linked, what are your plans to increase corporate welfare and how do you see the evolution of innovation within ART S.p.A. itself?

Today’s companies are beginning to adopt increasingly flexible and personalized approaches to corporate welfare. Benefit offerings need to be diversified, taking into account individual interests and changing needs over time. To give a few examples, in ART the possibility of using Smart Working as a work-life balance tool has been a reality for some time now, as has guaranteeing people a certified, free canteen that offers daily products sourced as far as possible from the short supply chain of our generous territory.

In addition to the welfare promoted by targeted corporate policies, there is also a Welfare Platform that is enriched every year by making available to people credit chips that can be spent on school books, travel, wellness, airline tickets and shopping vouchers; In the broader conception that is now becoming increasingly stronger, welfare also includes environmental sustainability policies that are a priority at ART to safeguard the natural treasure chest of Pischiello, its headquarters. The social and environmental impact of companies must necessarily work in synergy with their host communities to create a more sustainable and inclusive future for work.

ABOUT ART

ART is founded in the early 2000s and based in the evocative Villa del Pischiello in Passignano sul Trasimeno.

Thanks to its know-how and achievements, ART is now positioned internationally as a leading manufacturer and supplier of automotive innovation and high-tech infotainment, dashboard and entertainment systems for the super sport and luxury markets.  In more recent times ART has leveraged its high-level experience and expertise towards the global automotive market as well as light and heavy commercial vehicles, industrial vehicles and agricultural machinery.

This fast-growing company now employs about 300 people who work at the headquarters in Passignano sul Trasimeno and the offices in Modena, Turin as well as in Berlin, Germany. It represents a point of excellence of Made in Italy capable of competing with large multinational groups active in the sector.

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