Research and Development
The pursuit of a constant exchange with production realities and the world of creative professions drives us to seek the utmost consistency between our educational offering and market needs: our courses aim to train new profiles and figures who can constitute a resource and a driver for innovation.
Abadir's teaching method is strongly oriented towards professionalisation: for the purposes of integration with the regional and national territory, our Academy promotes various forms of collaboration with companies and public and private bodies, encouraging the sharing and transmission of knowledge. With this integration model, Abadir facilitates the meeting between supply and demand for specialist work.
Area and company
The contemporary labour market is a dynamic and fast-paced system: to bridge the gap between the world of education and that of the creative professions, it is necessary to closely observe the local area and the opportunities it offers. At Abadir, we support our students in building relationships with companies and with the context in which they will operate – both during and after their studies.
The involvement of local companies – and others – in teaching activities takes place primarily through ongoing project workshops and laboratories, through the curricular internship provided for in the study plan, and in the development of prototypes for thesis projects.
Work placement
In the third year of the three-year undergraduate course, male and female students have access to the mandatory curricular internship, a 100-hour training experience (totalling 4 CFA) to be carried out at Abadir's partner companies, industry professionals, creative studios or other organisations of their choice. The internship is also an integral part of our first-level Master's degree programmes, with a duration of 500 hours (equal to 20 CFA).
An internship is an opportunity to take one's first steps into the world of work, put one's skills to good use and acquire new ones. It is a key moment in the academic and professional career of all those who benefit from it, the first step towards building a network whose mesh consists of people and places, and towards implementing virtuous practices that generate value for oneself and for the local area.
Studying at Abadir also gives you the opportunity to do an Erasmus Traineeship, an in-course or extracurricular mobility experience funded by European grants.
Partner companies
The Cultural and Creative Industries (CCI) system encompasses the sectors of architecture and design, communication, visual and performing arts, print and publishing, mass media and audiovisuals, video game and software development, and the conservation and promotion of historical and artistic heritage. The growing demand from businesses for highly qualified professionals in the fields of sustainability and digital skills is a tangible sign of the importance of creative professions today.
Italy is the leading country in Europe for the number of businesses operating in the design sector (exclusively or predominantly), and the ongoing ecological and digital transition, along with the strategic objectives of the NRRP (National Recovery and Resilience Plan), have also opened up new employment fronts for candidates with green and digital skills.
Discover our network of partnerships:
Caffè MOAK ∙ Farm Cultural Park ∙ Fondazione Achille Castiglioni ∙ Fellini Museum ∙ Isola Catania ∙ Lanificio Leo ∙ Ninefifty ∙ Orografie ∙ Parco Paternò del Toscano ∙ Print Club Torino ∙ Sicilcima ∙ Syracuse Academy
Work Placement
Among the educational activities useful for acquiring skills applicable in the world of work are also the PCTO, namely Pathways for Transversal Skills and Orientation (formerly known as School-Work Alternation projects).
Abadir organises, together with a number of local schools and businesses, a series of theory-practice workshops that allow participants to experience a direct approach to the productive and entrepreneurial world. The PCTO activities are aimed at male and female students of local high schools and upper secondary education institutes, and have the objective of guiding young people towards the professional potential of the designer figure, while promoting the culture of self-entrepreneurship and active citizenship.
PCTO activities can be exploratory or project-based, ranging from visits to the premises of one or more companies, where students learn about their history and production dynamics, to project workshops, in which students design a physical or communicative artefact based on a company brief.
Research projects
Abadir has numerous international research projects to its credit, 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 tackle contemporary challenges.
Engaging with diverse realities – geographical, cultural and professional – allows us to enrich design processes, hybridise skills and develop strategies that combine academic rigour with a tangible impact on the local area and society: among our projects, NIMI – The New Intelligence of Made in Italy; GAP – Graffiti Art in Prison; e Waterschool South they exemplify this approach, turning research into innovative tools for design, inclusion, the enhancement of cultural heritage and sustainability, generating a body of transferable knowledge and championing the role of design as a driver of transformation.
Most Fortunate Sicily
Abadir, in collaboration with AIAP and Caffè Moak, has established the visual communication and territory contest Sicilia Felicissima.
Sicilia Felicissima rewards virtuous collaborations between designers from all over the world and entities and companies on the island. The competition is aimed at communication designers, Sicilian businesses, public and private institutions, associations and recent graduates, with the aim of supporting excellence that helps to enhance the material and immaterial resources of our region.
Observatory and productive activities
The Production Activities Observatory (OAP) is a mapping system of active companies in the local area, which was launched within the Design System and Materials Typology courses and is still run today by the respective lecturers – Prof. Vincenzo Castellana and Prof. Cecilia Alemagna – in the belief that an educational structure must train its students starting from a dialogue with their surrounding environment.
The work carried out by the OAP is linked to an analytical study of the area's productive potential, not only in the manufacturing or agri-food sectors, but also within cultural enterprises. The mapping and definition of corporate values are systematised through the simulation of paths of innovation, growth and repositioning that take place within the Design, Visual Communication and Strategic Design courses.