Construction work began to build the facilities on the Pilar campus back in 2021, a project which received financial support from the Techint Group. Paolo Rocca recently toured the facilities and took the opportunity to chat to Engineering students about the importance of receiving professional technical training and having an industrial vocation.

Gabriela Robiolo, dean of the Faculty of Engineering, and Paolo Rocca stepped up to the podium at the inauguration ceremony for the new Ceibo building at the Austral University, where Engineering classes will be taught as from this year. At the event, Paolo Rocca had the opportunity to meet young scholarship students from the fields of Industrial Engineering, Computer Engineering and Biomedical Engineering.

In her opening speech, Dr. Robiolo said that, “We welcome Paolo Rocca as our friend, for he has walked beside us throughout the history of our faculty, stepping up to support us at decisive points, such as our transfer to Pilar, and helping us to strengthen our Technology Hub.” She added that advances in technology are paving the way to a wide range of innovative developments, which underscores the need to develop new proposals for students with a vocation in this area. She highlighted that both the Universidad Austral and the Techint Group share the same educational values and objectives, to train the best professionals who are valued for their honesty, vocation for teamwork and interest in their environment, people who can command a collaborative leadership style as part of their desire to contribute to progress at national level.

For his part, Rocca referred to the students and highlighted that, "It is extremely encouraging to see the dedication and willpower you are putting into studying Engineering, a career critical for the development and growth of our country." He added that, “The key to being able to attract and retain talent is based on three pillars: attractive projects where talent can blossom and flourish, a working environment that values diversity and dedication, and a permanent commitment to sustainability.”

In addition, he stressed that education is the cornerstone of the Techint Group's social programs, as, "In the countries where we operate, we see first-hand the vital role played by education in promoting social mobility and developing people’s individual talents."

Rocca’s concluding words were, “We all treasure the vision of a country with significant growth opportunities. Argentina offers vast potential, not only in traditional sectors such as agriculture, but also in the development of the energy value chain—oil and gas—and in renewable and transition energies.”

A group of engineering students from the university accompanied Techint Group executives during their visit as they toured the new facilities, including a close-up look at various innovation and Industry 4.0 projects. One such project, developed by fourth-year students, is an object transport device that users sensors, pneumatic and electromechanical actuators installed on a conveyor belt to classify objects according to size and material, and separate them with a robotic arm that picks them out to be introduced into another stage of the process.

The event was also the occasion for a presentation given by the Austral University authorities and professors from the Faculty of Engineering about the institution's objectives for the future, its plan for community work, and a range of different technology training programs.

A commitment to long-term education

The relationship between the Austral University and the Techint Group goes back several decades, when the Faculty of Engineering was opened, almost 30 years ago. At that point, the Techint Group contributed technical input for the design of some of the principal engineering courses to be taught. Today, the Faculty welcomes graduates and scholarship holders from the Roberto Rocca Technical School in Campana as well as Roberto Rocca Scholarship holders from different parts of the country keen to continue their studies at the Universidad Austral, among other universities. The criteria for awarding Roberto Rocca Scholarships include academic performance and socio-economic data, the idea being to enable young people from all backgrounds to pursue their educational vocation. 

The collaboration between both institutions goes far beyond the educational field, as during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Techint Group collaborated with the construction and equipment of the COVID Austral Solidarity Hospital in Pilar, which was inaugurated in June 2020. Built in record time, this was an extremely complex project which the University Hospital and the Austral University developed to care for critically-ill patients from the public health system who had no medical coverage. The Techint Group donated bio-safety equipment, respirators, beds, monitors, electrocardiographs, defibrillators, while over 20 company engineers and specialists took part in the construction design and planning.