Students and trainees: when the didactic activity meets research
In carrying out the research, the project saw the collaboration of the students of the course of Economics and Institutions of industrial clusters, Degree in Economics and International Marketing: Davide Malpighi, Angelica Mattioli, Giulia Osele, Francesca Pastorelli, Barbara Peluso, Gianluca Picariello, Martina Rondoni, Giovanna Salemi, Silvia Serventi, Aidie Tignyemb, Luca Toccaceli, Francesca Vassallo, Aneta Witek, Francesco Zanichelli.
The students doing their internships on the project, Riccardo Baroni, Matteo Botti, Flavia Marinelli, Valentina Napoli, Luca Onfiani, Riccardo Vecchi coordinated the students in the collection of documentation and conducted some of the interviews.
Activities
In addition to the individual study activities on the subjects of Economics and Institutions of the Industrial Clusters and the preparation of the report on the production and market context in which the company is located, the students will also have the opportunity to learn from other activities. They will take care of the organization of the interviews and of carrying them out, of the collection of information in the online database, of the transcription of the discussion with the interviewees, of the drafting of reports for each company interviewed on important topics which were not in the questionnaire and of the elaboration of the data produced by the team work. The analysis on the services will be examined in depth with experts.
Each group of students will collaborate in the development of informative materials though all phases of the project (also with on-line documentation on the website www.metalnet.unimore.it and for the documentation to be used in the exhibition). Students commit to inform the teacher of any difficulties in conducting interviews.
The team will redact a short report on the group work (date and duration of the meeting, topics, decisions taken and evaluation of the outcome of their choices). Each team will present the results of the project in class.
At the beginning and at the end of the project, each student will provide feedbacks though a specific online form with few questions, in order to improve the future preparation of students and the implementation of similar projects.
Theoretical references. The analytical base is constituted by the theoretical references presented in the didactic material of the course of Economics and Institutions of industrial clusters and by the research work on the mechanical industry produced by the METALnet project (available online on the website www.metanet.unimore.it).
The questionnaire. We used a questionnaire with closed and open question, as in the METALnet surveys, as well as questions on innovative services for manufacturing companies. The interviews were useful also to analyse the company's history and relationships with suppliers and customers, as well as relationships in business networks.
The sample. To date, the companies under analysis are 16 companies that joined the project on the recommendation of the associations and of Democenter Foundation. They are involved in the design and production of finished products, components and semi-finished products. These companies have the objective to contribute to food sustainability in the perspective discussed by the "Milan Charter". The sectors examined are those in which machines are produced for agriculture and agri-food processing.
Interviews. The interviews (in March-May 2015) were conducted by groups of students in the companies and each group organised the visit. On average, they required a commitment of about two to three hours at the company, including a visit to the plant. During the interview, it will be possible to acquire a general knowledge of the production process and of the work organisation. Firms will provide videos and information material to show which technologies are used in the design and production of machinery and equipment for agriculture and agro-food.
Once the group work has been completed, the students will hand over to the project manager the transcripts validated by the companies interviewed, the specific documentation collected and the paper questionnaires completed.
A report on each company. The census and data report from Atlas of Economic Complexity will integrate the analysis framework for each company involved in the project. A specific section will deal with innovative services.
Data processing. The information collected during the interviews will be kept by the research manager and will not be transferred to third parties.
"Travel diary". The collection, cataloguing and comparative analysis of pieces for the "travel diary" is an occasion for reflection on materials, technologies, skills, organizational models, production sites, sectors and outlet markets. These considerations are an integral part of the report. The pieces of the travel diary, as well as videos and images, will be part of the exhibition "What mechanics to feed the planet". Digital documentation is the informative base of the virtual exhibition. The virtual exhibition will be held in collaboration with Maria Teresa Natale Athena+ (Ministry of Cultural Heritage ICCU) and Elisabetta Zironi e Giulia Piscitelli and Francesco Guerra (UniMORE).
The contribution of trainees
In addition to the course teachers, the project includes the participation of students in internships who, in addition to the tasks assigned to the students of the course, also have tasks of coordination, verification of the proper functioning, and research and application of solutions to specific problems. The internship students will collaborate in carrying out interviews and the exhibition, including the virtual one.
The training of internship students is carried out by the project manager.
Benefits for students and trainees
The advantage of this project for students is that it focuses on three fundamental points. Firstly, it allows them to deal with the productive reality and the working dimension within companies, by visiting closely the environments and places of conception, design and production. Secondly, group work allows peer-to-peer interaction, exchanging opinions, correcting and reviewing the questionnaires of peers and thinking together about results. Finally, we hope to see greater commitment and responsibility as a result of the implementation of the project and the presentation of the results obtained at the end of the research activity.