From Thursday 7 to Saturday 9 July, the Historical Museum of Engines and Mechanisms at the University of Palermo hosted the national conference of the Applied Mechanics Group - GMA 2022.

Three days of discussions between university professors, collaborators and representatives of companies that have contributed to promoting the projects of young researchers. Among the various speakers were the rector of Unipa, Massimo Midiri, Ferruccio Resta, president of CRUI and rector of the Politecnico di Milano, and representatives of numerous companies and associations that contributed to the realisation of the event.

The conference was an opportunity for the entire scientific community to come together and discuss design, innovation and human capital, reflecting on the value of our technological heritage and analysing the development prospects that the National Recovery and Resilience Plan can offer to research.

‘Students and young researchers are at the heart of our work,’ comments Massimo Midiri, Rector of the University of Palermo. "Meeting and discussing face-to-face on this occasion, in such a prestigious museum that represents excellence for us, takes on a very strong symbolic meaning. The University must embrace challenges, promote knowledge and bring together educational supply and demand, especially in a difficult context such as the current one. For this reason, I welcome this initiative with great enthusiasm, convinced that such a well-attended event with distinguished speakers, such as the Rector Ferruccio Resta, can make a further contribution to our knowledge of the challenges that the future holds for us."

The first day featured a session dedicated to the link between the history of technology and innovation, with the participation of the museum's curator, Giuseppe Genchi, the vice-president of the culture commission of ASI - Automotoclub Storico Italiano, Lorenzo Morello, former director of Vehicle Engineering at the Fiat group, and Vittorio Marchis, engineering historian and populariser.

‘It is a much-anticipated return to in-person events after two years of pandemic, which aims to highlight the strategic importance of the academic community as an opportunity for knowledge and discussion,’ explains Prof. Marco Cammalleri, conference coordinator and director of the Motor Museum. We believe that the history of technology can be a valuable source of inspiration for the future, and we are proud of the recognition received from ANVUR, according to which the University Museum System of Palermo, of which the Engine Museum is a part, is the first in Italy in the latest assessment of research quality, with a rating of “excellent and extremely relevant” and a score of 39.5 out of 40. During the conference, we will inaugurate a new exhibition area dedicated to marine engines, the result of a collaborative project with the Stellantis group for the protection and enhancement of historical motor heritage. This area will display some extremely rare exhibits, including one of the two FIAT 2 C. 116 engines that powered the submarine “Medusa”, which sank off the coast of Venice during the First World War, as well as one of the oldest FIAT marine engines in existence'.