ITS MAKER is an Advanced Institute of Mechanics, Mechatronics, Motors and Packaging, established in September 2013 from the merging of three ITS Foundations in Bologna, Modena and Reggio Emilia. ITS MAKER has become the heart of the technological area of mechanical and mechatronics in the Emilia-Romagna Region, and is the largest ITS nationwide.
ITS are “technology schools” created in 2008 on the initiative of the Ministry of Education with the aim of creating highly professional training courses for young graduates.
The post-secondary school courses are free, with the exception of an admission fee of €200. They last two years and are designed to meet the needs of students as well as the training and professional needs of local businesses.
The Foundation is organised on the basis of a three-year plan with the following goals:
- orienting young people towards technical professions;
- acknowledging the training needs for the economic development of the territory, starting from the needs of scientific, technological and organizational innovation of companies;
- designing and implementing advanced technical education courses relevant to national professional requirements;
- accompanying graduates to employment at the end of the course;
- updating activities for teachers and trainers of in the scientific and technical-professional area in education and professional training fields;
- designing any other activity that complies with the regional planning guidelines relating to advanced technical specialization.
THE FOUNDATION
The ITS MAKER Foundation was established in 2013 from the union of the three ITS Foundations of Bologna, Modena, Reggio Emilia. In 2015 the branch of Fornovo di Taro (Parma) was added, then, in 2018 Forlì and in 2019 Rimini branches joined. ITS are technology schools created from an initiative by the Ministry of Education in 2008, which provide highly professionalizing training courses for secondary-school graduates. The two-year courses are free of charge, with the exception of an admission fee, and meet the needs of students as well as the training and professional needs of local businesses.
The ITS MAKER Foundation has the mission of promoting and spreading technical and scientific expertise with the primary objective of ensuring the formation of highly specialized jobs, which are able to respond to the employment demand from strategic sectors of the economy. The main office is in Bologna, but the Foundation operates at provincial levels in six branch offices: Bologna, Modena, Reggio Emilia, Fornovo di Taro (Parma), Forlì and Rimini.

MANAGEMENT BODIES
PRESIDENT
The president is the legal representative of the foundation and presides over the Board of Directors, the Executive Board and the Assembly of Participants.
The President is Ormes Corradini – Chief Executive Officer of SCE Srl
EXECUTIVE BOARD
The Executive Board is made up of five members.
The members of the council are:
- Ormes Corradini – President – SCE Srl
- Giovanni Corsini – Training organisation representative – IAL Innovation Learning Job Srl Social Enterprise
- Ilenia Malavasi – Local authority representative – Reggio Emilia Province
- Elena Guidi – Training school representative – Istituto Industriale Superiore “L. Nobili” of Reggio Emilia
- Paola Lanzarini – Company representative – COESIA
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
The Board of Directors is the body that guides the essential direction of the Foundation and sets its goals. The members of the board are:
- Lorenza Carretti – Bucher Hydraulics S.p.A.
- Claudio Lodi – CIS School for business management
- Enrico Sangiorgi – University of Bologna
- Casappa Alessandro – Higher Education Institute S. “D’Arzo” of Montecchio
- Enrico Malagoli – Malagoli Aldebrando Srl
- Giuseppe De Biasi – Metropolitan City of Bologna
- Mauro Francia – Municipality of Modena
- Francesca Romana Giuliani – “Fermo Corni” Higher Education Institute
- Eugenio Dragoni – University of Modena And Reggio Emilia
- Salvatore Grillo – “Aldini Valeriani-Sirani” Higher Education Institute
- Lorenzo Maldina – IMA S.P.A
- Massimo Pulv buyers – Democenter
- Valentina Marchesini – Marchesini Group
- Alessandro Fantini – S.E.I. Srl
- Federico Bogetti – CNH Industrial Italia S.p.A.
STAFF
THE REGIONAL NETWORK
ITS are organized on a provincial scale, across a regional system logics. From the various ITS present in Italy, 7 are in Emilia-Romagna and are part of the Regional Polytechnic Network.
They plan and implement training courses in these areas:
AREAS OF EXPERTISE
- Sustainable mobility
- Agro-food
- Mechanics, mechatronics, motors and packaging
- Life science technologies
- Territory, energy, construction
- Creative industries
- Tourism and wellness
In particular, their mission includes the following:
AIMS
- Spread technical and scientific expertise and guide young people through the technical and technological professions in the areas that characterize the different local economies.
- Design and implement higher technical education courses related to the national job requirements.
- Promote integration between education, training and work systems.
- Support measures for innovation and technology transfer to SMEs.
NETWORK OF ITALIAN ITS MECHATRONICS
ITS MAKER has signed up 8 ITS Foundations from other regions to a three-year Memorandum of Understanding that establishes the National Network of Advanced Technical Institutes in the mechanical-mechatronic field. This collaboration between each ITS set up an exchange of experiences and good practices and the development of shared ideas and projects.
The other signatories are:
OTHER SIGNATORIES
- Fondazione ITS Lombarda per le Nuove tecnologie Meccaniche e Meccatroniche di Sesto San Giovanni (MI)
- Fondazione ITS Nuove Tecnologie per il Made in Italy, comparto meccatronico di Vicenza
- Fondazione ITS Nuove Tecnologie per il Made in Italy, indirizzo per l’industria meccanica e aeronautica di Udine
- Fondazione ITS Umbria Nuove Tecnologie per il Made in Italy e Nuove Tecnologie della vita di Perugia
- Fondazione ITS Nuove Tecnologie per il Made in Italy, sistema meccanica di Lanciano (CH)
- Fondazione ITS Meccanica, Meccatronica ed Energia – ITS Cuccovillo di Bari
- Fondazione ITS Nuove tecnologie per il Made in Italy – “E. Mattei – E. Solvay” – Rosignano Marittimo (LI)
- Fondazione ITS Nuove tecnologie per il Made in Italy – “G. Capellini/N. Sauro” – La Spezia
The protocol establishes ways for positive collaboration between the signatories, including the sharing of teaching models and management tools, participating in international mobility projects, joint training of staff, sharing an evaluation system for teachers and students and the construction of synergies for promoting ITS training nationally. It also encourages building upon the knowledge of ITS themselves as a training opportunity across the national education system.