Intellimech sets record in applied research

"If you present yourself to a research organisation with a budget of 100,000 euro you can do very little. If, however, you can count on 2-3 million, then the matter changes'. The concept expressed by Gianluigi Viscardi, union is strength, is the founding principle on which the consortium that the entrepreneur chairs, Intellimech, is based. A group of companies, the majority of which are SMEs, that decided to pool their skills and needs for innovation. A simple strategy only in words, much less so in the grounding, taking into account realities that are justifiably jealous of their know-how, committed to tackling different priorities, and which have nevertheless found a way to collaborate in a systematic manner. In a clearly virtuous path, with the litmus test of the perimeter of members, now at an all-time high of 77, testifying to the validity of the initiative established at Bergamo's Kilometro Rosso. "Growth," explains Viscardi, "that also poses new organisational challenges, such as the management of in-person events at companies, which now see the systematic participation of over 100 people, a clear indicator of the success of this scheme. For Intellimech, which foresees the arrival of four more companies in 2026, growth also continues in structural terms, with the more than doubling of the space occupied (new 500-square-metre headquarters) and the relaunch of activity on several fronts. 'Through targeted interviews with partners,' explains Viscardi, 'we have selected ten projects of common interest to develop, mostly oriented towards artificial intelligence. While in parallel, the activity with the Italian Institute of Technology continues: after an initial experience with the joint laboratory on robotics, we decided to double down, investing a further 3.5 million and funding a senior research position for eleven years'.

During 2025, the technology transfer realised amounted to three million, and a new system role was also realised for Intellimech, becoming the territorial 'antenna' of the Milan Polytechnic's Made Competence Centre. "Actions that have wide-ranging positive repercussions and are certainly not to be assessed in purely accounting terms. However, the benefits are evident when looking at these investments from a long-term and systemic perspective, taking into account the impact in terms of value and attractiveness for the territory, of the magnet for talent: here in Intellimech, for example, there is a rush of young people to enter".

Attractiveness that also works in the financial sphere, as witnessed by the 7.5 million Harmony project on robotics, capable of intercepting 3.3 million from a Lombardy Region call for tenders. Among the key points of Intellimech's programme is that of rethinking the factory-system, taking into account the possibilities offered by new technologies, as well as the need to analyse and exploit an ever-increasing number of data. Topics that next week, at the Kilometro Rosso, will be at the centre of the debate within the Stati Generali della Meccatronica (General States of Mechatronics), the launching event of the hi tech A&T (Automation & Testing) exhibition scheduled in Turin from 11 to 13 February, where companies will exhibit their experiences of innovation. 'The road to beat, which is our mission,' Viscardi concludes, 'is that of technology transfer, that is, the idea of bringing research as close as possible to the market, a key challenge for the competitiveness of our companies.