University of Salerno and Netcom Group sign agreement for the creation of a permanent laboratory on Smart Cities issues

An agreement was signed at the Rectorate of the University of Salerno, during I-CITIES 2020, between the NetCom Group company and the University of Salerno for the creation of a permanent laboratory, the first of its kind, within the University itself where research and development activities can be developed, but above all, students can be prepared for the world of work.

The lab was established with the aim of developing issues related to smart cities. Specifically, it is a university laboratory established with the aim of implementing a whole range of research activities in the region through a synergistic relationship between the company and the university. "The agreement signed with NetCom Group," stated Professor Vincenzo Loia, Rector of the University of Salerno, "is part of our research and development policy in the field of technological innovation and digital transformation. Universities are primary centers of national scientific research, and it is our duty to critically develop and transmit knowledge, including by promoting collaboration with non-university research institutes. NetCom is one of these, and the shared protocol will allow us to work together on one of the areas I believe to be essential for contemporary society: smart cities."

"The first step in this synergy," the Rector concludes, "will be the activation of a joint laboratory, hosted on the Fisciano campus, which will conduct research on the Internet of Things and its application to real-world scenarios such as Cultural Heritage, Automotive, and Social Media, including through the sharing of processing tools and synergistic collaboration with the various Departments." "We are a company that belongs to the future," states NetCom Group President and CEO Domenico Lanzo, "that does not forget its origins and amplifies the creative capacity of the South with the desire to realize the technological solutions the market demands, highlighting innovative professional qualities." "Using cutting-edge corporate facilities and resources combined with university-led training is a feather in the cap of our region," adds Lanzo. We are confident that the creation of this laboratory within the University will prove to be a virtuous and fruitful partnership with the University of Salerno, especially given the opportunities that will arise in the short term, driven by a market hungry for creative solutions that our South abundantly generates.

«We had in NetCom Group – the professors underline Max DeSanto and Francesco Colace of the University ICT Center for Cultural Heritage—a very strong support and interest in developing these topics. After receiving approval from the company and our institutional bodies, we decided to invest within the university by creating this facility. NetCom Group staff will be seconded to the laboratory to monitor the work of our students and researchers. "The signing of this agreement," explains Alfredo Troiano, Technical Director of NetCom Group, "represents the formalization of a relationship that has involved the University, and in particular Professors De Santo and Colace, and NetCom, for decades. This collaboration has seen numerous internships, theses, doctoral students, and scientific publications on topics such as cybersecurity or artificial intelligence, applied to sectors such as Automotive, Media, and Cultural Heritage." "We're already working," Troiano announced, "to define the program of activities we'll be involved in over the next three years. As of today, these activities, as mentioned, are formally launched, with the creation of a fully equipped laboratory at the University to carry out these activities."