ROMA – For visions, innovations and industrial perspectives, Dallara Automobili is one of the most avant-garde case studies of the Motor Valley in which the engineering quality of the highest level is matched by an exemplary attention paid to the well-being of the workforce, to the growth of new generations and to support the surrounding community. “Giving and receiving is a fundamental value for the company – begins the CEO Andrea Pontremoli – and if you are not able to ensure solidarity and security for the families of the territory, there can be no growth and you cannot be competitive”.
Pontremoli, let’s start from which socially useful projects Dallara is involved.
“The first thing to say is that in addition to Dallara, there are many Emilian companies involved in solidarity initiatives. Being social is part of the Emilian DNA and as per our internal philosophy, the starting point for success is to invest every day, and in a sustainable way, in research as well as in people. The average age of Dallara employees, whom I prefer to define as collaborators, is 33 years. Within our spaces we have set up an Academy in which, in addition to disseminating the history of the company, we involve 14/15 year olds in experiments and tests on a mini wind tunnel, helping them to understand the criteria and dynamics necessary to build the own car. Many engineers of the future take their first steps here and it is equally important to promote a healthy spirit of competition centered on competence and fair play. In September we will announce another important project always linked to training which, in our opinion, is one of the asset most important with which to feed the network of excellence from the Motor Valley “.
Speaking of Emilian supercars, he does not believe that in the last edition of the Motor Valley Fest there was much talk of electric and too little of racing and passion.
“My opinion is that in general we are racing too much towards electrification and I think it is right that when it comes to supercars that travel two thousand kilometers a year, there should be exceptions. If we really want to reduce pollution it would be more effective to start by removing Euro 3 cars from circulation instead of looking at the twenty thousand cars a year produced in Motor Valley, which by the way are all Euro 6. The world of mobility is divided into two main strands; one practical and functional fact of large numbers that concerns various modes of transport and that needs new solutions to reduce its environmental footprint, and another one related to pleasure, performance and beauty that, given the very small numbers, has a much less long-lasting impact “.
Are you in favor of the electric?
“It is an important debate; personally I would leave the task of innovating to the industry. I give the example of the Covid vaccine; each pharmaceutical company decides which path to take starting from different conceptual solutions. For me it is wrong that politics choose the technology , it must be the industry, so whoever has the necessary skills, to identify the right solution to reduce emissions. I repeat, we make innovation work and we leave the choice to the public. In this sense, the Motor Valley should have a leadership role and to direct the change. The date of 2035 as the final term of the thermal engine seems to me to be in fact possible also at the level of energy supply “.
Whatever happens with a view to electrification, Dallara appears to be not only ready, but one of the most accredited companies in supporting the transition in its areas of expertise.
“Surely we can look to the future with optimism. In 2021 alone we hired almost ninety collaborators and we never had as many requests as now. Our work in carbon fiber composites, in the study of shapes and aerodynamics (in jargon computational fluid dynamics) and in simulations relating to vehicle dynamics using predictive super computers and simulators, is appreciated nationally and internationally “.
In addition to the “Road” car, who are Dallara’s technical and industrial skills aimed at?
“We address three specific areas; racing through the supply of racing cars in the Formula-E, Formula 2, Formula 3, Indycar, Indy light, Super Formula championships as well as third-party supplies to the Ferrari and Haas teams in Formula 1. The second market is in the field of consultancy and supply of machined materials for the production of supercars and sports cars. As a highly specialized engineering company that works with few parts, we have many requests from Motor Valley even though our main market is Germany. Many of our customers have been the same for 30, 40 years and since among the company values there is the curiosity and the desire to always explore new paths, we have recently launched a third division for the supply of components to aerospace industry “.
Among your customers in this department is Elon Musk’s Space X. Did you get to know him? What type is it?
“An innovator full of ideas capable of breaking the mold. He was very impressed by Dallara’s efforts and after the launch of his rocket, he sent us a letter of thanks to congratulate us on our resilience during the pandemic.”
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