Successful automotive products: strategic design and development

In this lecture, design and development experiences of successful productswithin the automotive market will be introduced. Evolution of the modernracing steering wheel and the creation of a brand will be retraced. Theseminar will outline the key criteria for selecting a winning product concept:technical specifications, strategic design of components and the mostsuitable technologies related to the chosen materials and required productionvolumes. It will be demonstrated that a successful product is not merely a'concept' or a pure exercise in initial styling but the sum of all subsequentsteps that make it competitive in terms of quality, performance, materials,technologies, and market timing.

BIOGRAPHY:

Materials Engineer, graduated in 1998 in Trento with a degree in composite materials, with a thesis titled “Study of the fiber/matrix interface in Nylon-6 /glass fiber composites,” supervised by Profs. L.Fambri and A.Pegoretti.

Over twenty years of experience as an R&D Engineering Manager in the automotive, metalworking, composites, and rubber/plastics sectors. Managed Technical Departments and Offices with increasing responsibilities and of various sizes in SMEs and multinational corporations in Italy and abroad, including companies such as MOMO, Comar SpA, GKN, Joyson, Barnem, C2MAC SpA.

Developed and patented innovative products and related production technologies, creating and managing complex teams both in Italy and abroad, fostering the exchange of skills to increase capabilities, effectiveness, and efficiency.

Freelancer and technical/production consultant for manufacturing companies for the development of new products.

Has been a co-supervisor of degree theses for students at the Universities of Trento, Vicenza, and Brescia, and conducts technical/managerial training courses in various public and private institutions.

Companies worked for and roles held:

2023-present: LM Engineering & Consulting, Temporary/Fractional Manager, technical consultant, trainer 

2022-2023: C2MAC, Product Engineering Manager 

2019-2022: BARNEM Tecnologie Plastiche srl, Engineering Manager 

2013-2019: JOYSON SAFETY SYSTEMS Italia Srl (formerly KSS), Engineering Manager 

2008-2012: FAD ASSALI SpA (formerly GKN Axles), Engineering Manager 

2004-2008: COMAR SpA: R&D Manager & Customer Service 

2000-2004: MOMO Srl, R&D Engineer 

1999-2000: OWENS ILLINOIS Italy, Production Engineer.