The ITCLab - Innovation and Technology Central Laboratory, the Italcementi Group’s new research and innovation center located in the Kilometro Rosso Science Park in Bergamo, will be completed in early 2009. The cornerstone ceremony for the new building was held today, attended by the Mayor of
Bergamo, Roberto Bruni, the Chairman of the Provincial Authority of Bergamo, Valerio Bettoni, the Chief Environment Officer of the Regional Authority of Lombardy, Marco Pagnoncelli, the General Manager of the Kilometro Rosso Science Park, Mirano Sancin, and Dukho Yeon, representing architect Richard Meier who designed the project for the ITC Lab building. Italcementi Chairman Giampiero Pesenti and Chief Executive Officer Carlo Pesenti stressed that the commencement of work on the new laboratory confirmed the Italcementi’s commitment to research and innovation.
“The focus on sustainability in the architecture, use of materials and construction solutions adopted for this buildling from the very beginning of the project will make the ITCLab an expression of Italcementi’s commitment to environmental issues,” said Carlo Pesenti. “This is a demanding and ambitious challenge that will draw on Italcementi’s expertise and capacity for innovation, previously exemplified in such major construction projects as the Pirelli tower designed by Giò Ponti in Milan or the Jubilee Church designed by Meier in Rome. The ITCLab will be the nerve center of our research operation, strengthening the network of ties between our laboratories in France, the USA and India in the near future and the university centers of excellence that already operate with the Group Technical Center.”

The ITCLab project envisages construction of a building on a surface area of 11,000 square meters, of which 7,500 will be occupied exclusively by research labs. It will take approximately two years to complete. Designed by Richard Meier, the ITCLab is located in the Kilometro Rosso Science Park just outside Bergamo, flanking the Milan-Venice highway. The park will also house a variety of interdisciplinary public and private research initiatives, providing jobs for approximately 3,000 people over the next 10 years.

On the occasion of the ITCLab cornerstone ceremony, the Italcementi Cav. Lav. Carlo Pesenti Foundation, established to support education and scientific research with a specific focus on sustainable corporate economic and social growth, organized a round table on the theme “Institutions, universities, business: levers for innovation”. The speakers were Luigi Nicolais, Italy’s Minister for State Administration Reform & Innovation, Adriano De Maio, Chief Officer for Higher Education, Research & Innovation at the Regional Authority of Lombardy, Andrea Moltrasio, President of the Confindustria Europe Technical Committee and President of Bergamo Scienza, Alberto Bombassei, Vice President of Confindustria and Ezio Andreta, President of the Agency for the Promotion of European Research. The debate was chaired by Dario Di Vico, deputy editor of the Corriere della Sera newspaper.

Opening the round table, Italcementi Chairman Giampiero Pesenti said: “Personally I believe Italy offers exceptional talents and resources to recover its ability to innovate and compete, which is why the Italcementi Foundation wanted to form a panel with the expertise and resources to examine ideas with a view to drawing up constructive proposal.
As a business man I believe that innovation is the most effective path to leadership in global competition: this is why research that generates innovation in our business organizations is the lever for the competitiveness of the entire country-System.”