Cluster called Innovation & Research for Industry has in its own name the very mission it was born for: to promote the level of Innovation and Research in a technologically advanced sector such as Aerospace/Aeronautic. With new and huge continents rising up in the world economy, Aeronautic vehicles represent a must in terms of minimization of distances and time. Companies from Emilia-Romagna have proven in the past – and are still proving nowadays – peaks of excellence in the F.1, Top Racing and Automotive, ranging over from packaging up to advanced mechanics, achieving astounding Performances & Capabilities.
Each Company within the Cluster, thanks to the spirit that marks E-R’s entrepreneurship, has proven its own capacity of competing in the international markets with superior quality standards, becoming in many cases a reference point for the world industry. With today’s convergence in the IR4I Cluster, these regional excellencies have come to establish a new unquestioned high-tech leader, thanks to their gathered background in Research & Product Innovation.
What is to remark, is that Companies composing the Cluster – aside from the sector’s Certifications (among which the EN 9100) – are endowed with the professional experience which is necessary to face the challenges of the future, strenuously looking for better performances in the Aeronautic sector, which has proven to be their strong point over time.
With the IR4I Cluster, Emilia-Romagna’s Companies have shown their will to join their forces, in order to compete globally in the Aerospace industry: now the world can count on a new player, ready to prove with its capabilities and resources the will to grow in such a technologically advanced sector.
DIMENSIOn
28 Companies
2000 employees
turnover EUR 500 million
SKILL-MAP
The Skill-Map summarizes the "abilities" of the firms in the Cluster IR4I relevant to the Aerospace Market, currently characterized by: advanced technologies in both products and production methods, by high-end innovation thanks to ongoing studies for the development of latest solutions.
In order to reach the definition of the Skill-Map, specialists in the Aerospace Sector have conducted an in-depth Audit of each firm, with the aim of evaluating each firm's ability to operate in the Aeronautic Sector.
In order to assess the true technical competences, the audit was conducted by Professionals/Specialist independent from the Emilia Romagna territory, with the aim of keeping the focus on a technical level and objectively assess the Technic/Technological skills of every Associate.
The Skill-Map clearly summarizes the core "Technologies" of every member of the Cluster IR4I. The Cluster IR4I should be considered as a WHOLE of which the single firms constitute various operational structures capable of undertaking daily Operations, such a system develops a matrix where, due to the core business of every firm, horizontal competences have evolved, such as advanced logistics and certification procedures, all this in order to make the Cluster IR4I a complete Supply-Chain for many "Structural Systems".
The Firms constituting the Cluster IR4I are grouped according to their potential capabilities, and constantly integrated to maintain the Supply-Chain for the AEROSTRUCTURES area, capable of processing Entire Systems. The Firms in the same group are further divided in these branches:
A. Firms with Production Capability
B. Firms with Production Capability, Industrialization Capability (Production Engineering)
C. Firms with Production Capability, Industrialization Capability and Product Engineering
TECNOLOGIEs & SUMMARY OF RESULTS
Quality
All firms possess ISO certification, more than half possess ISO 9100 certification, necessary to access Aeronautic Qualifications. Part of the firms are already aerospace suppliers, therefore possess all relevant Qualifications.
Technical Competences
Almost all firms possess a Production Engineering sector that is capable of producing the entire system, starting from a single "drawing" or CAD file. Among the prominent characteristics is high-precision mechanics, with widespread capability of manufacturing special materials such as Titanium and Ivar, and composite materials technology that includes highly advanced manufacturing technologies, satellites, electronics and, in order to fully complete the possibilities of the Cluster IR4I, Consulting Services targeted at finding adequate financial resources.
Transversal Competences
The demonstrated skills in logistics and management demonstrate that a Pool of such Firms is capable of delivering complete kits to the assembly lines of Prime Contractors or a Chief-Contractor within the Pool, with "just-in-time" delivery and "Kanban" type programming logics. Competences developed and tested in the F1 and MotoGP sectors.
SUMMARY CHART
On the y-axis are listed the main technologies/skills that are necessary for the manufacture of aerospace structures, even equipped with first-level components (transmission, flight commands, gear box, wiring, etc.)
For every firm we indicated with the symbol 
wether that technology/skill is present. Such characteristics are displayed in the following chart in order to clarify the "aerospace capabilities" of each component of the Cluster IR4I.
CHARACTERISTICS TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT
Precision Mechanics, differentiating between the availability of machines < and/or > of 600mm
Numerical Control, 3, 4, 5 axis
Electrolysis
Composite Materials, with autoclaves greater that 6 metres
Metal Carpentry, fundamental presence in primary aerospace structures and in equipment construction
Metal foil Manufacturing, fundamental for secondary structures
Mechanic Assembly, important for flight controls and equipment
Electronic Assembly and Manufacturing, such as cards, printed circuits, CPUs, etc.
Software Production, for both aerospace dynamics and managing solutions
Surface Treatments, including Special treatments
Painting
Product Engineering, considered as the capacity to participate/complete the definition of the product, starting from design load
Production Engineering, considered as the capacity to industrialize and manufacture a product starting from the drawing process, optimizing the manufacturing process
Advanced Logistics, considered as the capacity to manage and optimize the movement of parts, delivery times, circulating capital, punctuality, etc.
Quality, considering the type of ISO certification obtained. The symbol is present if the Firm possesses at least the certification ISO 9001