IVS strengthens the link between schools and industry: a new training project

IVS invests in young people and the Bergamo region. It aims to introduce students to the strategic industrial valve sector, a key national focus of the province of Bergamo, and to create a structured bridge between schools and industry.
This is the goal of the new training project promoted by IVS-Industrial Valve Summit, a leading international event for valve technologies and flow control solutions
The initiative, in its first edition, was presented in the auditorium of the IISS Ettore Majorana in Seriate, in the province of Bergamo, and involves 45 students in the Technical and Technological program, in collaboration with Starline, a company based in Costa di Mezzate, also in the province of Bergamo, specializing in the design and production of ball valves for industrial applications.
Students in classes 3AEI (electronics) and 4ELO (logistics) will be engaged for seven months in a program that combines classroom training with immersion in the production environment. The project involves the development of an electronic board for the control and diagnostics of an industrial valve intended for the Oil & Gas sector, integrating electronics and logistics expertise into a single system vision.
The technical core of the project is the design of a controller based on the Arduino platform, capable of managing the valve’s main control and feedback signals, ensuring operational reliability and safety. Students will follow all development phases: defining the electronic architecture, programming the control software, building the prototype, and testing in a simulated environment.
The project is not limited to the technical dimension. Alongside device development, the analysis and simulation of the logistics process for delivery to the end customer is also planned. The goal is to validate an integrated solution that realistically reproduces both the control and diagnostic logic typical of an industrial environment and the operational dynamics that accompany market launch.
The project will culminate with the public presentation of the results during the inaugural conference of the sixth edition of the IVS-Industrial Valve Summit, scheduled for May 19-21, 2026, at the Bergamo Fairgrounds. The event is organized by Confindustria Bergamo and Promoberg.
As emphasized by Luca Pandolfi, Project Manager at IVS, the initiative is part of a broader strategy to enhance the entire supply chain and address a concrete need: the shortage of qualified labor. In the absence of specific study programs dedicated to industrial valves, the sector struggles to be perceived as attractive by the academic world.
The project therefore represents a stepping stone in the process of bridging secondary education and advanced manufacturing, offering students direct contact with technologies, applications, and career prospects.
The Majorana Institute also emphasizes the strategic value of the initiative, which complements the curriculum with concrete experiences, strengthening technical and soft skills. Ultimately, for Starline, this represents an investment in human capital and a two-way exchange of skills and vision, capable of making the sector more competitive and attractive.
With this initiative, IVS-Industrial Valve Summit consolidates its role not only as a trade fair platform but also as a driver of regional and cultural development, laying the foundations for an increasingly solid, innovative, and forward-looking industrial valve supply chain.