The foundation’s brand-new facilities were inaugurated on April 18, in the presence of Paolo Rocca, President of the Techint Group and CEO of Tenaris. The new building houses industrial robotics laboratories as well as a highly innovative immersive room, and forms part of the proposal to expand the educational offer for children and young people in the region.
On April 18, the Fondazione Dalmine's new facilities were inaugurated near the Tenaris plant in Italy. With over twenty years of active involvement in the region, the foundation remains dedicated to promoting local industrial history and culture. Headlining the event on this occasion were Paolo Rocca, Carolina Lussana, Vice President of Fondazione Dalmine, Erika Bienek, Director of Community Relations of the Techint Group, and Manuel Tonolini, Director of Fondazione Dalmine.
The historic building where the new complex is located was originally built in the mid-1920s, commissioned by the Dalmine company to house employees and act as a hotel and boarding house for technicians requiring temporary accommodation.
In 2022, in order to honor its industrial heritage, the building was transformed into a state-of-the-art educational and cultural center. It now offers community technology courses, cultural activities and exhibitions, all with a forward-looking perspective.
At the opening event, Paolo Rocca said,
This building and the activities it hosts are a reflection of our identity, forming a crucial part of a broader integration project between the company and its community. This initiative also includes summer camps, a farm, and various other facilities, showcasing the vital role played by an industry that promotes and transforms the region."
Erika Bienek added that,
Thanks to the new Fondazione Dalmine, we’re fulfilling our dream in Italy alongside the Lombardy regional community."
Next, Manuel Tonolini highlighted the importance of introducing industrial and technological culture to new generations: "Thanks to these completely renovated spaces, we seek to bring boys and girls closer to the world of technology and automation. Our center, with its three areas—heritage, education and business culture—aims to involve an increasing number of people, focusing not only on innovation but also on safety and ecology.”
As for the historical archive, Carolina Lussana indicated that, “the role played by our archive has changed considerably over the last few years, and with the arrival of digitalization, the materials we work with are also changing, as are the users with whom we interact. But what remains steadfast is our commitment to transmitting a constant passion for the evolving world of industry.”
The inauguration events ran from April 19 to 21, as the doors of the Fondazione Dalmine’s new building were opened to members of the public who were treated to a series of guided tours around the facilities, enabling them to find out more about the work carried out by researchers and trainers at the institution.
About the new headquarters
The new Fondazione Dalmine facilities are a shining example of one of the most innovative and eco-sustainable architectural restoration projects in Italy. The building meets LEED certification requirements, a voluntary certification program that certifies the project’s degree of eco-compatibility and sustainability, going from the design phase regulating energy and water consumption, to the reduction of CO2 emissions, ecological aspects of the interior design, and the materials and resources used. The architects’ studio Caruso Torricella joined forces with the 02 Arch studio from Milan, also in charge of the technical creation of the immersive room in collaboration with NEO (Narrative Environment Operas).
With a surface area of over 4,000 m2, there is plenty of space for the historical archive, an exhibition hall, areas for conferences and seminars, a library, and study and research rooms, as well as new industrial robotics laboratories and the Fondazione Dalmine immersion room.
An immersive room, where industrial culture turns into experience and emotion
The space boasts a strong technological component: a central hallway immerses viewers in a 360-degree vision, surrounded by high-resolution screens spanning sixty square meters.
In this room, visitors can plunge fully into the industrial experience, embarking on a deep journey through the most complex of production processes, drawn by the allure of technological evolution that is a hallmark of TenarisDalmine’s history.
This immersive room is the only place in the whole of Italy where visitors can live the direct experience of how steel is transformed during the smelting process.
Bringing the focus to bear on the Roberto Rocca Educational Programs
The new facilities present an opportunity to expand the thrust of the Roberto Rocca Educational Programs. One such program is the Roberto Rocca Technical Gene Program, known in Italy as the Programma Tecnico, which aims to equip individuals with the high-quality technological skills necessary to undertake life projects and tackle challenges in the industrial sector. The program is designed to provide students from technical schools, technological high schools and Higher Technical Institutes (ITS in Italian) with the essential skills to meet the demands of Industry 4.0. This includes training in industrial and collaborative robotics laboratories, PLCs, and collaborative electro-pneumatic systems, with support from companies such as ABB, Festo and Siemens.
Roberto Rocca After School is another program which focuses on supporting the development of high-school students through STEAM activities to promote all-around growth and enhance their social-emotional skills.
Courses have already begun at the new facilities for over 20,000 students, complemented by a wide array of cultural activities and open exhibitions. These initiatives celebrate Fondazione’s history while looking toward the future.
From 2011 to the present, more than 70,000 students have taken part in the Fondazione Dalmine's educational projects.