1st 2024 RPM general meeting
Posted by Riccardo Paterni on 03/04/2024

The first RPM general meeting of 2024 took place at our operational headquarters in Bologna (Casa Promotec) in the Imola room around a large oval table with the aim of stimulating more and more open and constructive dialogue on the topics on the agenda. Companies represented in attendance: Andreoli, Aviorace, Dino Paoli, Phasep, GMA, Kaiti Expansion, Quattro Emme, Merin, MindUP, Novac, Pistal Racing, Synergy Pathways. Companies represented in remote connection: Tatuus, Autotecnica, Revenge Engineering.

New companies in RPM

We started with the presentation of two new online companies: Fasep (historic and innovative company in the wheel alignment and wheel balancer products sector), presented by Fabio Boni (owner and sales director) and Novac (start up already experiencing accelerated growth, operating in the multifaceted supercapacitors sector)  presented by Matteo Bertocchi (CEO and co-founder). Both companies embrace RPM's spirit of innovation and integrated, shared development mindset.

RPM's identity: review, confirmation and developments

We have returned to delve into the network project identity in detail which we also highlight on our website and which was developed before its establishment, in Modena in 2019, with meetings and insights that we had also guided by the experience of our advisor Tim Angus.

We started by analyzing the slogan that characterizes us: "Promoting innovation through Italian Motorsport excellence" going into the aspects of Vision (why the network was born), Mission (what the network has done and is doing) and the Guiding Principles, Values ​​(the how, the behaviors that characterize our mission).

It was very interesting and engaging to see how the active planning of RPM is concretely represented by the identity that we have declared and which at a technical and operational level characterizes an acceleration of the central phases of the innovation index generated by NASA: TRL.

We also highlighted that being part of a business network means behaving in terms of "give and take": from the network we have concrete tools and ideas for growth and development in which we all participate with a spirit of sharing.

Riccardo Paterni also briefly introduced the project of a book that he defined with the publisher Guerini Next - Milan regarding the history, present and future of the motorsport industry in Italy (its roots and its increasingly manifested dynamics towards knowelge trasfer in several fields), a project that will be edited by Riccardo, will see RPM as the protagonist and will feature case studies directly from involved entrepreneurs.

Innovation: a project to be generated entirely within RPM

The dialogue on our identity has led us to highlight that now is the time (from the point of view of technical skills, project identity and also public institutional influences) to proceed with the implementation of an innovative project generated and developed totally within RPM.

We had already discussed this in the past regarding projects linked to Dakar prototypes or Garage 56 in the context of Le Mans; these are options still on the table that we are ready to further explore by forming specific technical and organizational committees suited to the purposes.

At the same time we have also learned that there are already in the making among member companies interesting ideas that we will soon find ways to make surface for more open sharing and development. This conceptually follows an approach that we have already highlighted as RPM with a conference we organized at Futurmotive last November.

We will proceed to stimulate exchanges aimed at generating innovative planning (which can concern a project or several projects that involve various organizational skills even for separate working groups) also using technologically remote methods and tools.

Insights into internationalization: missions and synergies

We then made in-depth analyzes of various aspects of internationalization, focusing first of all on the mission of the Emilia Romagna Region in which Francesca Paoli also participated as vice-president of AICA (also representing RPM) and carried out in SOUTH KOREA together with other representatives of AICA and Autopromotec including Paola Zaccheroni who was present as a guest at the RPM meeting. Francesca and Paola explored various aspects regarding contacts and open developments with the mission focusing on automotive, space sector, repair sectors and battery manufacturers with respect to various companies and organizations.

We took advantage of the presence of Samit Naik from Synergy Pathways to talk briefly about the INDIA context which currently does not show significant opportunities in the motorsport, rather in sectors that concern technology transfer (aviation and aerospace in particular).

We have also spoken about developments regarding connections in CHINA and we have pointed out how Nicoletta Visconti from Pistal Racing has signed a niche marketing development deal with Tom Weisembach, Tom focuses on business development opportunities for RPM companies in the USA.

We have also announced that RPM has become member of CLUSTER MEC, a Emilia Romagna region cluster focusing on mechatronics in which our member companies can interact from a technological point of view relevant to several innovative applicational fields.

Other opportunities for visibility and networking RPM is involved into

We also highlighted another initiative relevant to the upcoming Motorvalley Fest in which a member company of GMA has conceived a new conferencing and networking initiative named Motorsport Club focusing on stimulating ties among UK and Italian motorsport companies. The initiative has reached its second year of presence at Motorvalley Fest and this time RPM has had an even more active organizational role involving also the stimulating of support in funding of part of the activities by the Emilia Romagna region itself.

Also a new aviation and aerospace event, named Volare Airshow, that will take place next October in Reggio Emilia, some of the RPM companies (namely Kaiti Expansion and Dino Paoli) are already involved in the development of the event and more have already shown interest.

The meeting has ended with administrative highlights to which a networking light lunch has followed. We welcome all of the participants and relevant inputs that are contributing to develop RPM towards increasingly higher goals for the organization and its members. 

Stay tuned for developments.