Forlì, 2 July 2024 – A new wind is blowing at the university campus of Forlì. From the 2024-25 academic year the doors of the new course of Master’s Degree in Nautical Engineeringone of the few in Italy, created to respond to the demand for high-level skills from the industry. The ‘team’ that made the launch of the course possible sees the Emilia-Romagna Region as its leader, with the councilors, Vincenzo Colla and Paola Salomonirespectively with responsibility for economic development and research, the University of Bologna, the Fondazione Cassa dei Risparmi di Forlì, the Chamber of Commerce of Romagna, the Municipality of Forlì and the nautical giant, the Ferretti Group. The official presentation of the course yesterday.
“The project – underlines the councilor Colla – was able to count on funding of almost 7 million euros. This intervention is part of the path traced by the regional law designed to attract and retain talent: qualified people who can find in the Region a professional, research or higher education space“.
The new degree course was born in Forli in the heart of the Adriatic coast: “In Italy – explains Claudio Melchiorri – there are only a few other cities with similar paths, Genoa, La Spezia, Trieste and Naples. This degree favors the development of figures oriented towards the shipbuilding of high-quality pleasure boats”.
The course is part of the Forlì engineering hub already active in via Fontanelle and via Montaspro: “The new master’s degree – explains Alessandro Talamellithe contact person for the degree course – will work in synergy with Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. Laboratories will be used, such as the ‘Ciclope’ of Predappioand internship and job placement opportunities will open up in local companies.”
For the next few years we expect about fifty membersin line with the adhesions of similar master’s degree courses in other cities. “We are proud to be alongside this new project – underlines Maurizio Gardini, president of the Fondazione Cassa dei Risparmi – which directly involves some prestigious companies in the area”. The nautical sector is one of the engines that drives the local economy: “Romagna – declares Charles Battistinipresident of the Chamber of Commerce – has 360 companies that deal with shipbuilding and repair with over 2,200 employees. The course will increase the attractiveness of the city and therefore also the production of local companies”. The initiative is part of a combination of intent between the public and private sectors.
Among the companies that started the project there is the Ferretti Groupwhich has established its headquarters in Forlì: “This master’s degree – declares Andrea Brasini, director of human resources of the multinational – will have a dual function, that of creating employment and of introducing figures with adequate skills to face the challenges of the nautical industry for the future”.
After the arrival of Medicine and Surgerygiant steps are being taken within the Forlì campus: “Our goal – concludes the mayor, Gian Luca Zattini – is to become a university city in all respects. The launch of the Nautical Engineering course in just two years is a great achievement”.
