Comau launches a Learning Center

The Comau Learning Center was officially inaugurated today (2 July) at the Confartigianato Imprese Vicenza’s Digital Innovation Hub, becoming the only authorized center in the Province of Venice to provide training in industrial robotics for companies and to teach STEM subjects to students.

From July onwards, the DIH will be available for the organization of certified training workshops, courses and seminars featuring the use of four Comau e.DO six-axes robotic arms, which have been specially designed to be used safely in non-industrial environments. Furthermore, thanks to Desk Simulator, it will be possible to “transform” the e.DOs into fully fledged industrial robots, thus allowing the center to run courses for the Robotics License, a globally recognized certification which offers significant advantages on the labor market.

The Learning Center will be run by a team of facilitators selected by the Vicenza DIH as part of the La Cantera project, which was set up thanks to the support of the Cariverona Foundation, led by the Veneto ITS Mechatronics Foundation and co-founders the Belluno Consortium Centre and the Confartigianato Imprese Vicenza DIH. Also taking part are the Belluno FabLab, the Bassano Cre-Ta FabLab and the Dueville FabLab.

La Cantera serves as a launch pad for a range of different activities and opportunities for young people between the ages of 16 and 30, with a particular focus on the Vicenza, Belluno and Bassano del Grappa areas.

It has all been made possible thanks to the skills and digital technology made available by Comau, an Italian company belonging to the FCA Group. With 9,000 employees and a presence in 14 countries, Comau is a global leader in the industrial automation sector and supports companies of all sizes in a wide range of different markets: automotive (electric, hybrid and conventional vehicles), mechanics, electronics, packaging, logistics and food and beverage among others. Among the activities set to be organized at the DIH are subject-specific workshops which will simulate supply chains, 4.0 logistics and the increased role of e.Do as a result of the Python programming language. This will allow entrepreneurs and young people to gain an introduction to technical and scientific subjects, improve their soft skills and learn a culture of open innovation while gaining familiarity with the technology integral to Industry 4.0. Ultimately, the scheme represents an opportunity for entrepreneurs and young people in the region to acquire new skills and strengthen existing ones.

“We shared into Comau’s HUMANufacturing approach right from the start,” said Cristian Veller, the president of the ICT Sector of Confartigianato Vicenza and Veneto. “It’s an approach that puts human beings right at the heart of smart companies, where robots and industrial machinery coexist with operators and smart production systems in total safety, thanks to a combination of digital technology, the Internet of Things and wearable devices. While it’s true that the digital revolution will render redundant some jobs, it’s also true that the changes will create new opportunities, specializations and professions – not just among young people but also among highly specialist artisans. That’s why it was so important for us to get a company like Comau involved in the DIH – as an organization, they’ve done so much to increase the efficiency of the automotive supply chain, which plays an essential role in providing employment to thousands of small companies in our region which are already active in mechanical subcontracting. I also want to stress” – said Veller – “that although in the last 50 years industrial robotics has predominantly figured in large-scale production facilities, the safety, flexibility and progressive reduction in costs associated with collaborative and wearable robots means that this technology will increasingly be found in small companies, which will thus be able to enhance their digital operations and production processes as part of a 4.0 approach.”

Confartigianato Imprese Vicenza vice president Gianluca Cavion also shared his reaction to the launch.

“The Confartigianato Vicenza Digital Innovation Hub aims to serve as a bridge between modern technology and companies and has the benefit of being able to draw on professional skills that small entrepreneurial operations are unlikely to have at their disposal. The Comau Learning Center is another step in the journey we embarked upon with the Confartigianato DIH a few years ago, based on a belief that new technology – and its impacts and potential – can make a huge difference to small and medium-sized businesses. We’ve made strategic, carefully planned decisions that have proven to be correct over time, and we’re proud to have created a special space in which experts can listen to, guide and work with companies as they develop the best solutions to their problems, based on their unique characteristics.”

In addition to playing a key role within the La Cantera project, the Learning Center will further increase the educational offering provided by the Vicenza DIH, positioning it as a specialist hub for guidance and training within the Artes 4.0 Competence Center initiative. There will also be a renewed collaboration with the Italian Institute of Technology in Genoa, which has chosen the DIH as its digital training hub as part of Artes 4.0.

“We’re pleased to have contributed to the delivery of this project and to support Confartigianato Vicenza’s decision to invest in an innovative initiative which is targeted at young people and entrepreneurs and aims to contribute to regional growth, said Maurizio Cremonini, Comau Head of Marketing. “In doing so, we double  our company’s commitment to supporting the businesses – from start-ups to SMEs and bigger organizations – and bodies striving to promote Italian excellence in the many sectors in which our country plays a leading role in global markets. The Comau Learning Center is a workshop where participants will be able to learn about the challenges connected with the digital transformation and turn these into opportunities. We want it to play a key role in building the ‘factory of the future’, offering participants a first-hand glimpse at how technology and innovation can facilitate the development of skills while at the same time improving company processes and managerial practices. The training courses on offer at the Learning Center, which have been designed by Comau Academy according to an original, hands-on approach, promote a full, totally safe relationship between human beings and machines, an ethos reflected by our educational e.DO robots and our HUMANufacturing vision.”