DRIMI PHD Research Topics/Curricula

In this curriculum, research is dedicated to fostering the growth and sustainability of the industrial and production system as a whole through process innovation, the development and optimization of materials, and the exploration and optimization of best practices and enabling technologies. The focus of the research is on methods for resource management/maintenance, integration between production specifications, manufacturing technologies, and monitoring systems, as well as on control and verification, production techniques, modeling and simulation, and human-machine interaction.

This curriculum focuses on research related to the environmental, social, and economic impact of mobility. Special attention is given to the safety of transportation, monitoring, and optimization of infrastructures and vehicles. Elements of great interest for this curriculum are the control and reduction of the impact of externalities. Central themes include the evolution and efficiency of the propulsion system and the consequent shift in design paradigms, structural lightweighting, aerodynamics, human-vehicle interface (HMI), and vehicle dynamics.

The activities within this curriculum specialize the typical knowledge of mechanical and industrial engineering towards issues related to individuals' health and well-being. In this curriculum, robotic technologies, mechanobiology, automatic measurement systems, and augmented reality find their natural placement. Typical research in this curriculum includes fluid dynamics of biological systems, control, functional and structural modeling and simulation of apparatus and plants, behavior of materials and biomaterials used for biomedical applications, as well as procedures for quality management and safety of biomedical products. The research line also encompasses the analysis and evaluation of ergonomics and safety of developed technological solutions. In this curriculum, interdisciplinary knowledge is also developed to construct computational digital twins of biological processes, including tumor metastasis and angiogenesis, for predictive purposes.

This curriculum focuses on factors capable of influencing the competitiveness of individual companies and business systems (vertical chains, business networks, industrial districts) in national and international contexts. In this context, research activities are aimed at: 1) evaluating opportunities and implications arising from the introduction of Industry 4.0 enabling technologies; 2) assessing and determining the level of resilience of companies in terms of employment, production, and processes. Alongside these activities are: (i) research for the definition and development of models and methods to support risk assessment and management; (ii) research activities aimed at evaluating and improving the quality of work; (iii) analysis of the complex relationships between the production models adopted in the company and the content of work activities; (iv) policies for recognizing and enhancing the contributions of workers and those for engaging with their representatives (industrial relations).

This research area focuses on the development of foundational knowledge, including the conception and proof-of-concept of devices for scientific research, which may not necessarily have immediate applications but lay the groundwork for potential innovations (basic and fundamental research). This includes considerations related to intellectual property or sociological aspects. This curriculum also encompasses activities relevant to basic subjects such as chemistry and physics.