The Factory in Your Headphones. Stories of People and Ideas

With Pirelli We Learn to... IMAGINE

The evolution of a company brings with it a story of new ideas, of people and a capacity for innovation. All these factors have made Pirelli one of the greatest drivers of change in the Italian and global industrial landscape. A corporate culture that combines science and humanism.

ACTIVITY OVERVIEW
The history of Pirelli is that of one of the longest-lived multinational corporations in Italy. Founded in Milan in 1872 as the result of a brilliant idea by Giovanni Battista Pirelli, a young graduate from the Politecnico University of Milan, it now works in 12 countries with 18 production plants. By reading and viewing the vast documentary heritage preserved at the Pirelli Foundation, we will analyse the main events in the development of the company, in terms of its production and organisation. We will focus on the key figures who masterminded the great changes that have transformed Pirelli throughout its history and on those whose stories are closely intertwined with the company’s successes. These include Giovanni Battista Pirelli and Leopoldo Pirelli, the engineer Luigi Emanueli and the architect and designer Gio Ponti, the patriot Teresa Berra Kramer and the racing driver Lella Lombardi, the artist Bruno Munari and the poet-engineer Leonardo Sinisgalli, the chemist Giulio Natta and the graphic designer Bob Noorda, to name but a few. Listening to the Risuona podcasts produced by Chora Media and promoted by the Pirelli Foundation, which weave together sounds, stories and personal testimonies of business culture, the students will be encouraged to reflect on the past and present of the world of work. These sources will help inspire them to create a podcast of their own dedicated to one of the great names in Pirelli’s technological and cultural development.

OBJECTIVES
The students will learn about the main steps in the development of the company, with a particular focus on the creative and pioneering ideas of the men and women whose commitment and passion have helped make Pirelli a cutting-edge company on a constant quest for excellence. In their group work, the students will improve their ability to understand information and critically research sources, and they will plan and test their expressive skills with a fair dose of imagination and courage.

The course will consist of three or four sessions and may be carried out entirely online or it may include a visit to the Pirelli Foundation, to be agreed upon subject to availability.