Ferrari has just announced the Mille Chili lab, an initiative with the University of Modena, to help future Ferrari models weigh under the 1000 kg mark. Let's hope they don't just make another Millechili concept.
The new Ferrari University, Mille Chili, is not only aimed at lowering overall vehicle weight, but its also an initiative to reduce Ferrari's carbon footprint and give it a better standing with all the performance-hating treehuggers out there. They've teamed up with the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia's engineering department to train prospective Ferrari engineers in the weight reducing arts.
The Mille Chili laboratory is simply a lecture room within the university equipped with hardware, software and chassis equipment from Ferrari in order to study research projects created by the programs eight undergraduates. Not only does the Mille Chili lab include professors from the university, but the students have access to Ferrari's engineering team as well.
Ferrari CEO Amedeo Felisa said of the program:
"It is a great pleasure to inaugurate this laboratory, which will work on a very important issue for the future. The experience confirms that constant collaboration between private industry and University is a fundamental part, and contributes to growth for both parties: the University has to work with not exclusively theoretical issues, while the industry can confront itself with new ideas."
We're curious to find out how Ferrari will apply the knowledge learned from the students and hope that it isn't just the standard exotic answer of carbon fiber everywhere. We'll keep you in the loop as we learn more.
Ferrari Press Release:
"MILLE CHILI" LABORATORY INAUGURATED WITH FERRARI CONTRIBUTION AT ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT AT UNIVERSITY OF MODENA AND REGGIO EMILIA
Maranello, 17th February 2009 – Related to the research and development projects of new models, weight reduction has always been a major goal for Ferrari, which also leads to less fuel consumption and reduced emissions. Numerous technological innovations in this direction have been incorporated in Ferrari models over past years. A project called "MilleChili" was presented recently. The target of this project was the overall weight of the car (mille chili = 1,000 kg), a stimulus for the development of engineering solutions which take advantage of light weight.
Today the project takes a step forward in its development, thanks to collaboration with the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, especially with its Engineering department. Today the "Mille Chili" Laboratory has been inaugurated at the department. It is a lecture room equipped with hardware, software and chassis from Ferrari to study research projects developed by the faculty's undergraduates, aiming at a weight reduction. Eight undergraduates will work at the "Mille Chili" laboratory. They can rely on the support of their teaching staff and some Ferrari engineers.
The inauguration was held in the presence of the students, the teaching staff and the President of the faculty Professor Giuseppe Cantore, while for Ferrari CEO Amedeo Felisa and Mario Mairano, Head of Human Resources and General Secretariat, were present.Felisa said: "It is a great pleasure to inaugurate this laboratory, which will work on a very important issue for the future. The experience confirms that constant collaboration between private industry and University is a fundamental part, and contributes to growth for both parties: the University has to work with not exclusively theoretical issues, while the industry can confront itself with new ideas."
On the subject of University and innovation Amedeo Felisa reminded that "Ferrari will finance six scholarships in the area of research by young graduates/undergraduates in Engineering, Physics, Architecture and Human Studies at Italian and international Universities. This shows the attention our Company has for the young to increase the value of creativity and competence."
[via Ferrari]