Information magazine of the Department of Industrial Engineering
Università di Trento
Information magazine of the Department of Industrial Engineering
Università di Trento
Looking back on his university journey, Francesco Riz describes it as a path built over time. “I think my education has been a constantly evolving process,” he explains, “in which curiosity and my connection to my valley have played a fundamental role.” After earning a bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering and a master’s degree in Mechatronics Engineering at the University of Trento, he completed a PhD in Information Engineering and Computer Science in June 2024. Since July of the same year, he has been working in the technical office of a cableway systems company serving ski resorts in the upper Val di Fassa, the valley where he still lives today.
At the beginning of his university career, his professional goal was not yet clearly defined. What did emerge, however, was a common belief: “You certainly won’t find a job at the foot of the Sella.” A phrase that well represented the perceived difficulty of combining advanced engineering training with the desire to remain in one’s homeland. As Francesco explains, “With a natural inclination toward theoretical study rather than industrial applications, I long believed my future would lie in academic research.”
As his studies progressed and the years passed, priorities began to change, both professionally and personally. His first real exposure to practical applications came during a post-doctoral experience at a company in South Tyrol. “Despite the advanced level of my academic background and having obtained professional engineering certification in the meantime, I immediately noticed how different the corporate environment was and how much I still had to learn,” he recalls.
“Through daily interaction with other engineers and technicians in the cableway sector, I discovered a new way of learning, made up of concrete problems, innovative solutions and real-world applications.” It was in this context that he came to appreciate the value of so-called “quick and dirty solutions”: fast and effective responses, sometimes less elegant from a theoretical standpoint, but essential for addressing practical, on-site needs.
The comparison between the academic world, deeply explored during years of study and research, and the corporate environment in which he now works has led to a greater awareness of the complexity of educational and career choices. As Francesco notes, “The gap between the academic world I came to know in depth and the corporate world where I now work made me realize how difficult it can be to make the right choices along the way, especially when the destination is not yet clear.”
For this reason, he stresses the importance of not limiting oneself to activities that promise immediate results, but also of being guided by curiosity toward less explored disciplines, which may prove decisive in the long run.
Looking back on his university experience, Francesco particularly reassesses the value of practical projects included in exams. In his view, these experiences offer a concrete opportunity to develop skills that are directly applicable to professional life: “I believe they represent a unique opportunity to tackle real problems, learn how to use new tools and develop the ability to find effective solutions, exactly what is required of an engineer every day.”
