Trentino Sviluppo

That weekend on Lake Garda changed everything!

A regatta off the shores of Riva del Garda was the event that prompted the meeting between Sonia Bonfiglioli and Rino Tarolli, coordinator of the Pole of Mechatronics. During an informal meeting held far away from a dull meeting room, the chairman of Bonfiglioli S.p.a. became aware of the existence of a project focused on mechatronics.

Innovation and synergies between research, industry, and training.

Sonia Bonfiglioli fell instantly in love with Trentino. She soon started prizing its efficiency and high-quality services. Bonfiglioli was well acquainted with the level of competency and efficiency of Germany where, years earlier, it had established a mechatronic research and development center. The idea was to expand the activities of the German site but the region of Trentino - thanks to its strategic position and the excellence of its services and training offer - conquered the hearts of the management of Bonfiglioli.

The meetings between Trentino Sviluppo, the regional economic development department of the Autonomous Province of Trento, and the company founded in Emilia Romagna led to an agreement that met the requirement of the multinational to invest in high-technology and innovative solutions for industrial applications in an efficient and competitive context, while at the same time it provided the opportunity to give a boost to the economic development of the territory in terms of innovation, research, and employment.

In September 2011, Bonfiglioli Mechatronic Research opened its premises in Rovereto, configuring itself as a research centre for the development of innovative solutions in the field of mechatronics. Since then, the facility has focused in particular on the development of permanent magnet high-performance motors with the highest energy efficiency made available by current technology. Another goal of the centre concerns the design and industrialization of planetary precision gearboxes for servo motion control applications. Thanks to the use of a «smart interface», the optimized combination between the motors and the gearbox provides the current market with a cutting-edge and high performing optimized solution.

Sonia Bonfiglioli explains: «Our Group decided to establish a research centre in Rovereto because it saw in the ‘Trentino system’ a reliable and skilled partner that could interact with the complex and global reality of Bonfiglioli. (…) The ability to innovate represents the only key to successfully deal with the challenges of the global market».

From research to manufacturing

Thanks to the Pole of Mechatronics, it didn’t took long for the company founded in Emilia Romagna to recognize the assets of our territory and the value of the synergies activated with the University and the local enterprises working in its field. This is why the company decided to add a production facility to Bonfiglioli Mechatronic Research S.p.a., in order to manufacture and sell mechatronic solutions for automation that include - besides the servo motors and the planetary precision gearboxes - products like electrical drive components (inverters produced in Germany by its other research centre), operator interfaces, and communication and wiring components. Over the years, BMR has become the Italian commercial branch for the automation solutions offered by Bonfiglioli and it currently provides permanent magnet motors and servo gearboxes to the 16 global branches of Bonfiglioli and its tens of national retailers scattered around the world. Currently, BMR has an annual sales revenue of more than 6 million euros.

The impact on Trentino has been clear and widely recognized: 30 engineers and professional technicians involved, the majority of whom are from Trentino, and almost 3 million euros invested in Trentino by the multinational for the two-year period 2013-2015. Besides, Bonfiglioli committed itself to keep its legal and operational headquarters and pay its taxes in Trentino for 10 years. Moreover, the results of the research activities and patents generated with the support of public funds are used also for the benefit of the entire territory, thanks to the Patent Fund managed by Trentino Sviluppo.

A company with an international profile

Established in Bologna in 1956, Bonfiglioli S.p.a. has come a long way in its development. With more than 3,200 employees, 10 production sites, and 16 direct branches, Bonfiglioli is a global player in the field of power control and motion transmission in the industrial and renewable energy sectors.

Over recent years, the company has focused its investment in green technology applications; it took part to important international projects such as the Alpha Ventus project in the North See (one of the biggest off-shore wind power plants in the world), and it was involved also in the development of the largest photovoltaic park in Europe (70 MW) built by SunEdison.