Italian Machine Tool Technology Award for North American Students

DEARBORN, Mich. and CHICAGO, March 3 -- The Italian Machine Tool Technology Award program was recently announced by the Italian Trade Commission (ITC) in partnership with UCIMU - SISTEMI PER PRODURRE (the Association of Italian Manufacturers of Machine Tools, Robots, Automation Systems and Ancillary Products) in cooperation with the Society of Manufacturing Engineers Education Foundation (SME-EF).

The program competition invites students from a number of premier North American engineering programs to write technical papers addressing the metallurgical industry. The goal is to strengthen awareness of Italian technology and innovation within various metalworking-related engineering research and education programs of the participating schools.

The competition is open to students in junior, senior, or graduate-level degree programs. Eligibility will be determined by faculty at each university based on grade point average, transcripts and co-op program activities. The submitted papers must relate to topics on either technical innovation in metalworking machinery, the manufacturing industry, or innovation in material applications for the metalworking industry.

The faculty may decide to integrate this competition into current academic courses, allowing students accreditation for their work. Each university program director/co-coordinator will select one student paper for submission to SME-EF, whose panel of judges chosen in accordance with guidelines established by the ITC and UCIMU, will make the final selection of papers that best exemplify the criteria established by these two organizations.

Winners will be awarded a trip to Italy in June 2006, which will include tours of Italian metalworking machinery manufacturers' offices and facilities, a visit to ITC headquarters in Rome and/or UCIMU's offices in Milan. The trip will be hosted by the ITC and UCIMU and chaperoned by organization representatives. Upon their return, students will submit a summary of the program and its impact on their engineering education. The winning papers will be officially announced in mid-April, 2006.

Visit http://www.italtrade.com/usa - The Italian Trade Commission, Trade Promotion Section of the Consulate General of Italy.

Visit http://www.ucimu.it/ - The UCIMU - SISTEMI PER PRODURRE, the Association of Italian Manufacturers of Machine Tools, Robots, Automation Systems and Ancillary Products, protects the interests of the industry.

Visit http://www.sme.org/foundation - Society of Manufacturing Engineers Education Foundation