Research and development
Our ongoing commitment to engaging with the manufacturing industry and the creative professions drives us to ensure maximum consistency between our training offerings and market needs. Our courses aim to develop new profiles and roles that can serve as a resource and a driving force for innovation.
Abadir's teaching method is strongly oriented toward professionalization: for the purpose of regional and national integration, our Academy promotes various forms of collaboration with companies and public and private institutions, fostering the sharing and transmission of knowledge. With this integration model, Abadir facilitates the matching of supply and demand for specialized work.
Territory and company
The contemporary job market is a dynamic and fast-paced system: to bridge the gap between the world of education and that of creative professions, it's necessary to closely observe the local area and the opportunities it offers. At Abadir, we support our students in building relationships with companies and the context in which they will find themselves working—both during and after their studies.
The involvement of local companies – and others – in educational activities takes place primarily through ongoing design workshops and laboratories, through the curricular internship required by the study plan, and in the development of prototypes for thesis projects.
Internship
In the third year of the three-year program, students have access to a mandatory curricular internship, a 100-hour training experience (for a total of 4 CFA credits) to be completed at Abadir's partner companies, industry professionals, creative studios, or other organizations of their choice. The internship is also an integral part of our first-level master's programs, lasting 500 hours (equal to 20 CFA credits).
An internship is an opportunity to take your first steps in the world of work, leverage your skills, and acquire new ones. It's a key moment in the academic and professional careers of all those who benefit from it, the first step toward building a network of people and places, and toward implementing virtuous practices that generate value for themselves and the local community.
Studying at Abadir also offers the opportunity to undertake an Erasmus Traineeship, an ongoing or extracurricular mobility experience funded by European funds.
Partner companies
The Cultural and Creative Industries (CCI) system encompasses the sectors of architecture and design, communications, visual and performing arts, printing and publishing, mass media and audiovisual media, video game and software development, and the protection and promotion of historical and artistic heritage. The growing demand from companies for highly qualified professionals in the fields of sustainability and digital skills is a tangible sign of the importance of creative professions today.
Italy leads the European Union in terms of companies operating in the design sector (exclusively or predominantly). Furthermore, the ongoing ecological and digital transition and the strategic objectives of the PNRR (National Recovery and Resilience Plan) have opened up new employment opportunities for candidates with green and digital skills.
Discover our network of collaborations:
Caffè MOAK ∙ Farm Cultural Park ∙ Achille Castiglioni Foundation ∙ Arnoldo and Alberto Mondadori Foundation ∙ Isola Catania ∙ Lanificio Leo ∙ Ninefifty ∙ Orografie ∙ Parco Paternò del Toscano ∙ Print Club Torino ∙ Sicilcima ∙ Syracuse Academy
PCTO
Among the training activities useful for acquiring skills that can be applied to the world of work are PCTOs, or Pathways for Transversal Skills and Orientation (previously known as School-Work Alternation projects).
Abadir, in collaboration with local schools and businesses, organizes a series of theoretical and practical workshops that offer a hands-on approach to the world of production and entrepreneurship. PCTO activities are aimed at students from local high schools and higher education institutions and aim to orient young people towards the professional potential of designers, while also promoting a culture of self-entrepreneurship and active citizenship.
PCTO activities can be exploratory or design-based and range from visits to the headquarters of one or more companies, where they learn about their history and production dynamics, to design workshops, where students design a physical or communicative artifact based on a company brief.
Research projects
Abadir has numerous active international research projects, developed through bilateral agreements with Italian and European institutions and universities and born from the belief that cooperation between academies, universities, businesses, and communities is essential to addressing contemporary challenges.
Dealing with different realities – geographical, cultural and professional – allows us to enrich the design processes, hybridize skills and develop strategies that combine academic rigor with a concrete impact on the territory and society: among our projects, NIMI Project; GAP – Graffiti Art in Prison; is Waterschool South They exemplify this approach, transforming research into innovative tools for design, inclusion, the valorization of cultural heritage, and sustainability, generating a wealth of transferable knowledge and enhancing the role of design as a driver of transformation.
Very Happy Sicily
Abadir, in collaboration with AIAP and Caffè Moak, has launched the Sicilia Felicissima visual communication and territorial contest.
Sicilia Felicissima recognizes virtuous collaborations between designers from around the world and Sicilian organizations and companies. The competition is open to communication designers, Sicilian businesses, public and private institutions, associations, and recent graduates, with the aim of supporting excellence that contributes to enhancing our region's tangible and intangible resources.
Observatory and productive activities
The Observatory for Productive Activities (OAP) is a mapping system of companies operating in the area. It was initiated within the Design System and Materials Typology courses and is still conducted today by the respective teachers – Professor Vincenzo Castellana and Professor Cecilia Alemagna – in the awareness that an educational institution must train its students starting from a dialogue with their environment.
The work carried out by the OAP is linked to an analytical study of the region's productive potential, not only in the manufacturing and agri-food sectors but also in the cultural sector. The mapping and definition of corporate values are systematically implemented through the simulation of innovation, growth, and repositioning processes that take place within the Design, Visual Communication, and Strategic Design courses.