• 23 Nov 2023
• News

Talents Venture launch initiative of their new program “Tomorrow Education”

On Friday, November 17, ART participated in the event organized by Talents Venture for the launch initiative of their new program “Tomorrow Education”. 

 

The Program:

Tomorrow Education is a set of projects dedicated to the future of education in relation to the social and technological changes. The idea stems from a strong belief that, through the use of technology and data, it is possible to help individuals and organizations navigate an ever-changing world, giving them the tools to understand and to lead change.

 

Our involvement:

Together with female and male students, University, ITS, other companies and institutions including ANVUR (National Agency for the Evaluation of the University System and Research) we made our contribution to envisioning the future of Education by actively participating in one of the three thematic panels organized for this launch event, where we illustrated our perspective on the challenges of education systems.

In ART, we strongly believe that Education is a fundamental pillar to enable the growth of individuals as well as society, and we are working and collaborating to ensure that education helps us project ourselves into the future in the light of the social and technological changes we are currently going through.

 

The panels:

• “Skills shortage and skills mismatch: how to identify and train the skills needed?”
• “Learning Gap. How to structure effective courses?”
• “Engagement Gap. How to increase accessibility and attractiveness across educational pathways?”

 

“Focus on” our contribution to the panel:

Our colleague Raffaella Sarlo, “User Experience” section manager, panel speaker “Skills shortage e skills mismatch: how to identify and train the skills needed?”, shared with students the path that led her to her current position at ART, talking about the skills she developed within the University of Perugia as well as what influenced her successful entry into the world of work.

She explained which of the services offered by the university, from teaching to placement, had a significant impact on her educational journey. Definitely it is a practical example of the smooth functioning of active collaboration tools between universities and the world of work. Raffaela feels that she is “a child of a virtuous circle of collaboration” that can and should be triggered between the University, ITS, High Schools, and Business, thus fostering not only an entry into the labor market but also a smooth and successful entry into the labor market. Raffaela also shared with the other panelists the commitment and vision of a company like ART that constantly invests in local resources. The constant collaboration between the world of education and our company, which takes an active part in the growth and search for talent, fosters and guarantees those virtuous paths that then lead to success stories in entering the world of work.

 

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To contact us email us at: info@artgroup-spa.com

 

• 16 Nov 2023
• News

Human-Vehicle Interface, the “Mind & Body” era: two ART case studies

First of all, in order to understand what Human-Vehicle Interfaces are, we need to define what a human-machine interface is. Human-machine (or human-program) interaction can be understood as a process that enables communication and control of computer applications by users.

 

Thus, it is a relationship between human beings and application programs that serves to accomplish specific tasks: computation, word processing, graphics and drawing, music creation, e-mail, and so on.

Therefore, HMI (Human-Machine Interface) is nothing more than a software layer that is designed to interface the user with the machine being used, aimed at facilitating interaction between the two.

 

This type of interaction covers aspects of computer science, psychology, design, artificial intelligence and other subjects of study. There are, however, two basic principles underlying HMIs:
•• Usability: means the ability of users to use the product for specific purposes with as little effort as possible, effectively, efficiently and with satisfaction.
•• Accessibility: possibility to use software by any type of users, therefore also by users with disabilities.

Getting into our own reality and within our target market, Human-Vehicle Interfaces, then, are nothing more than specific interfaces that interpose themselves between a car and the driver. Like any user-computer interface, they employ specific methods of interaction with the user.

Let’s look at the main ones:
•• Visual messages: shown on a screen or by illuminating particular warning lights and areas on the interior and/or exterior surfaces of the car;
•• Acoustic messages: transmitted, for example, through the car’s speakers;
•• Control actions on a wide range of surfaces and touch points: utilization of physical switches and buttons, dials, rotary knobs, keypads, and touch screens.

Progressively, over the years, there has been a shift from the “Hands & Touch” era, in which human-machine interaction was done manually through buttons, keyboards and switches, to the “Mind & Body” era, in which, in order to support the flow of information being used as a user interface, the human body is utilized, for example, through visual or auditory messages. The following are two ART case studies demonstrating the above.

CASE 1: THE DIGITAL DASHBOARD (example of visual message development)

Derived from tablets and smartphones, the digital instrument panel has gradually incorporated more and more elements and features of analog instrumentation, thus making driving information usable in a more dynamic and functional way, with a more appealing and comprehensive human-machine interface, providing all useful driving information in real time, in an increasingly intuitive way. Also, a factor of development in this context is the evolution of the technology behind the displays, which enables more immersive experiences, to the distinct advantage of the user’s overall experience of driving the car.

The emergence of digital displays also resolved problems related to lighting conditions, making the digital dashboard easy to read in any weather conditions.
The digital instrument panel makes it possible to access a variety of menus and screens through a few simple controls located on the multi-function steering wheel, which allow the user to change display modes and manage overall navigation.

One of the key advantages of using a digital instrument panel, and thus an advanced interface, is without a doubt the vast number of options for customization. Usually, the different display modes are summarized in the classic and infotainment modes. Depending on the option chosen, the foreground will be occupied either by the circular dials of the tachometer and speedometer or by secondary functions such as the navigation system, telephone controls and media player

Usually, then, the small areas that display essential information such as outside temperature, time, mileage, and information symbols or warnings remain viewable in the lower area of the display. For example, we might prefer to consult the tachometer in its maximum size while doing sports driving, or to display the navigation system on the screen when we need to check driving directions.

ART has made the instrument panel one of its strengths in a market where, like Luxury & Sport, it needs to be customized by providing timely and accurate information while minimizing driver distraction.

CASE 2: VOICE ASSISTANTS (for example sound message development)

One of the most advanced forms of interaction with computer systems is the Voice User Interface (VUI), which is a user interface based on voice and the use of voice commands to perform specific functions of the car in total safety. This technology, which takes advantage of voice recognition and synthesized voice response, has historically opened up new horizons and opportunities for both conventional users and those with disabilities, thus making great strides in digital accessibility.

The development of these new interfaces is constantly evolving and technology manufacturers are making significant investments in it as they still consider the use of voice in the car experience a major game changer globally. This is a revolution that, with vast potential and prospects, could transform human-machine interaction from graphical/tactile to audible/vocal across numerous areas of mobility and thus alter the digital (perhaps not just digital) experiences of all users.

If we look at the automotive market, we can indeed confirm that voice assistants are becoming an integral part of the standard equipment of cars, equipped with systems capable of recognizing the driver’s voice to enable him or her to access, safely, a range of services, often custom-tailored to the needs of each driver and with ample opportunity for customization. The adoption is facilitated by the increasing prevalence of connectivity that links more and more devices in the daily experience, from the home to the car. This is a growing trend also thanks to the increasingly effective pervasiveness of smart devices in mobility and leisure.

Looking more closely at the automotive context, today it is possible to take Siri, Google Assistant or Alexa with us in the car. While for more advanced vehicles, you can use the assistant via Android Auto or Apple Carplay. As for Alexa, however, integration is possible only through Echo Auto, a home-like device designed for the needs of drivers.

At ART we always pay special attention to digital innovations, becoming first in class in certain categories: suffice to say that in 2020 ART pioneered the development of in-car VUI by integrating Alexa into in-car infotainment for the first time. Accessibility, inclusiveness, improving overall experience, humanizing digital: these are our guiding principles.

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To contact us email us at: info@artgroup-spa.com

 

• 08 Nov 2023
• News

ART and its collaboration with ITS Umbria Academy

Digital Graphics: rendering, compositing and color management. ART and its collaboration with ITS Umbria Academy.

 

ART continues its collaboration with ITS Umbria Academy. Last October 30, an ART lecture was held in Perugia as part of the “Digital Graphics” module. The module was about “rendering, compositing and color management” in 2D and 3D graphics, while the workshop activity focused on the use of the 3D graphics software “Blender.” A subject that thanks to our skills as HMI designers we are well acquainted with.

 

Starting with some general considerations on best practices of modeling and lighting in both 2D and 3D digital environments, they initially explored the differences between mesh-based and spline-based modeling flows, and the target markets for which one is preferable over the other. In general, this allowed the students to get an idea about their intended choice of career, and so it helped them to understand whether to gravitate more toward art or industry. For the students, it was also an opportunity to check that their aspirations aligned with and were consistent with their expectations so as to facilitate future study and further study choices.

 

A second step was then to examine and observe some frames of video games and movies and comment on the feelings elicited by the author, in order to understand the experience elicited. The exercise of observing and analyzing graphics is a fundamental practice in design. This then led on to an in-depth look at the use of color in film imagery and how its careful and specific use subtly guides emotions and feelings of those who experience a scene, game, software or product in general. Various examples of color management were given, as well as the feelings that such colors are intended to elicit, and were then discussed. Various more or less standardized color pairings were then explored and the importance of using the “color wheel” as a fundamental part of the designer’s arsenal was introduced.

 

Finally, the practical/laboratory session was devoted to creating and implementing in the Blender program a project inspired by a video game or movie that presented what had been analyzed in detail in the first part of the lecture. Here we gave space to our favorite part, the part where students presented their different projects and discussed together so as to develop possible improvements.

 

ART actively participates in these courses so as to help young people in their career choices and to involve them in what it is like to be an active professional within the company. We try to make them understand not only the theoretical part but also the experiential part as well. This latter is more related to soft skills and we try to make them understand how important it is to share projects and details and to work as a team! Our hope is always to engage, build and dream together!

 

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To contact us email us at: info@artgroup-spa.com

• 23 Oct 2023
• News

ART participated in the Cyber Act Forum

How important is cybersecurity becoming in the automotive field? What is ART’s position?
On October 20, the Cyber Act Forum was held in Viterbo, Italy, where ART had the pleasure of taking the stage to explain how cybersecurity is being addressed in the automotive field and in particular what is the approach that a company like ART has chosen.

 

The Cyber Act Forum was an important opportunity for sharing, where nationally and internationally renowned experts discussed the future of the tech world and the importance of cybersecurity.

 

Specifically, ART delivered a presentation on how the automotive market is undergoing a radical transformation due to the presence of connectivity and the adoption of function-as-a-service (FaaS), which are cloud-based services that allow applications to be developed and managed in a scalable, flexible and cost-effective manner.

 

FaaS offers manufacturers and suppliers the opportunity to create innovative solutions for mobility, safety, connectivity and vehicle energy efficiency.  Some examples of FaaS applied to the automotive are driver assistance systems, infotainment services, car-sharing platforms, and smart networks for charging electric cars.  It has been shown how the vehicle now communicates not only with the OEMs, but also with the IT infrastructure and even with each other, creating an increasingly risky system.

 

Thus, security becomes ever more critical for the vehicle system in order to ensure proper dialogue with the infrastructure and the safety of road users. Mitigating this risk requires a system-wide approach that covers the entire supply chain of road vehicles, including any third-party entities that put their code or hardware into a vehicle.

 

Not surprisingly, the regulatory world has also moved in this regard, and in-vehicle cybersecurity aspects have become regulatory approval aspects for vehicle manufacturers worldwide: type approval according to UNECE R155 applies in the European context alone.

 

In this evolving framework, which is both regulatory and technological, ART considers Cybersecurity on its products to be critical.

 

ART works to spread the culture of cybersecurity internally at all levels convinced that cybersecurity is as totally pervasive as quality.

 

For ART, having high-quality products also means covering the security aspects of these same products that are connected to cover all the technological evolutions of vehicles in the coming years.

 

Participating in such events with experts in the field is always inspiring. The CyberAct Forum was a great opportunity to get to know new realities, compare companies and colleagues, and keep up with the latest industry trends. We are returning to the company with new insights and reflections so that we can continue to innovate while ensuring security and quality.

 

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To contact us email us at: info@artgroup-spa.com

• 20 Sep 2023
• Press review

ART joins MUNER (Motorvehicle University of Emilia-Romagna)

Modena/Passignano ST – ART joins MUNER (Motorvehicle University of Emilia-Romagna) as an ordinary member, with the intention of actively contributing to the development of mobility of the future.

 

MUNER was founded in 2017 by the four Emilia-Romagna universities together with some of the world’s most prestigious companies in the automotive sector, thanks to the fundamental support of the Emilia-Romagna Region. Under this project, companies and universities provide students with know-how and cutting-edge technologies so as to train future engineers capable of competing in the job market by designing road and racing vehicles, efficient and sustainable propulsion systems, solutions for smart functions, and production facilities for smart factories.

 

Ing. Andrea Pontremoli, President of MUNER: It is always an achievement to enrich the network of companies that support MUNER and share its intent and vision.

 

The richness of a territory also lies in its ability to attract skills, as well as talent: networking with cutting-edge realities, such as ART-SPA, allows us to offer study paths that are increasingly targeted to the demands of the labor market, thanks to the interaction with new players that are becoming significant in the automotive world.

 

The entry of ART SPA among MUNER’s ordinary partners marks another important step, and we are really happy to start this new journey together.

 

“From our headquarters in Umbria, we have been collaborating for over 20 years with the most prestigious companies in the Motor Valley, producing advanced e-cockpit and infotainment systems.  We combine skills and professionalism to innovate and produce high-tech systems capable of providing customized and unique solutions,” said Francesco Ortix, CEO of ART “To be closer to our customers, in 2021 we opened an operational headquarters in Modena and today, thanks to this significant collaboration with MUNER, we intend to actively contribute to the training of tomorrow’s young talents.”

 

Alessandro Chini, professor at Unimore and Electronic Engineering for Intellinget Vehicle Program Coordinator: Having ART SPA among MUNER’s regular partners is a great opportunity for enriching the formation of our current and future students. Their expertise in the development of high-tech systems for telemetry, storage, and data processing applications is a perfect match for MUNER teaching activities within the EEIV master’s Degree program. This will surely increase the student’s opportunity of gaining knowledge in electronics and communication systems based on a learning-by-doing approach making them ready to deal with the current and future automotive industry challenges.

 

“Joining MUNER is part of the activities that ART carries out through collaborations with the world of Universities and Research Institutions, aimed at fostering the exchange and sharing knowledge to stimulate innovation, entrepreneurship and creativity,” added Anna Anchino, HR manager in ART , “With our expertise in software and automotive embedded systems, we can contribute to this important project both through the organization of seminars/workshops and by hosting students for company visits, internships and apprenticeships at our sites.”

 

By joining MUNER, ART is inaugurating a new collaborative journey in the Motor Valley.  For a dynamic, fast-growing company like ART, this is a key piece that symbolizes its level of maturity and its sensitivity to the training of young people, who represent the future of our companies. 

• 14 Sep 2023
• News

ART and Jojob: a sustainable vision for the future of mobility

ART and Jojob: a sustainable vision for the future of mobility

 

In a rapidly changing world in which sustainability is at the center of many decisions, ART has for the past several years initiated an innovative collaboration with Jojob. The goal: to embrace sustainable mobility in order to stay one step ahead towards the future.

We would like to mention this partnership now as it coincides with European Mobility Week, emphasizing the importance of conscious and sustainable mobility for the health of our planet and people.

 

Jojob is not just a carpooling service, it is an employee transportation alternative that combines advanced technology, safety and a thorough commitment to reducing environmental impact. Certified as a B Corp, Jojob not only cares about the environment, but also ensures that its business model has a positive impact on society as a whole. Created with the goal of facilitating home-to-work commutes, Jojob consists of a mobile application: each user, after downloading the Jojob Real Time Carpooling app and registering, can connect with other colleagues and share a car on daily commutes.

 

ART’s choice to partner with Jojob is a sign of its commitment to sustainability and corporate social responsibility. Thanks to corporate carpooling, people have the opportunity to share the home-work route with both colleagues and employees of neighboring companies. A choice that from the beginning of 2023 up to now, has resulted in cleaner air with ART’s contribution, with more than 18 tons less CO2 emissions.

 

European Mobility Week is approaching, leading us to reflect on transportation modes and their implications not only for the environment but also for health. “Move Sustainable…and Healthy” is not just a slogan, but a call for concrete action.

 

While European Mobility Week promotes low- or zero-emission mobility, the alliance between ART and JojobRT is a concrete example of how companies can make a tangible contribution to this cause. After all, big revolutions start with small steps.

 

If we want a green and prosperous future, now is the time to act. With collaboration and determination, we can build greener, healthier and ever more connected cities.

 

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To contact us email us at: info@artgroup-spa.com

• 26 Jul 2023
• News

A buzzword: User experience – how to approach it in a technical way

A buzzword: User experience – how to approach it in a technical way

 

Technological and scientific progress permeates every aspect of our lives, and ever more activities are being simplified and automated by the use of digital tools. Strong catalysts for this progress in the automotive sector are infotainment systems, by which media playback, vehicle customization, management of information from sensors, and much more are possible. The development of technology and society has gone hand in hand with the development of mobility, on a global scale. And one of the benefits produced by the development of technology is the increasing importance of the human element. Whether we are talking about products or services, nothing today can ignore the careful design of its human and experiential side.

 

After all, from conception to design, from production to marketing, from packaging to showcasing, from sales to after-sales service and support, the common thread that binds every phase of a product or service’s life revolves around the so-called “user experience” (UX or User Experience).

Framing User Experience in a general sense is possible by understanding it as a set of traits or elements that are expressed in an individual’s interaction with a company and its products-services; this encompasses the wide range of perceptions, attitudes and emotions that people may experience before, during and after the enjoyment of such product-services.

While the user experience has first of all highlighted the centrality of the individual to the product-service by laying the groundwork for new trajectories of study and research (including in academic research), secondly it has prompted the need–from a market perspective–for continuous improvement of the user experience through meticulous engineering; such constant and gradual refinement and improvement occurs through an “analysis” of the ideal user (by carefully identifying appropriate “personas,” or “model users” of a product-service) and specific needs of the individual (“user needs”) using that service.

 

User experience analysis, a multidisciplinary activity, facilitates the delineation, examination and substantiation of hypotheses that the various departments involved in these practices advance during the various reiterative phases of codesign that aim to refine the user experience throughout the lifecycle of a product-service. In this sense, UX Research is a key enabler of audience definition, which highlights shared values and principles that unite a particular set of users. This is where the strategic role of UX Research emerges: users’ shared goals must be matched with a set of content, and its tone, focus, as well as its particular means of communication is outlined in the so-called Content Strategy. A content strategy that meets the set objectives and generates expected results enables the generation of a significant and highly positive ROI, stimulating a significant virtuous cycle for the product and, consequently, for its positioning in the target market.

 

If achieved with marked flexibility, user experience research can effectively guide product development, polarizing the decision-making choices that can ensure the success of the product-service, justifying its continuous improvement and appropriate development. Underlying a good user-experience research strategy are the following elements:

 

1. 1. Understanding user behavior: clear understanding of the user-experience from both qualitative and quantitative perspectives;
2. 2. Use of empirical values: a practical and detailed view of the target user-experience to be designed and experienced by the end users of the product or service;
3. 3. Creation of a business model: a model of the commercial outcomes of the product including its costs;
4. 4. A well-considered timetable: a roadmap with clear milestones and priorities detailing the UX from the initial design to the final product/service;
5. 5. Tracking and evaluation: monitoring and measuring the progress of the project, to accurately gauge the success (or otherwise) of the UX, following in incremental steps the evolution of the product/service and the experience it provides.

 

Structuring a good user-experience search strategy enables the identification of an appropriate information architecture for the product-service. Information architecture is about the organization of information; it has to do with findability, the construction of pathways of purpose and meaning; the information architect structures the semantics by which the product is expressed. Information architecture is firmly linked to contextualization of use: in the context of a Web site, information architecture will be critical in enabling customers to find products, manage their digital shopping cart, place orders, or simplify the purchasing process; in the context of infotainment system, information architecture simplifies the search or filtering of useful information and the subsequent skimming of meaningful results for the user; in the context of a physical museum, exhibition, or of a mobility system – think of a subway, a rail network, a bus network, or in an airport – information architecture makes relevant and important information more easily accessible, thus making users’ lives easier by clearly indicating directions, facilitating movement, and providing support. This is all the more so when the individuals are in critical, hurried, or emergency situations. We infer from this that information architecture has a deep correlation with intuitiveness, contextual meaningfulness, and enables the user to orient themselves in a digital or physical environment regardless of where they are. Information architecture is about organizing and simplifying information, designing and integrating information spaces or systems; it is about designing the ways in which people can find, understand, exchange, and manage information. Information architects not only design individual information spaces (websites, software, applications…), but also information ecosystems that integrate heterogeneous media and channels.

 

Properly organized information is the key step in being able to provide proper UX and it goes through interaction design. This step involves the proper design of products and services with attention to the way users interact with the fully developed platform. This approach focuses on the user, who is placed at the center of the design. The main purpose of Interaction design is to create products or services that enable the user to achieve his or her goals with ease and in the best possible way, facilitating the interaction between humans and the machine (or digital platform) thereby making the enjoyment of the services and systems offered more accessible. The designer, therefore, has the task of making services and platforms more easily usable by the the individuals for whom they were designed and created.

 

At the end of this long process, it is necessary to design the visual qualities of a product or service that have to be aesthetically pleasing, and not only that, it is necessary to measure the quality of user experience during interaction with the product. 

 

The evolution of the technological process has radically altered the approach to UX; the user experience has become the nexus between people and technology and, at the same time, the lever of change in digital tools. User experience has thus become an approach which is today considered indispensable to design and that incorporates direct user feedback throughout the development cycle of any product and service.

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To contact us email us at: info@artgroup-spa.com

• 19 Jul 2023
• News

ART Skills Academy: The path of enhancement in ART continues

ART Skills Academy: The path of enhancement in ART continues

 

During 2022, ART SKILLS ACADEMY began its journey, aimed at training people to deal with uncertainty
and complexity, creating a space as well as a place to meet and grow also through exchange and
integration of diversity.

 

We recently had a stimulating conversation with Emanuela about how ART has been thinking about giving substance to the human soul (Human ART) of the Academy. Here is a glimpse of what emerged from that discussion.

 

What does this Academy represent for ART?

ART SKILLS ACADEMY is a long-standing project that in 2022 began to finally come to fruition with the delivery of its first courses. In recent years, our company has seen an exponential increase in corporate population and the cultures we interrelate with, which, combined with the changing environment in which we live, has necessitated the development of certain best-practices including the need for lifelong learning. As we see every day, it is not only professional qualifications that are important, but increasingly the human qualities that make us act as a cohesive and united team. Complexity can be addressed by uniting contributions and points of view synergistically and convergently.

 

What is the program for this 2023?

Like last year, the company wanted to open this new season with a highly recommended, one-size-fits-all course, “Building Trust in Work Teams.”

Trust is more than just an ingredient; it is the central pillar of our work environment, influencing relationships, collaboration, engagement, and ultimately our ability to achieve goals. In a team, trust is vital to enhancing performance and promoting people’s well-being. When it is absent, we all feel the repercussions.

Building trust, however, is not a do it once and then forget about it process. It requires constant effort and the active participation of all team members in order to strengthen bonds and create a psychologically safe work environment.

This workshop interactively explores the topic of trust at work with particular reference to the team perspective. The activities proposed aim to develop awareness of the dynamics that characterize trust, the behaviors through which it manifests itself, and the strategies which can be introduced into daily life in order to promote trust-oriented relationships and work processes.

 

What other new features are there?

This year, the course will be held in-house! It may seem to run counter to the strong growth in post-pandemic digital training, but it was one of the requests clamored for by ART people, we worked hard to ensure its feasibility.

 

 

ART SKILLS Academy’s training approach is a constantly evolving process: this course represents just one stage of the journey. We will continue to strive to develop additional modules to ensure that we all fully develop the human and interpersonal skills essential to governing and the complexity to which we, as human beings and knowledge workers, are exposed.

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To contact us email us at: info@artgroup-spa.com

• 28 Jun 2023
• News

Rare Earth Elements: China and the Geopolitics of Strategic Minerals

Rare Earth Elements: China and the Geopolitics of Strategic Minerals

 

In her Rare Earth Elements: China and the Geopolitics of Strategic Minerals (Edizioni EGEA; Frontiere Series, Bocconi University Press, 2021, Italian translation by Giuseppe Barile), Sophia Kalantzakos offers some remarkable insights into the issue of rare earth elements, a strategic resource and “hot topic” for debate in the political science and international relations communities.

 

These rare earth elements are today, for all intents and purposes, critical to the production of a wide range of devices that are extremely important and widespread globally. This volume examines the impacts of growing global competition over the extraction and supply of so-called Rare Earth Elements (REEs), reflecting on the critical issues facing policymakers in developing strategies and responses in an increasingly interconnected world. The volume, divided into chapters accompanied by an extensive set of notes and enriched by a detailed bibliography, delves into a topic not only relevant to the long-standing debate over natural resources, sandwiched as it is between opportunities and limits of space, supply and power; but also of great importance for the geopolitical balances that make up the complex international chessboard.

 

By highlighting China’s mighty geo-economic footprint, the discussion highlights the key role that rare earth elements play in its basket of strategic resources. China currently has a monopoly in both the mining of REEs and their processing. What makes “these elements particularly valuable is the wide variety of electronic, magnetic, optical and catalytic properties they possess. REEs are considered facilitators because they enter into the production of alloys and compounds that are then used in complex technological systems.” (pp.111-112). Paraphrasing Kalantzakos, China currently monopolizes at least 93 percent of these materials and also controls their highly specialized metallurgy as well as the entire supply chain, from mine to market, for many applications. This gives it direct control over a significant range of inputs essential to the world economy, which, in addition to sectors that stimulate economic growth, extends to products critical to implementing the decarbonization so urgently required by global climate challenges.

 

Among the critical and indispensable products and metals for decarbonizing economies in the text are “batteries for electric vehicles (EVs), magnets for EVs and wind turbines, fluorescence in energy-efficient lighting, and solar cells” (p.119). Rare earths also turn out to be crucial – not least – in the productions of: hybrid motors (lanthanum, dysprosium), metal alloys (yttrium), automotive catalysts (cerium, neodymium), catalysts used in petroleum refining (cerium, lutetium, neodymium), magnets (praseodymium, samarium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium), hard disks for laptops (neodymium), earphones (neodymium), television and computer screens (europium), fluorescent materials (terbium, erbium), permanent magnets (terbium, dysprosium), ceramics (yttrium), agents in metal alloys (yttrium) and steel (ytterbium), glass coloring (holmium), lasers (holmium, ytterbium), medical X-ray units (thulium) (p. 120 ).

 

From the focus on China, the reflection also extends to those strategic relations between the Country of the Dragon and the United States, interpreting today’s international relations and political economy from an unconventional perspective, highlighting how today’s complexity and technological progress now require from all of us new ways of thinking, acting and cooperating to find solutions to long-standing issues of profound social and economic impact; to get this far, it becomes clear how, with ad hoc policies, Chinese governance has been able to carefully orchestrate the conditions that guarantee its monopoly over a number of strategic resources of importance compared to other international players, thus making itself indispensable in a finely structured, multi-sectoral market basin.

 

For example, quoting Kalantzakos “for batteries and magnets […] the People’s Republic of China […] dominates entire supply chains that cannot be easily reconstructed. At the heart of this strategy is Beijing’s ambition to become a ‘global manufacturing,’ ‘cyber,’ ‘superpower of science and technological innovation’ by 2049” (p.7). Such reflection on the relationship between China and the United States sends the reader back to an analysis of the relationship between the two superpowers, keeping track of some major themes that historically bind them together. Equally significant are the readings of today’s power relations, in light of the constantly shifting strategic relationships and “Cold War” tensions, with the numerous attempts at decoupling, seeking to outline future scenarios, where between the two players competitive inclinations (think of the strategic function of mineral scarcity, a phenomenon often artificially triggered at state level) far outweigh cooperation.

 

The largely multidisciplinary analysis lends richness to the perspective offered by the reading, making Rare Earth Elements: China and the Geopolitics of Strategic Minerals accessible and thought-provoking to a wide readership, as much to neophytes as to experts in the field as well as to all those professionals or analysts who carry out research, also in other fields, nurturing and developing an interesting debate on the qualities and effectiveness of traditional economic models (e.g, comparing a linear system with a circular one) and about which one might be the most sustainable for the lifecycle of strategic elements, their production and their eventual recycling and reconditioning through the application of virtuous recovery protocols (a topic of no small importance, considering how much the current international balance is suffering from the continuing semiconductor shortage).

 

As a valuable contribution to thinking about large-scale innovations and technological progress and the baricenter of forces vying for a primary role in the marketplace, Sophia Kalantzakos’ discussion offers the reader, with data in hand, an accurate set of glimpses onto the international chessboard, where China’s monopoly of rare earth elements plays a potentially central and hot role in the current and coming decades’ political framework, bringing with it risks (think of the phenomenon of the weaponization of trade and its implications for the multipolarized world), limits of maneuver and opportunities, allowing us to think more consciously about the power relations among the great powers and to potential futuristic scenarios; scenarios that the trajectories of world affairs will help define.

 

Sophia Kalantzakos is Global Distinguished Professor in Environmental Studies and Public Policy at New York University. She has taught for many years at NYU Abu Dhabi, where she founded and directs the eARThumanities research project. She was Fung Global Fellow at the Princeton Institute for International and Regional Studies (PIIRS) and, in 2020-2021, Senior Fellow at the Research Institute for the History of Science and Technology (Caltech – Huntington). In the summer of 2020, she launched a project entitled The Geopolitics and Ecology of Himalayan Water, which addresses the issue of growing water insecurity. She is a member of the Rachel Carson Center, LMU, Munich Academic Advisory Board and President of the RCC Society Of Fellows. Her research, marked by a strong interdisciplinary approach, focuses on resources, power and the new imaginaries that reflect the ways in which we think about global space and interdependence; she also delves into the emerging new models and pathways of possibilist thinking as an interpretive key to re-imagining geopolitics in the 21st century.

 

In addition to Rare Earths: China and the Geopolitics of Strategic Minerals (Edizioni EGEA; Frontiers Series, Bocconi University Press, 2021), we would like to mention The EU, US, and China Tackling Climate Change: Polices and Alliances for the Anthropocene (Routledge, 2017).

 

David Berti

 

Don’t miss our updates, keep following us on our Linkedin page.To contact us email us at: info@artgroup-spa.com

• 25 May 2023
• News

Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) and the paradigm V2X

Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) and the paradigm V2X

 

The advent of the new millennium has brought with it a technological maturation that has given rise to a predominant trend in the automotive market: the “in-vehicle” connection.

 

The complexity of devices embedded in cars has transformed them from simple autonomous systems into “systems of systems” (SoS). This includes the integrated central unit, displays, processors and the operating system that supports the connectivity of the various devices, from sensors to connectivity modules and protocols for interconnecting the various components.

 

The automobile has become a complex, connected entity geared to its integration into the V2X (Vehicle to Everything) paradigm. This equipping of wireless communication systems allows the car to connect with other vehicles (Vehicle-to-Vehicle, V2V), with the road infrastructure (Vehicle-to-Infrastructure, V2I) and with the network (Vehicle-to-Network, V2N).

 

The current scenario is characterized by a persistent duality: on the one hand, we have the complex evolution of in-vehicle architectures, and on the other hand, the integration of connection technologies outside the vehicle. This is happening through the introduction of long- and short-range wireless networks, which are fundamental to the development of the V2X paradigm and all its applications. In this context, the role of the development of 5G communication protocols and 802.11P is crucial. The former aims to become a benchmark in the automotive world by introducing “quality of service” features that support the development of applications that are highly dependent on message latency time. The second, on the other hand, refers to the IEEE 802.11 family of protocols, which includes WiFi. In particular, 802.11P is a specialization for the vehicle environment of this well-known short-range technology, and thus introduces support for so-called Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS).

 

Intelligent Transport Systems help mitigate the shortfall of accurate and timely information, as well as overcoming insufficient cooperation between actors in the transport and infrastructure sector. This is done by providing sectoral coordination and ensuring proper data transmission. ITS affects virtually all mobility functions: from real-time traffic and weather data acquisition to access control and parking management; from variable message signs to integrated supervision and control centers; from systems for collective transport management to those for modal integration; from freight and passenger payment and sorting systems to platforms for logistics, parking and fleet management; from solutions for advanced vehicle control to platforms for transport safety and security; from satellite navigation systems to traffic light control systems to integrated speed detectors with CCTV cameras.

 

V2X communication is a key component of ITS, as it facilitates communication between vehicles on the road and enables vehicles to gather information about surrounding infrastructure facilities. The primary function of V2X communication systems is to improve road safety, save energy, and manage traffic efficiently. As a result, one of the main benefits of using ITS is the promotion of public safety. Other key benefits of adopting ITS include:

 

● Increasing Safety: The main reason for using ITS is to guarantee public safety on roads. In the past few years the trends of driving have changed, thereby increasing the number of road accidents. So, to avoid or get guidance before any accident has happened the ITS plays a vital role. ITS will guide the user using voice as well as giving alerts about traffic or congestion ahead, so that the user may act accordingly. With this the ratio of accidents will be decreased to some extent.

 

● Delivering environmental benefits: the major benefit of ITS is to deliver environment alerts if any are needed. The sensors are being placed along the road side so that they can record the temperature, humidity and other environmental factors. Calculating all the factors, the values will be sent to the central server where the values are stored in the database. If any user is subscribed to this activity he or she may get an alert about the environment. The forecast weather report will also be sent to the user.

 

● Capacity / Throughput: ITS also keeps a track of congestion even before it happens. Everything is done by obtaining the number of vehicles on each and every lane. If the number of vehicles is high on a single lane, then ITS takes the decision to route the traffic onto another lane or route. Thus, decreasing the risk of congestion of the particular lane/road. It also keeps tracks of the capacity of the vehicles running on the road at a particular time on any particular lane. It will also send an alert to users that at some particular time the congestion may well be high on some particular lanes/routes.

 

● Information Dissemination: There are many ways to deliver road congestion reports to users such as using Dynamic Message Signs (DMS), Variable Message Signs (VMS) and Highway Advisory Radio (HAR)

 

● Enhancing mobility and convenience: Intelligent transportation systems can be enhanced in satellite based vehicle navigation and various other applications which can deliver real time traffic information to the user. Users can check the status of traffic and other information about where they are heading before departing from their homes.

 

The vehicle, therefore, is no longer the sole focus of the mobility experience, but becomes a key element of an inter-connected ecosystem that includes smart road infrastructures, distributed sensors, public and private control centers, and uses modern technologies to create a connected mobility ecosystem.
The strong impact of the V2X paradigm in the current and future scenario is manifested in the technologies adopted that enable vehicles to collect large volumes of data produced by on-board systems and share it in real time through the network. This improves the “perception” of the surrounding environment and enhances driving safety, especially in view of autonomous driving. A moving vehicle generates data that can be exchanged punctually and synergistically with other users and infrastructure managers, or transmitted through the network to feed Big Data systems.

 

This process helps to gradually ensure the safety of the system – from a structural, digital, and routine maintenance point of view-by making traffic and transportation monitoring more efficient for safer mobility.

 

Don’t miss our updates, keep following us on our Linkedin page.To contact us email us at: info@artgroup-spa.com

• 22 May 2023
• News

SITUM and ART: A marriage of skills and training for professional success.

SITUM and ART: A marriage of skills and training for professional success.

 

On Saturday, May 20, ART attended the graduation ceremony for the 49 participants of the 2nd Season of the School of Technological, Humanistic, Managerial Innovation (SITUM), as well as previews of the 3rd Season of SITUM.

 

The project has the ambition of creating a link between the demand for skills and personnel from the business world and economic and social operators and the educational programs of universities. This initiative has been made possible thanks to the collaboration between the Marche Polytechnic University, the University of Perugia and the University of L’Aquila, the Chambers of Commerce of Marche and Umbria and BPER Banca with the important contribution of companies, such as ART, which have opened their doors to the young participants of the two interuniversity courses.

 

The key words of the courses are: interdisciplinarity, entrepreneurship, openness, innovation, sustainability, territory.

 

At ART we have had the opportunity to organize two meetings under the banner of a synergistic exchange of skills and knowledge among faculty, managers and students. For both the Human Centric Engineering course and the Sustainability Management course, we tried to provide the most up-to-date view possible of present and future job prospects in ART, the skills required and possible development paths. In addition, we stimulated students’ reflection on the interaction between humans, technology and the territory.

 

Not only that, by hosting both courses and addressing the themes that are close to our hearts, such as the enhancement of resources and the long-term growth of the well-being of communities, we discussed and compared the different perspectives on soft skills: soft skills, which have become today, real key competencies to independently manage work and relate effectively in the work context.

 

Don’t miss our updates, keep following us on our Linkedin page.To contact us email us at: info@artgroup-spa.com

• 15 May 2023
• News

OpenART 2023: An inclusive experience of sharing and enhancement

OpenART 2023: An inclusive experience of sharing and enhancement

 

ART continues its journey of inclusion! The OpenART 2023 event was a unique opportunity to share not only the magical location of Pischiello, but also its important historical background and our unique values. During this day, more than 600 people, including staff, family and friends, participated in an unforgettable experience. It was the perfect opportunity to breathe in the ART atmosphere and appreciate our daily commitment dedicated to an inclusive, sustainable and people-friendly process of growth.

 

An experiential journey:

OpenART was conceived as an experiential journey that both engaged and excited all participants.
The adventure began at the company parking area, where a fun little shuttle train took visitors to the charming Borgo del Pischiello.
For those who had never had the opportunity to visit ART’s offices, laboratories and production environments before there was the opportunity to take organized tours, in which even the employees themselves were more than happy to participate. The tour was even more magical since our headquarters is not usually open to external visitors.

 

Activities for all ages:

During the afternoon, a series of activities and workshops suitable for all ages were organized.
For younger children, games and entertainment were set up that had been designed to bring them closer to the world of scientific research. An area dedicated to robots made it possible to promote the development of computational thinking and coding while providing a fun experience. An original and fun science raffle was a “must”, as well as a creative-laboratory space where participants could build unusual flying objects and test their in-flight performance for daredevils of all ages.
For adults, the goal was to explore into the amazing combination of past and future that the wonderful ART location ensures. A unique show was organized, involving 10 cartoonists whose task was to portray the fantastic history of ART through their artistic talents.

 

Food and Entertainment:

As per tradition, street food carts delighted participants with high-quality products from with the surrounding area. A traveling band energized the atmosphere with its lively music.
The highlight of the entertainment was the setting of the Pischiello itself, a location surrounded by green woods and countryside with a centuries-old history and breathtaking views, which all contributed to the day by giving guests an unforgettable spectacle of nature.

 

OpenART 2023 was a true triumph, once again demonstrating our commitment to inclusion, sharing and excellence.
We will continue on our path, maintaining the unique values that set us apart and make each event a memorable experience for all participants.
Special thanks to all of our employees and their loved ones for making this day so unforgettable!

 

Don’t miss our updates, keep following us on our Linkedin page.To contact us email us at: info@artgroup-spa.com

• 13 Apr 2023
• News

The miniaturisation of electronics

The miniaturisation of electronics

 

Ever smaller, faster, lighter and thinner: these are the requirements that electronic products have to fulfil. In recent years, the small form factor and system-on-chip integration have come to the fore in the technological offerings of both component manufacturers and system integrators, with the now clear objective of achieving ever smaller, ever more wearable, ever more interconnectable, ever more locally intelligent systems.

 

The strategies for pursuing these goals are varied, while the results are essentially the same: a reduction in size and power consumption at the same time as a corresponding increase in functionality.

 

Change is constant in the electronics industry. Since the birth of the transistor in the late 1940s, researchers have embarked on an evolutionary path focusing on miniaturization. A decade later, the first integrated circuit (IC) containing four transistors was developed by Robert Noyce at Fairchild Semiconductor.

 

We have seen how, in the 1960s, the automotive industry was mature enough to introduce the new transistor technology into the nascent car radios, which allowed for a further step of progressive reduction in size of the device.
Coming to the present day, we can now find tens of billions of transistors in the most advanced processors and semiconductors, all guarantee a drastic reduction in volume with an exponential increase in computational capacity.

 

Thanks to the process of component miniaturization, the industrial sector, in particular, has seen the degree of automation used in production increase significantly over the last decade.

 

Initiatives to improve industrial efficiency, such as Industry 4.0 and the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), are responsible for the increasing deployment of electronics-based sensor and control equipment as well as machine learning systems based on artificial intelligence applications. This increase in automation equipment is set against the backdrop of extremely limited available space in factories, driving the demand for compact, energy-efficient technologies and state-of-the-art components.

 

The drive for component miniaturization is not limited to electronic components. Manufacturers of automation equipment and sub-assemblies have also innovated. Advances in 3D printing, materials technology research and a deeper understanding of finite element analysis in mechanical design are helping to reduce weight, size and cost.

 

Advances in the design and production of miniaturized components have benefited the automotive industry immeasurably. Specifically, in our market, they have given a boost to the development of infotainment, which has become the car’s main control centre. The trend towards miniaturization has allowed designers and manufacturers to incorporate more advanced features into their end products while reducing their impact, giving them the ability to increase the features and functionality of new products without increasing their physical dimensions in the car.

 

These important developments in electronics have heralded the advent of on-board control units that are significantly more powerful and efficient than in the past, both in terms of calculation capacity and in terms of the energy efficiency of the component within the increasingly complex ecosystem of the modern car.

The gradual compacting of internal components – also driven by the adoption of modular platforms on which the mechanics of the car are assembled together with increasingly optimised procedures and innovative machinery – has allowed a reduction in the number of control units installed on board the car, centralizing more and more functions in increasingly powerful hardware.

 

Today, more than ever before, the car is a complex system where many devices can connect, interact and exchange data and, more concretely, where the travel experience – enjoyed by drivers and passengers – are often defined and characterized by software ecosystems, which are constantly being updated and developed. In this perspective, the miniaturization of electronics enables and also drives an increasingly user-centred design of interfaces and experiences.

 

Don’t miss our updates, keep following us on our Linkedin page.To contact us email us at: info@artgroup-spa.com

• 07 Mar 2023
• News

FUTURE FEMALE: An achievement that makes us proud but also prompts us to pause for thought.

FUTURE FEMALE: An achievement that makes us proud but also prompts us to pause for thought.

 

At the 2nd edition of the call for proposals “Future Female. Welfare and sustainability of women’s work”, instituted by the Regional Councillor for Equality, Rosita Garzi, in collaboration with the Social and Cultural Promotion Association “Sovrapensiero”, ART Spa won first place, jointly with the company SINTAGMA.

 

The award aims to promote and highlight virtuous cases of corporate welfare dedicated to women, and ART has shown that it devotes attention to this specific issue. Our participation in this call has also given us the opportunity to reflect on what we have accomplished in recent months.

 

ART Spa, founded in the early 2000s and located in the picturesque Villa del Pischiello in Passignano sul Trasimeno, is today one of Italy’s leading suppliers of connected infotainment systems and digital cockpits for luxury sports cars. A world that is considered predominantly male, but which ART has instead sought to open up to female skills, enhancing women’s abilities and guaranteeing fair access to positions of responsibility within its organization. Suffice to say that ART now has 20% women in its workforce, a figure that is growing steadily if one compares it to the years 2020 and 2021 when women were 12% and 15% respectively.

 

The year 2022 saw the creation of a new body, Organizational Development, which in collaboration with HR created a new program: “Oxygen”. This project, run by a predominantly female team, aims to increase the engagement of people in ART by helping them to develop the tools they need to best meet the challenges that await us in the future as a company, a group and as citizens.

 

Various initiatives have thus been activated, including:

 

– ART Academy aimed at developing soft skills, transversal skills and emotional intelligence to increase the versatility of each individual

– ART FOOD REVOLUTION, a sustainability project for and in the surrounding area that foresees the certification of the canteen service by the CCPB organization with the involvement of many local producers, thereby setting in motion a virtuous process for our territory with ethical and social repercussions.

 

ART is a young and innovative company, and it is precisely because of this characteristic that is so strong in its DNA that it has always been a strongly digitized company. This is why it has been so successful in immediately activating flexible work policies that today allow it to be closer to the needs of women in order to help them better combine private life (especially post-maternity) and work, also through other contractual flexibility tools (e.g. part-time).

 

ART is not stopping: there are many initiatives planned for 2023. Let’s keep going like this!
Don’t miss our updates, keep following us on our Linkedin page.To contact us email us at: info@artgroup-spa.com

• 17 Feb 2023
• News

ART FOOD REVOLUTION: Sustainability and care for the territory

Nowadays, there is an ever-growing attention paid to the concepts of environmental sustainability, the proper use of resources and the reduction of pollutant emissions. Responsible interaction with the environment is essential in order to continue producing goods and services and at the same time safeguard the Planet, thus ensuring it is preserved for future generations.

This concept is also frequently associated with the world of catering, both in terms of the quality of products as well as in the way in which products are prepared and consumed.

 

In this short interview with Francesco Ortix, Chief Executive Officer of ART SpA, we explore the ART FOOD REVOLUTION project connected with our company canteen.

 

1. What is the ART FOOD REVOLUTION project?

 

Here at ART we are used to talking about pathways rather than projects, and the one we are following in our company cafeteria is an example of this!
Through close collaboration with the company that runs the cafeteria – Consorzio il Bove 2 soc. cooperativa sociale together with all of their staff – we are implementing a series of strategies aimed at ensuring quality both in terms of the raw materials used in the preparation of the meals we serve and in the preparation methods and the general management as well.

 

2. How are you carrying out this project?

 

The first objective we set ourselves was achieved a few days ago when we obtained the “Conosci il Tuo Pasto” (Know Your Meal) certification created by the CCPB, a certification and control body for food and “non food” products obtained in the organic and eco-friendly and eco-sustainable production sector.

Sustainability and, specifically, sustainable development concern the environmental, economic and social spheres in an interconnected way. Together, these three dimensions contribute to the definition of well-being and progress, and it is starting from this principle that we have initiated the development and growth of our project.

 

3. What is the “Know Your Meal” certification and how does it work?

 

“Know Your Meal” identifies a set of requirements for organizations that serve food and beverages, emphasizing raw materials and ingredients, non-food consumables, ethical and environmentally sustainable behaviour.
This certification has spurred us to adopt a series of virtuous behaviours in the 5 qualifying areas: Quality Products, Territory & Traditions, Ethics, Sustainability and Veg.

 

4. How have you fulfilled the requirements of the 5 areas?

 

The first area led us to choose quality products such as those from organic farming and then in conversion to organic and slow food presidia with recognized, highly appreciated and certified characteristics. Then in a second phase, this led to the gradual discovery of our territory and its traditions. The most demanding but also the most rewarding work is the continuous search for new small producers who allow us, once a week, through the distinctive nature of their products, to discover villages, territories, new recipes and culinary traditions.
The service is also performed in an ethical and sustainable way thanks to the use of disposable, compostable material and biodegradable detergents.

 

Don’t miss our updates, keep following us on our Linkedin page.

To contact us email us at: info@artgroup-spa.com

• 19 Dec 2022
• News

ART World: ART’s new 3D experience

ART Spa is pleased to announce “ART World” a real time 3d experience, a totally innovative project that has seen us engaged in its study, design and creation. ART’s new 3D experience allows users to enter a captive ‘world’, an ideal city in which, through a 3D model car, we are able to introduce you to ART’s main products.

Moving through this space, the user can observe the car from every point of view, get on board and see the details of its equipment.

Navigation buttons guide the user by allowing easy switching between features of the by-ART infotainment system, as well as setting the ‘bare bones’ view of the infotainment elements. The model thus allows the user to fully appreciate the usability and functionality of these products at the same time.

In fact, it is possible to select the digital dashboard view, the navigation and multimedia playback systems, the on-board screens and the USB connection system.

Given ART’s decades of experience in the automotive industry, and specifically in the supply of connected infotainment systems and digital cockpits for luxury sports cars, we are aware of the importance of combining real-time vehicle data to create an immersive experience, and in our new ‘ART world’ we have tried to give more prominence to our products by showing them through real-time visual communication.

ART, which combines expertise and professionalism to innovate and produce high-tech systems, is making digitization an essential element in the continuous transformation of the car interior and creating an immersive experience by providing customized and unique solutions.

Curious to try it out? You can find it at this link: https://www.artgroup-spa.com/art-world/

• 14 Dec 2022
• News

Introduction to the Functional Safety, ISO 26262.

One of the common questions we always ask ourselves is why the industry safety standard ISO 26262 so important?

 

The automotive sector is undergoing profound transformation, new concepts and new technologies are developing. ADAS systems, electrification, V2V architectures are only some examples of new generation of challenges for the mobility sector.

 

Functional safety is a common aspect of all new challenges and is increasingly an element of competition to but the best products on the market.

In ART, in recent years we have indeed invested a lot of energy in developing expertise and, therefore, products that comply with the ISO 26262 standard. This path has led us to acquire a high level of know-how that allows us to provide consulting services that help companies design, develop and produce systems compatible with functional safety standards.

 

ART Germany is member of Drivery that is not only the most innovative coworking space in the center of Berlin, but also a hub for innovation and mobility.

In this innovative and proactive collaborative environmental, today we hold our first masterclass, where we introduced the functional safety for the automotive industry (ISO 26262).

 

We explained how to calculate the level of automotive safety integrity (ASIL) of a function and its impact on the architecture, HW and SW of the electronic subsystems and the HW/SW lifecycle.

After a first overview of functional safety, we tried to describe it properly. Moving on to the differences and commonalities between FuSa standards in automotive sector (ISO 26262) and other sectors (e.g. agriculture, earth moving machines). Finally, the phases of the Functional Safety lifecycle were analyzed.

 

To learn more about Functional Safety listen to the words of Francesco De Rosa, German Site Manager and Functional Safety Manager of ART. Watch the video!

 

 

Contact us:
info@artgroup-spa.com

• 28 Nov 2022
• News

ITS Umbria Academy announces partnership with Rightware and ART SPA for the creation of a Kanzi Learning Lab

Passignano sul Trasimeno, 28 November 2022

 

ITS Umbria Academy has signed an important partnership with Rightware, a Finnish software company, and ART SPA, an Italian automotive infotainment manufacturer, to develop the institute’s training programs.

 

The first implementation stage of this project focuses on creating HMIs with the Kanzi One development environment, specifically for the automotive sector. To support this mission, Rightware granted ITS Umbria software licenses and assistance to create a tailored training program in a new Kanzi Learning Lab at LABOMEC, the mechatronics laboratory of ITS Umbria in Foligno.

 

Thanks to didactic co-design, the lectures and technical assistance provided by ART allowed ITS students to follow a training course delivered according to the typical approach of the application didactics of the Higher Technological Institutes, which envisages close cooperation between schools and the business world.

 

ITS students thus had the opportunity to participate in the realization of advanced research projects, learning basic concepts related to key practices in UI Design/Interaction, which constitute a focal point for collaborative study and research with the automotive industry in the area of user interface design and development.

 

The ITS Umbria class involved in the project showed great appreciation for the project, with positive feedback from the students who recognized and highlighted the added value of this training experience related to the use of the industry-standard Kanzi One HMI tool. These skills will prove to be a very useful resource for their professional development in the working world.

 

Thanks to the success of this first training experience and the advanced stage of implementation of the Kanzi Learning Lab at LABOMEC, ITS Umbria Academy, in agreement with Rightware and ART, intend to continue the program of collaboration, to give continuity and further impetus to the educational models implemented by ITS Umbria Academy, in this case, in the mechatronic and digital fields.

 

ITS Umbria

ITS Umbria is a post-diploma academy in applied sciences and technologies promoted by the Ministry of Education and the Umbria Region, along with the main companies in the area. At the end of the two-year program, through a modern and practical educational system aimed at technological innovation, it offers its students a very high level of employment opportunities.

 

ART Spa

Founded in the early 2000s and based in the evocative Villa del Pischiello in Passignano sul Trasimeno, ART is today one of Italy’s leading suppliers of connected infotainment systems and digital cockpits for luxury sports cars. ART combines skills and professionalism to innovate and produce systems with high technological content, thus providing customized and unique solutions. The company counts among its customers the main Italian and international manufacturers of super sports cars, who recognize the Umbrian company’s excellent technical and technological skills, combined with a very high level of customer care. With around 200 employees and a turnover of over 35 million Euros, ART represents a Made in Italy

 

Rightware

Rightware is the pioneering provider of automotive graphics software tools and services. We are uniquely positioned, with a heritage in gaming, graphics, and UI development, and with a dedicated focus on the automotive industry. We help automakers become highly efficient and creative with no limits. With Kanzi, the traditional HMI is transformed into a real Signature UI. Rightware is headquartered in Finland and has a presence in China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, South Korea, UK, and USA. As a ThunderSoft company, our combined skills and assets allow us to deliver fully integrated HMI solutions, engineering support, and design services. Kanzi is the market-leading automotive UI tool, trusted by over 50 automotive brands across the globe.

 

Contact us:
info@artgroup-spa.com

• 12 Oct 2022
• Press review

The collaboration of ART in the creation of Pagani Utopia – Press Release

Passignano sul Trasimeno, September 2022

 

ART IS ONE OF THE TECHNICAL PARTNERS WHO HAVE COLLABORATED IN THE CREATION OF THE NEW HYPERCAR, PAGANI UTOPIA

 

The technical partnership between Pagani Automobili and ART is not just about innovation, but also about sharing values that go well beyond mere business: attention to the territory, to people and to the client, who is made to feel a central part of the project.

 

The city of Milan hosts the world launch of the new Hypercar, Pagani Utopia. The presentation took place under the banners of art and science, the guiding principles inspired by Leonardo da Vinci, a constant element at the basis of Pagani Automobili’s creations.
The Pagani Utopia is the latest addition to the Pagani family and will be the last car of the brand to enjoy the legacy of the 864 hp twin-turbo 60° V12 engine, custom developed exclusively for Pagani by Mercedes-AMG. The Hypercar will also be available in a manual version for a mechanically pure driving experience.

Pagani Utopia has resulted in a partnership between Pagani and ART based on shared values, which has allowed the development of a state-of-the-art infotainment system tailored to the needs of Pagani and its customers. The infotainment system allows customers to enjoy an intuitive and high-tech driving experience, fully reflecting Pagani’s vision.

Utopia’s design stems from inspirations and stylistic insights from the past, recognizable in its evocative elements: volumes and iconic features, colours and materials inspired by the 1950s and 1960s. A car inspired by the past but looking to the future by defining timeless lines and shapes.
The result is at odds with current fashions: there are no screens, apart from the essential display in front of the driver, which nonetheless allows all the navigation, comfort, safety and entertainment functions to be exploited; this was a great challenge for ART, having to re-imagine the user experience and their interaction with infotainment, as there is no touch screen; a challenge that ART took up enthusiastically and professionally, working in concert with Pagani.
Thinking of and creating simple, clean and essential products is so often highly complicated, but the collaboration with a company with high skills and professionalism such as Pagani has allowed us to achieve a high-value product that will certainly stand the test of time.

 

About ART Spa

Founded in the early 2000s and based in the evocative Villa del Pischiello in Passignano sul Trasimeno, ART is today one of Italy’s leading suppliers of connected infotainment systems and digital cockpits for luxury sports cars. ART combines skills and professionalism to innovate and produce systems with high technological content, thus providing customized and unique solutions.
The company counts among its customers the main Italian and international manufacturers of super sports cars, who recognize the Umbrian company’s excellent technical and technological skills, combined with a very high level of customer care. With around 200 employees and a turnover of over 35 million Euros, ART represents a Made in Italy excellence capable of competing with the large multinational groups active in the sector.

 

About Pagani

The Italian company Horacio Pagani producing Hypercars is headquartered in San Cesario sul Panaro, Modena, the heart of the Motor Valley. Founded in 1998 by Horacio Pagani, originally from Casilda, a small town in the Argentine countryside, in a few years, it has established itself as a reference point for exclusive cars built around the wishes of customers, using highly technological materials such as carbon fiber and titanium.

The debut took place in 1999 at the Geneva International Motor Show with the Zonda model, followed in 2011 by Huayra. In 2022, the new model Pagani Utopia is writing a new chapter in the brand’s history.

Fascinated by the myth of Leonardo Da Vinci, Horacio Pagani makes Leonardo’s concept of “art and science” his guiding principle, a philosophy at the basis of each of his creations combining aesthetics and mechanics, form and function, craftsmanship and technological know-how giving life to unique Hypercars in the San Cesario Atelier. In addition to creating dream cars, Pagani offers its customers the “Pagani Officina” program: a series of services aimed at certifying the authenticity of the cars, their restoration and their maximum customisation.

The company employs over 170 people, 20 worldwide dealers and commercial offices in the United States and Hong Kong to be closer to international customers.

 

Contact us:
info@artgroup-spa.com

• 27 Sep 2022
• Bando

PROCESSO 4.0 PER UN IMPRESA ELETTRONICA DEL SETTORE AUTOMOTIVE

 

The investment represents an increase in the company’s technological capabilities and has made it possible to apply innovative technologies that are functional to the company’s ongoing technological and digital transformation into Industry 4.0. The project is consistent with the area of specialization identified in the Research and Innovation Strategy for Intelligent Specialisation RIS 3: INTELLIGENT FACTORY by means of the development of technologies and solutions to improve the ability of modern factories to be flexible and efficient, in order to respond rapidly and appropriately to any changes as needed by market dynamics. This investment completes the company’s journey towards the creation of a truly intelligent factory. This project has enabled ART to increase its efficiency with a consequent reduction in production time and costs.

 

L’investimento ha rappresentato un incremento della dotazione tecnologica dell’azienda e ha consentito di applicare tecnologie innovative, funzionali alla trasformazione tecnologica e digitale in atto dell’impresa in chiave Industria 4.0. Il progetto è coerente con l’ambito di specializzazione identificati nell’ambito della Strategia di Ricerca e Innovazione per la Specializzazione Intelligente RIS 3: FABBRICA INTELLIGENTE sviluppando tecnologie e soluzioni per migliorare la capacità delle moderne fabbriche di essere flessibili ed efficienti, allo scopo di rispondere in modo adeguato ai cambiamenti richiesti dalle dinamiche del mercato. L’investimento permette di completare il percorso dell’azienda verso la realizzazione di una vera e propria fabbrica intelligente. Il presente progetto ha consentito ad ART di aumentare la propria efficienza con una conseguente riduzione dei tempi e dei costi di produzione.

 
AVVISO A SOSTEGNO DEI PROGETTI DI RICERCA INDUSTRIALE E SVILUPPO SPERIMENTALE 2020

 

The aim of the project is to define, study and implement an automotive assisted parking system in a prototype form. This type of system is able both to automatically identify free parking spaces near the car while driving, and to independently perform parking maneuvers without involving the driver.

 

Il progetto ha come obiettivo la definizione, lo studio e l’implementazione in forma prototipale di un sistema automotive per parcheggio assistito. Questa tipologia di sistemi è in grado sia di individuare automaticamente parcheggi liberi in prossimità della vettura durante la guida, sia di eseguire autonomamente le manovre di parcheggio senza coinvolgere il guidatore.

• 14 Sep 2022
• Press review

Motortec S.p.A. and an industrial partner acquire 100% of the capital of ART S.p.A. to support and sustain the company’s planned growth

Passignano sul Trasimeno, 14 September 2022

 

ART, Italian leader in the supply of infotainment systems for luxury cars, looks to the future on the basis of the excellent results achieved in recent years and is strengthened by the entry of new partners, Motortec and Avio. The company’s objective is to continue along its path of growth through the continuous development of cutting-edge technological solutions, confirming its position alongside the main manufacturers of luxury sports cars. At the same time, ART sold to Avio its participation in Temis, a company of the group which is active in the supply of services and products in the aerospace sector.

 

Motortec S.p.A., a private investment entity that is promoted by The Equity Club and counts among its participants some of Italy’s leading entrepreneurial families and Mediobanca, is entering Art’s capital with a 95% majority stake. The selling shareholders will then be reinvesting in the majority stakeholder, which will continue to support the company’s development.
Avio S.p.A., an Italian aerospace company listed on the Euronext Star segment (ticker AVIO), is entering the company’s capital as a minority shareholder with a 5% stake.

 

Founded in the early 2000s from the intuition of Giancarlo Luigetti, a historic figure in Italian motorsport, and based in the evocative Villa del Pischiello in Passignano sul Trasimeno, ART is today one of Italy’s leading suppliers of connected infotainment systems and digital cockpits for luxury sports cars. ART combines skills and professionalism to innovate and produce systems with high technological content, thus providing customized and unique solutions.
The company counts among its customers the main Italian and international manufacturers of super sports cars, who recognize the Umbrian company’s excellent technical and technological skills, combined with a very high level of customer care. With around 200 employees and a turnover of over 35 million Euros, ART represents a Made in Italy excellence capable of competing with the large multinational groups active in the sector.

 

Motortec and Avio will support ART in the next phase of growth, leveraging a number of clearly identified key factors such as (i) the backlog contracted with major customers, (ii) the entry of new customers thanks to the great product development work done in recent years, and (iii) the diversification of target markets by leveraging the company’s technological expertise.

 

Francesco Ortix, ART’s CEO, commented: “We are delighted to partner with Motortec and its management team and to embark on a new phase in the history of our company, continuing our path of growth and strengthening our skills. This important transaction puts us in the best position to address and achieve the goals we have set for the coming years and to continue to develop ART here in Umbria, in our Pischiello”.

 

Roberto Ferraresi and Gianmarco Gandolfi, respectively Managing Director and Senior Partner of The Equity Club commented: “The investment in ART represents the seventh investment for The Equity Club and confirms our distinctive ability in scouting for Italian excellences with outstanding growth prospects. We are proud to start this journey with ART, supporting the company in its path of growth as well as in the expression of its full potential thanks to its high-tech skills and distinctive client focus”.

 

Giancarlo Luigetti, who will hold the position of Honorary President, confirms his satisfaction for this important step undertaken by ART, which is functional to the growth of the company and of all those who, in over 10 years, have contributed to making ART a leader in its sector, and adds “we are very happy with this operation and know that we have identified the ideal partner to support the company in its next chapter of growth”.

 

Eugenio Razelli, Enrico Loccioni, Roberto Ferraresi. Gianmarco Gandolfi and Alessandro Agosti are joining ART’s board of directors, flanking the current directors Francesco Ortix, Alex Fattorini and Domenico Bordone.

 

Pedersoli Studio Legale, KPMG and De Candia Associati assisted Motortec in the legal, financial and tax aspects. Studio Legale Mazzi and Studio Legale Associato of the lawyers Marco Lodovichi and Nicolò Lodovichi acted as legal advisors to the selling shareholders, Studio Barbarisi e Associati and Studio Rossi Giuliani handled the tax aspects and DGPA & Co. handled the financial aspects. Grimaldi Studio Legale assisted Avio, which also availed itself of the in-house legal team, for the legal aspects. The notary activities related to the transaction were handled by Studio Notai Associati Ricci e Radaelli.

 

Contact us:
info@artgroup-spa.com

• 14 Jun 2022
• News

ART SKILL ACADEMY: A space where corporate culture flourishes.

ART is a fast-growing company, and in the last three years alone it has seen a doubling of its workforce. This has highlighted the need to adopt a new approach towards the continuous development of People.

In this brief interview with Emanuela Bernardini Head of Organization Development and
Andrea Narciso Head of Innovation Department, let’s explore the project ART SKILL ACADEMY.

 

 

1- What is the project ART Skill Academy?

 

Rather than a project, we will call it a journey: a journey that has lead us a long way from its beginnings and that is now beginning to bear fruit. In the last three years our company has seen an exponential increase in personnel, which, combined with the changing environment in which we live, is making it necessary to develop certain best-practices including the need for lifelong learning. Today more than ever, it is not only professional qualifications that are important, but increasingly, the human qualities that make us act as a cohesive and united team.

ART SKILL ACADEMY has as its primary objective to train People to deal with uncertainty and complexity. ART is experiencing a moment of development and transformation, which will also affect the work organization model. In order to make this growth sustainable for everyone, ART is providing its People with a space and a place where they can meet and grow also through the exchange and integration of diversity.

 

 

2- Who is the initiative aimed at?

 

All of us ART employees, the particularity of this initiative is precisely that it seeks to involve as many people as possible. We have always believed in the need to create a space where people can meet and grow, and this initiative is relevant to ART but above all to the people who populate it. We seek to provide those tools that allow the individual to grow

and then make our orga

nization stronger and more adaptive to the changes that are our constant.

 

 

3- What courses are planned?

 

Academy has two souls, the technical soul (Tech ART) and the human soul (Human ART). The technical experience is aimed at sharing not only what we do and how we do it, but also why we do it: the essence of doing in ART. The human experience is aimed at the Person, it is designed to make the culture that binds us as a team flourish. The Human catalogue is already structured, it includes 11 courses, one of which has been chosen by the company for everyone: “Proactive Mindset – Training for uncertainty and complexity”.

 

 

4- What are the benefits a person can gain from participating in the various courses?

 

This, we believe, is the question we feel happiest to answer. We hope and, we firmly believe, that participation in these initiatives is a first step towards the cultural changes that needs to be promoted in ART and that can be fostered by internalizing the concept of shared responsibility and the culture of error. Strengthening the workforce to consolidate the company’s solidity, a path that has people at its heart and, first and foremost, the quality of their lives. A company is neither better nor worse than those who work in it, it is an act of responsibility towards our community.

 

Don’t miss our updates, keep following us on our Linkedin page.

 

Contact us:
info@artgroup-spa.com

• 27 May 2022
• BandoNews

Art si è dotata di una camera anecoica

ART grazie alla partecipazione al bando POR FESR 2014-2020 Asse III Az. 3.4.1. Avviso investimenti innovativi 2019 Titolo del progetto: Innovazione nel processo di industrializzazione di centraline elettroniche si è dotata di una camera anecoica.

 

ART thanks to the participation at POR FESR 2014-2020 Asse III Az. 3.4.1. Innovative investments notice 2019 Project title: Innovation in the industrialization process of electronic control units is equipped with an anechoic chamber.

 

• 02 Apr 2021
• Press review

LIS system by ART improves the driving experience of Lamborghini Huracán Evo

Technology, interconnectedness, diagnostics: LIS was designed by the Umbria-based company, leader in the production of high-performance electronical devices.

 

Passignano sul Trasimeno (PG), 31 March 2021 – A partnership devoted to innovation and a system of connected infotainment offering the most demanding drivers an immersive, intuitive and highly technological experience, which also maintains ease of use while driving.

 

ART, a company based in Umbria working towards the design of high-quality and high-performance electronical products in the automotive, aerospace, motorsport and railway sectors, is boosting Lamborghini’s infotainment system with an important upgrade, which has been installed in the new Huracán EVO models since the beginning of 2021.

Lamborghini Infotainment System (LIS) offers passengers more flexibility and freedom in the management of centralized systems such as infotainment, navigation, comfort, safety and entertainment.

 

And that’s not all: with its integrated Internet connectivity, LIS can offer new features to drivers, such as the gathering of car data, including IoT sensors, diagnostic services and user settings. Features for the monitoring of real-time traffic (Live Traffic), software updates and Amazon’s personal assistant Alexa are also offered.

 

The integration of Alexa ensures an immersive experience within the vehicle, a key aspect in the near future. Cooperation with Amazon fuses an innovative vision with new tools and techniques, to make consumer experience increasingly rich and interactive.

 

With LIS system by Art, car owners improve their driving experience, being able to directly access all Amazon services using their voice profile. Drivers can also choose their favorite music, set their destination on the navigation system, set air conditioning temperatures, interior lightning and seat heating, make a phone call and much more.

 

These connected services are innovative and projected into the future, to satisfy the needs of the global automotive industry which looks to increasingly intelligent products on vehicles, to improve consumer comfort and safety.

 

With the new LIS system, OTA (Over The Air) software updates can be executed remotely by the OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer), without the need to use after-sale service. This ensures a constant and punctual update in line with the functionality of the car.

 

The most important information about the state of the car are sent in real-time to a back-end cloud and the raw data are processed to give the user new services, from the monitoring of the vehicle to the speed warning, in addition to predictive maintenance as well as many other features.

 

Privacy of users is always taken into account, so that the owner of Lamborghini Huracán EVO can freely choose which features to use.

 

LIS can also be used on the racetrack, including a performance-oriented telemetry function, which offers the pilot an improved driving experience. Such as the possibility to record routes, maps, as well as video and audio of the race sessions. The pilot can also visualize live notifications about split-times and laps directly on the map, to analyze data and share it together with other results on dedicated apps.