Welcome to the new edition of Scientifica Journal, the magazine for getting to know the world of science and innovation through its protagonists.

In this new episode we have the pleasure of interviewing Marco Alvisi , Director General of CETMA , the Research and Technology Transfer Centre located in Brindisi, specialising in applied and industrial research.

Good morning, Dr Alvisi, thank you for taking the time to talk to us. Could you start by giving us an overview of CETMA, outlining its mission and main areas of research?

Good morning and thank you for the opportunity. CETMA is one of the largest private research centres in Italy, independent of large industrial groups. Our mission is to promote innovation in the Mezzogiorno, assisting companies and institutions in their development through tailor-made technological solutions.

We operate in multidisciplinary fields that include materials engineering, computer engineering and industrial design, offering an integrated service that meets the needs of product and process innovation.

Can you tell us about some of the most significant research projects currently underway at your centre?

There are many projects that the CETMA team is working on, which sees us engaged in multiple fields, from digitisation through the circular economy to smart materials technologies.

For example, to name a few in the field of digitisation, we have CARETRON, which aims to develop an advanced maintenance management system (CMMS) to reduce the downtime of industrial machinery, or ALGHO4OFFICE, which exploits artificial intelligence to simplify and automate collaborative processes, developing a tool to be integrated with the main smart speaker and conference call systems to improve the user experience within the business organisation.

Regarding the circular economy, we can mention PLOOTO, which aims to develop an information system to support companies in the transition towards more sustainable and circular practices, minimising waste and improving the traceability of secondary raw materials; or REFRESH, which explores innovative circular approaches for the recycling of composite materials such as fibreglass from the dismantling of wind turbines.

Speaking of smart materials technology, we can mention SIDRO, which is one of the research and development projects for hydrogen under the PNRR, or RICREARE, which fits into the context of solutions for recovering aeronautical waste in an Industry 4.0 and sustainability perspective.

These are just some of the many projects that CETMA’s team of researchers is pursuing.

Well, it is really impressive how many different areas you deal with. Given the breadth of topics you deal with, have there been or are there any challenges you have faced?

There are various challenges that we face. It is a period full of opportunities for industrial innovation and European, national and regional resources are particularly relevant, but the speed of some technological transitions has increased.

Think of artificial intelligence, robotics and, in general, digital technologies with their regulatory and regulatory implications. Managing to keep pace in an economically sustainable way for a private research and non-profit organisation like ours is the first challenge that is not easy to overcome, considering the investment capacities of large groups in the digital world and the dynamism of digital native start-ups.

The other major challenge is the competition for talent. The Italian academic system in this historical phase is not able to train a sufficient number of qualified human resources in the STEM field with respect to market demands, and this leads the players present to compete for the most qualified resources.

We would like to ask you one last question, Dr. Alvisi, to understand how much and in what way your research activities contribute to the economic and social development of the region?

Most of our innovation services – the result of industrial research activities co-financed at regional, national and European level – are aimed at micro, small and medium-sized enterprises in the Puglia region.

Since 2022, CETMA has been part of the Enterprise Europe Network, which supports business innovation and internationalisation. In addition, we coordinate CETMA-DIHSME, one of the European Digital Innovation Hubs, which assists SMEs in Puglia and Basilicata in the adoption of advanced digital technologies, fostering the digital transition and production efficiency of the territory. We also contribute to the development of local start-ups, offering specific expertise and support to access subsidised financing.

Thank you, Dr Alvisi, for sharing with us such a detailed and fascinating overview of CETMA’s activities and projects. Your dedication to innovation and sustainable development is evident and of great impact for the region and beyond. We hope to continue to follow your steps and future innovations.

Thank you to all readers for following us in this edition of Scientifica Journal.

Stay tuned for more exclusive interviews and insights into the world of science and technological progress.