The Lucca paper district is strengthening its international role in education and research. On October 8 and 9, as part of the opening of the academic year for the Master’s Degree in “Paper and Board Engineering” at the University of Pisa, twelve European universities and several industry associations will meet in Lucca to establish the first European Permanent Forum on Education and Training for the paper industry.
The initiative includes the signing of a memorandum of understanding to develop double degrees and joint study programmes, student and faculty exchange programmes, access to Erasmus funding, and joint research laboratories focused on technological innovation and the green transition. Another objective is to share excellence standards in education and strengthen the link between universities and industry.
The project is built around the Master’s Degree in “Paper and Board Engineering”, promoted by the Department of Civil and Industrial Engineering of the University of Pisa and supported by the Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Lucca, Assocarta, Cepi and numerous companies from the district.
The relationship with industry is particularly close, with companies actively contributing to the development of study programmes and providing their own managers as lecturers. Hundreds of applications from around the world have already been received for the next academic year, while only 30 students are admitted each year to ensure a highly qualified educational experience and rapid entry into the professional world.
The creation of the European network therefore aims to address one of the strategic needs of the paper industry: developing new skills to meet the challenges of digitalisation, automation, sustainability and the energy transition, while strengthening the sector’s ability to attract young talent.
“Our programme was created to meet a real need expressed by companies: to develop professionals ready to address the challenges of sustainability and Industry 4.0,” says Marco Frosolini, President of the Master’s Degree programme. “The success of our students and the forthcoming international forum confirm Lucca’s role as a leading European hub for research and advanced education in the paper industry.”
According to Massimo Marsili, President of the Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Lucca, the results achieved demonstrate the effectiveness of cooperation between “businesses, universities and institutions” in addressing the training needs of a strategically important industrial sector for the local area.