YESTERDAY, TODAY, TOMORROW: A JOURNEY THROUGH ENGINEERING IN THE NAME OF MADE IN ITALY
April 15 is the designated date for the celebration of National Made in Italy Day, promoted by the Ministero delle Imprese e del Made in Italy, which aims to support and promote, both nationally and internationally, our country’s manufacturing excellence and cultural heritage.
Any organization wishing to participate is invited to promote its own initiative or project within a theme designated for each edition. While in its early years the celebration sought to highlight our country’s identity and innovation, the theme of this third edition has emphasized the critical importance of human capital, with skills development serving as the unifying theme. This has resulted in an extraordinary outcome, with over 800 initiatives on the calendar.
The Fondazione MAIRE – ETS has chosen to take part for the first time this year, promoting a programme entirely dedicated to the excellence found within the MAIRE ‘family’: from materials in the historical archives of the Group’s companies to the decarbonisation technologies developed by NextChem. The initiative is entitled “Yesterday, today, tomorrow: a journey through engineering in the name of Made in Italy”, and has been designed and structured around two events: two days of training dedicated to students of the “MAIREmpower” summer school, as part of the wider mentoring programme planned for them under phase II of the project of the same name.
A concrete example of how the dialogue between technical expertise and innovation can serve as a driving force for building the skills of future generations and contributing to the country’s development.
NATIONAL MADE IN ITALY DAY 2026
April 15 is the designated date for celebrating National Made in Italy Day, in honor of the anniversary of Leonardo da Vinci’s birth on April 15, 1452.
Now in its third year, the initiative aims to support and promote, both nationally and internationally, our country’s manufacturing excellence and cultural heritage. A commitment to promoting Made in Italy, a brand that embodies the quality, innovation, and tradition of our entrepreneurial and cultural fabric.
State, regional, and local entities are working together to strengthen the key sectors that represent its core; a shared effort based on a common vision of a sustainable and inclusive future, where artisanal practices are preserved and the work of young people and women is valued and encouraged.
With the aim of creating an environment where Italian excellence can continue to grow and be appreciated around the world, making sustainability, social inclusion, and the promotion of artisanal skills the pillars upon which to build the future of Made in Italy, all organizations wishing to participate are invited each year to promote their own initiative or project within a theme designated on a case-by-case basis.
This year, the focus is on highlighting the value of human capital and the critical importance of skills training.
HISTORY OF ENGINEERING DESIGN
The first day of training took place on 23 March 2026 at the Foundation’s headquarters in Rome; the participants were students from the MAIREmpower project’s summer school.
The course, entitled ‘History of engineering design’, aimed to guide the young people through the history of the evolution of engineering design from the 20th century to the present day, to understand how engineering—past, present and future—represents an ongoing dialogue between innovation and expertise. From the materials in the MAIRE Historical Archive to the digital vault, from project models to a site visit via a 3D headset, the students got hands-on, even writing newspaper articles about what they had learnt during the day.
To find out more about the course content and relive the day, you can read the dedicated news article.
SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS: CIRCULARITY AND AI
The second session will focus on technologies for the energy transition, developed by NextChem, a MAIRE Group company, leader in green chemistry and low-emission industrial solutions.
Students will explore the portfolio of low-carbon and circular technologies that make up the “Sustainable Solutions” offering, with a focus on the business line dedicated to circularity: how to transform waste into valuable new resources, recover materials through advanced industrial technologies, and reduce dependence on virgin raw materials.
The day will conclude with an in-depth exploration of the connections between technologies, transformations in the world of work, and the use of Artificial Intelligence.
Stay tuned to learn more!
