Pirelli will open a “digital center” for software development

Bari, Italy – Pirelli is investing in a new software and digital solutions development center in the southern Italian port city of Bari in the Puglia region, the tire maker has announced.

The €9 million investment aims to create 50 new hires by 2025 among young graduates and managers specializing in software development, Pirelli said on May 20.

In particular, the tire maker will seek professionals in computer science, software engineering, data science, artificial intelligence, machine learning and smart manufacturing.

This new team will be part of Pirelli’s digital team in Italy, which already employs 160 people.

The unit will focus on the development of machine learning and artificial intelligence software and algorithms in support of the areas of sales and marketing, product development, smart manufacturing and industrial IoT as well as integrated business planning.

As part of this investment, Pirelli has also launched a cooperation program with the University of Bari – in particular with its curriculum in computer science and data science – to create joint research and development initiatives.

Bari, according to Pirelli, has become in a relatively short time “a pool of skills related to innovative disciplines such as data science, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity”.

The development of the new center consolidates the links between Pirelli and the academic world.

The tire maker is pursuing “an open innovation model” which currently sees this company working on 40 projects with 12 universities.

The Italian manufacturer currently operates 13 R&D centers, where it employs more than 2,000 people.