From 4 to 11 October, the Festival dell’Innovazione e della Scienza di Settimo Torinese returns for its 14th edition. This year’s theme, “Reazioni” – Reactions – invites us to think about how change comes from the interaction between science, technology, society and people. Through talks, workshops, shows and discussions across eleven municipalities in the Turin metropolitan area, the festival offers a chance to take a close look at the main challenges of today and tomorrow. A special focus is placed on young people and schools. The scheduled events on 6 October include a conference on “Asymmetry and Life”, which will feature Antonio Calabrò, Senior Vice President for Pirelli Culture and Director of the Pirelli Foundation, together with the philosopher and writer Ilaria Gaspari and the science communicator Simone Arcagni. Taking inspiration from Primo Levi’s degree thesis on the Walden inversion, which examines the asymmetry of chemical reactions, the session offers a look at how asymmetry affects the transformation processes that run through our daily lives. It explores this from three angles: technology, society and the world of work.

The central theme of the event on 8 October will be transformation and the ability to react to change, when the Pirelli Foundation will take centre stage at the Festival with the session entitled “Pirelli: una start up di oltre 150 anni” – Pirelli: A Startup of Over 150 Years – aimed at upper secondary school students. It offers a chance to find out how a business founded in 1872 has managed to navigate over a century and a half of economic, social and technological transformations while keeping its ability to innovate alive.

Through documents, pictures and personal accounts, the session will look at some of the most significant landmarks in Pirelli’s history. It will show how the ability to adapt to changes and turn challenges into opportunities has accompanied the growth of the business right from the start. From research into new materials to cutting-edge production methods, and from global growth to sustainability, innovation will stand out as a defining feature of Pirelli’s corporate culture.

The session will also give young people a chance to speak directly with experts from the Pirelli Technology Centre in Settimo Torinese, one of the Group’s most advanced manufacturing sites. Using real-life examples, they will show how the shift towards the digital factory is reshaping processes, organisation and ways of working, calling for new skills and constant investment in staff training. This session will provide a closer look at how technological innovation and professional development go hand in hand to take on the challenges of change and build the future of industry, all while maintaining the pioneering spirit that has defined Pirelli from the very beginning.

For more information and to register for the events: Festival dell’Innovazione e della Scienza di Settimo Torinese.