The high-tech classroom dedicated to STEM subjects, born from the collaboration between Boeing, Aeroporti di Roma and the non-profit organization FIRST Scandinavia, will welcome students from lower and upper secondary schools in the Lazio region starting from September
Fiumicino – The “Newton Room Rome” was inaugurated at Rome Fiumicino Airport, an experiential classroom dedicated to STEM disciplines, promoted by Boeing Italia and Aeroporti di Roma in collaboration with the Norwegian non-profit organization FIRST Scandinavia.
In this new space, training in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) subjects connected to the world of air transport will be offered to students aged between 13 and 16 from middle and high schools in the area and the Region.
Speaking at the inauguration were the Hon. Mario Baccini, mayor of the Municipality of Fiumicino; the President of ADR, Attorney Vincenzo Nunziata; the Eng. Marco Troncone, CEO of ADR; Dr. Armida Balla, Communications Manager Italy, Southern Europe and Israel at Boeing and Mr. Per-Arild Konradsen, Founder of FIRST Scandinavia. The event, attended by Giovanna Laschena, Central Director of International Relations, Security and Research of ENAC and Patrizia Terlizzi, ENAC Director for Fiumicino Airport, closed with a video message from the Hon. Paola Frassinetti, Undersecretary for Education and Merit.
The Newton Room represents a cutting-edge educational concept aimed at promoting the study of scientific subjects among girls and boys in primary and secondary schools.
In the Newton Room installed in the Arrivals Terminal 1 of the “Leonardo da Vinci” in Fiumicino, starting from next September, high school students in Lazio will have the opportunity to experiment with an educational module called “In the air with numbers”, or lesson that applies mathematical concepts to a flight plan, then tested on a flight simulator by the students themselves.
The Newton Room in Rome, the first permanent classroom of this kind in Italy, constitutes a significant step forward in the implementation of the Newton Concept in our country, which has already arrived at the Polytechnic of Bari in 2021 and at the INRIM (National Institute of Metrological Research) of Turin in 2022 with temporary teaching classrooms.
“The transformations in the world of work and new technological opportunities make value-added training a priority challenge for companies and institutions. The opening of the Newton Room in Fiumicino fits well into the corporate giving strategy of the Mundys group of which ADR is part, with particular reference to the right to study and the promotion of training activities in the contexts in which it operates. We look to the future aiming at innovation and technology, but always aware of the centrality of the human factor: for this reason we feel a strong responsibility and opportunity to encourage the training processes of young students in the area, to bring out their talents, unlock the their energies and build an increasingly competitive future for our country”, these are the words of Marco Troncone, CEO of Aeroporti di Roma.
“The inauguration of the Newton Room in Rome constitutes a fundamental milestone in Boeing’s global CSR strategy,” said Armida Balla, Communications Manager Italy, Southern Europe and Israel at Boeing. “The promotion of talent in STEM disciplines is one of the focuses of our strategy and initiatives such as that of the Newton Room have enormous potential, because they bring new generations closer to a sector that can count on their active participation. The key principle that guides us is summarized in the learning by doing formula, according to which children must experience firsthand the fundamental cornerstones of scientific disciplines by actively collaborating in an environment with cutting-edge structures. I would like to thank Aeroporti di Roma and FIRST Scandinavia thanks to which all this was made possible.”
CEO and founder of FIRST Scandinavia, Per-Arild Konradsen, expressed his enthusiasm for the inauguration, saying: “We have been looking forward to this day for a long time and are happy to finally inaugurate Newton Roma, the first permanent Newton Room in Italy”. He further added: “We are extremely satisfied with the strong partnership between Newton, Boeing and Aeroporti di Roma which has brought us to this significant milestone. We are confident in our collaborations in Italy and believe that our shared values will allow us to offer many children enriching experiences and strengthen interest in STEM subjects.”
Boeing in Italy
Boeing has been present in Italy for almost 75 years and has a long-standing relationship with the Italian aerospace and defense industry, the armed forces and airlines. The collaboration includes partnerships with Leonardo in the 787 Dreamliner program, 767 and for the supply of CH-47F Chinook helicopters operated by the Army Aviation. Other collaborations include, among others, the partnership with General Electric through Avio Aero (a GE Aviation Business) on the GEnx and GE90 engines and with UmbraGroup, whose ball screws are installed on all Boeing passenger aircraft. Boeing boasts collaboration with 30 direct and numerous indirect suppliers. The four KC-767A air refueling planes of the Italian Air Force, which distinguished themselves in carrying out important missions during the COVID-19 emergency and in the Aquila Omnia operation, exceeded 40,000 operational flight hours in October last. Boeing has around 150 direct employees in Italy – located between Rome, Pratica di Mare (RM), Pomigliano d’Arco (NA), Foggia, Grottaglie (TA), Milan, Lonate Pozzolo, (VA), Vergiate (VA), Tessera (VE), Brindisi, Sigonella (SR) – who work in managing relationships with partners and suppliers, in operational services, in commercial activities, in marketing and communication.
The Newton concept
The Newton Concept is developed and managed by the Norwegian non-profit foundation FIRST Scandinavia in collaboration with teachers, academic institutions and companies. A Newton Room is a well-equipped and inspiring STEM classroom, which focuses on high-quality education. The aim is to provide as many children as possible with good experience and mastery of STEM subjects. The education is varied and focuses on practical activities. The concept was introduced internationally thanks to the partnership with Boeing. 50 Newton Rooms have been established in 17 countries, including Norway, Türkiye and France.
Rome airports
Aeroporti di Roma, a Mundys Group company, manages and develops the Rome Fiumicino and Ciampino airports and carries out other activities connected and complementary to airport management. Fiumicino, the first and only airport in Italy with a 5-star Skytrax rating for excellent standards of service quality, and recognized during 2024 as the best airport in the world for airport security by Skytrax, has two passenger terminals and is dedicated to business and leisure customers on national, international and intercontinental routes; Ciampino is mainly used by low cost airlines, express couriers and general aviation activities. In 2023, Fiumicino and Ciampino airports together reached 44.4 million passengers. Over the last seven years Aeroporti di Roma has received numerous awards, recognitions and quality certificates. The main ones are certainly the AIRPORT SERVICE QUALITY AWARD, assigned by ACI World for the category of European airports with over 40 million passengers per year, obtained for the years from 2017 to 2023 for the high level of passenger satisfaction and the ‘ACI EUROPE BEST AIRPORT AWARD, category of airports with over 40 million passengers per year, for the years 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023. On 12 February 2024 ADR celebrated its fifty years of activity, for the occasion presented a new logo which, visually tending upwards, symbolizes the constant commitment to excellence and innovation.
