'5+1' with Francesca Di Nicola – Project Manager at Italdesign

We are back with another ‘5+1’ interview, this time with Francesca Di Nicola, who has been at Italdesign for four years now. Italdesign is a leading design company that aims to inspire, integrate, develop and produce the most cutting‑edge solutions in mobility. In this interview, Francesca tells us about her passion for engineering and what advice she would give to younger females interested in this field, her career path as a woman in the automotive industry, her various projects at Italdesign, including the DeLorean Alpha5 project, which we wrote about previously on ellectric and her view on the future of mobility in 2030.

1. You studied mechanical engineering, a field where women are still underrepresented. Where did your passion come from and what advice would you give to younger females interested in engineering as well?

Since I was a child, I have always been a curious observer of the world around me, eager to understand how things were made and worked. This curiosity and scientific interest, together with my love for technology have driven my choices in both my education as an engineer and subsequently my career path in the automotive industry. My relationship with the product I deal with every day, the passenger car, has begun at university. In particular, I developed an interest in powertrain systems, fascinated by the incredible technological complexity of their components that combine mechanical, electrical and software-based contents. 

To all the younger girls I would really suggest to follow their dreams, passions and interests with determination and dedication, without caring about prejudices and anachronistic mindsets. Today more than ever, we are dealing with a VUCA world and to successfully address daily challenges, we need a broader and more diverse set of skills, approaches and sensitivities, especially women’s ones, even in sectors typically dominated by a male presence. I am happy to realise that nowadays many organisations are embracing diversity and inclusion, and Italdesign is among them, even though there is still a long way to go to achieve equal opportunities.

2. Currently you work at Italdesign and have been managing engineering and design projects for over four years now – what does your job entail and what drives you at Italdesign?

My mission as a project manager is to make sure that every project’s scope is successfully executed and its deliverables are developed within a specific budget and time, in order to address clients’ needs and meet their expectations. Behind this apparently simple equation, my daily job entails a variety of front-end and back-end activities, ranging from the planning of a new business initiative in the area of design, engineering, production, in response to a client’s request, to the management of project stakeholders and multi-disciplinary teams. 

Italdesign, as a B2B project-based company that develops solutions, services and products in the world of mobility, is for me the ideal environment to continuously learn and grow. 

Thanks to its broad and multidisciplinary perspective in the automotive field and its global footprint, the company gives me the possibility to collaborate with different clients and partners, international players in the field of mobility, throughout projects that are always different and unique. These aspects, together with the teamwork and the holistic approach of the role, which combines technical, managerial and communication skills, constantly power my motivation and engagement.

3. Italdesign is a household name, with a long history and long-standing traditions. How is the company evolving in its practices to head towards a better future in mobility? 

One of the main strengths of our organisation is its being innovation-oriented since its inception. Italdesign is continuously investing in the development of new, cutting-edge solutions and in visionary prototypes, while being faithful to the legacy of the brand and its tradition.

Since 2010, when the company became part of VW/Audi Group, Italdesign has expanded the portfolio of services offered to customers. For example, 6 years ago in 2016, the company decided to add to its service portfolio the turnkey services for the production of ultra/limited series for OEMs or Newcoms. And thanks to recent strategic partnerships, we can  offer our customers a wide range of vehicle components and platform systems  and integrate them into the vehicles, so to support the whole development process from concept to production phase.

Even in the past, the company has always reflected on the future of mobility, by proposing innovative designs such as the “Capsula” or “Biga” concepts. In the last few years, feeling the urgency to address the challenges of sustainability or over-population in the megacities, we are constantly searching for new forms of mobility, which should be increasingly seamless, flexible and with zero environmental impact. A relevant example is the Pop-Up, a trailblazing modular and multi-modal concept vehicle that consists in a capsule designed to be coupled with both a ground and an air module, in order to avoid traffic congestion in crowded megacities.

4. Recently you have been working at Italdesign as Project Manager for the DeLorean Alpha5 in collaboration with the brand DeLorean – can you tell us about that and why this particular project is exciting to you?

Working as a project manager for the DeLorean Alpha5 is a great honour and at the same time an important responsibility, stemming from the fact that I am dealing with an iconic and historic brand, well-known and globally followed. 

Taking part in the development project of the new Alpha5, a full electric vehicle, which embodies the evolution of the brand and the reinterpretation of the concept of mobility in a modern way is an exciting and extremely interesting journey.

On the one hand, I am proud to support the DeLorean Motor Company in conveying and realising its compelling vision of the future of mobility: sustainable and at the same time human-centric.  

On the other hand, having the possibility to contribute in the role of project manager to the development process of a concept car, from the conception through the first style sketches to the vehicle final assembly, is incredibly exciting and fascinating, as I am witnessing an idea that takes shape and becomes reality. 

Thanks to this experience, I have also broaden my perspective, typically focused on the technological and functional features of the product to the aspects, equally fundamental, that revolve around the styling design and the user experience.

5. Let’s talk about the future of mobility. What do you think will mobility look like in 2030?

We are all working towards an environment-friendly, integrated, shared, automated and above all personalised mobility. Today, the shift in the mobility sector is driving us to a ‘diverse’ mobility. There is a great segmentation of mobility solutions and innovations, I would say a real ‘mobility mix’ that is sustainable and available at all times, able to offer flexibility so to meet our different requirements. Basically, the idea is that there will not be only one perfect mobility solution for everyone, but that we will all find the perfect mobility solution for us. My feeling is that these are all changes that potentially can improve the quality of our lives.

Francesca’s question to you:

What kind of mobility would you like to experience in the future and what do you expect OEMs and the new players in this very sector do next?

Thank you Francesca for doing this insightful 5+1 interview with us. If you want to hear more from the many inspiring women in the industry, check out the ‘elle’ section of our magazine.

Pictures: Italdesign
Interview: Britta Reineke