Lutech invests again in Bari: 50 million euros in R&D and 100 new hires by 2025

Lutech continues to invest in southern Italy with 70 million in R&D, including 50 million for the Bari facility.

The numbers in Puglia's capital city

One hundred open Group positions for the Bari office would add to the nearly 400 resources already on staff. Of the people employed, more than 100 were hired in 2024 and about 270 are part of the research team. With more than 50 percent under 30, the average age of Lutech employees in Bari is 33.

"The Bari office is increasingly strategic for our Group: with the center of excellence for Artificial Intelligence and the Living lab we aim to define the next trends in digital innovation. With a team of nearly 400 highly qualified professionals and a plan for another 100 hires, Bari is a strategic hub for the future, geared toward growth and collaboration with academia, companies, startups and local institutions. This is why we have earmarked 50 million in R&D investments in the Apulian headquarters alone," said Giuseppe Di Franco, CEO of Lutech Group. "Therefore, we will continue to enhance the Bari area, strengthening already active projects and developing new solutions based on Artificial Intelligence, Digital Twin and Cybersecurity.

Digital Enterprise, interim results and future prospects

Digital Enterprise is the Industrial Research and Experimental Development project for the design and implementation of innovative platforms that Lutech is carrying out in collaboration with Bari Polytechnic and its spin off DonkeyPower. This path has enabled the development of innovative platforms that optimize processes for users and businesses in the area. Among the main innovation drivers are Artificial Intelligence, Digital Twin, IoT, Cybersecurity and Sustainability. The project has already produced several publications in leading scientific journals and established a Center of Excellence on Artificial Intelligence, focusing on Generative AI.

The Center of Excellence on Artificial Intelligence and the Living lab

A research center the one in Bari in which a Center of Excellence on Artificial Intelligence has been developed, dealing in particular with Generative AI. At the same time, an interactive Living Lab is taking shape with the aim of enabling Clients, startups and partner universities to "touch" the innovations being developed, making tangible the impact of technologies such as the Digital Twin and AI and with moments of co-creation. Indeed, in recent years, the Apulian capital has been a key driver for the development of new solutions that arise to meet the innovation needs of various industries.

The IMPACT project

The Group has chosen to dedicate some of the researchers present on the Bari hub to develop the IMPACT project, which was won under Horizon Europe and in the European Union's Innovation Radar, enhancing the quality of the talent present and creating a highly specialized research hub. The project aims, through AI, to find new connections between instrumental and genetic data to identify new markers and test useful drugs to block arrhythmogenic heart disease.

Collaboration with local universities and associations

In Puglia, Lutech collaborates with the Polytechnic University of Bari and the University of Bari, leading academic partners in research projects. Fundamental partnerships that represent a bridge between Lutech, the territory and young talents, making it possible to build a highly specialized research hub and to enhance Puglia's excellence. An example of this collaboration is the Agora project, a meeting held with the University of Bari at Lutech's R&D center in Bari. This event expanded the discussion on the topic of AI through a discussion between experts in the humanities and sciences, addressing current issues such as the problem of fake news and the impact of algorithms in daily life, emphasizing the difference between generating content and creating it.

"Making system to make innovation": press conference

The press conference was attended by local institutions: Alessandro Delli Noci, Councillor for Economic Development of the Region of Puglia; Giovanna Iacovone, Deputy Mayor and Councillor of the Municipality of Bari; Gianna Elisa Berlingerio, Director of the Department of Economic Development of the Region of Puglia; Francesco Cupertino, Rector of the Politenico of Bari, and Prof. Danilo Caivano of the University of Bari; Sergio Fontana, President of Confindustria Bari; and, finally, Antonio De Vito, General Director of Puglia Sviluppo.

Alessandro Delli Noci,

Councillor for Economic Development of the Puglia Region comments "Puglia as an innovation hub. This is the goal we have been working on for a few years with the result of having important companies like Lutech ready to invest in our territories. This new investment, to which the Apulia Region contributes through a Program Contract, confirms Bari as a digital city, offering job opportunities to young Apulians who have decided to stay in their land but also allowing many Apulian innovators to be able to return, in line with the regional strategy #mareasinistra. All of this is possible thanks both to the opportunities that the Apulia Region offers to companies that want to set up and to the contextual conditions in which new investors fit in."

"Bari is among the most attractive cities for the ICT sector, among the top 10 Italian tech cities with 80 percent of employment in the sector," said Giovanna Iacovone, Deputy Mayor and Councillor of the City of Bari “

This achievement is the result of the synergy between the City Council, the Region, the University, the Polytechnic and research centers, which together have charted the path for an increasingly innovative and digital city. With the "Bari Smart City & Digital Twin" project, the city is developing an advanced smart city model, integrating data and technologies to improve public services, environmental sustainability and digital inclusion. The implementation of an advanced control room will enable real-time data monitoring, optimizing urban planning. The expansion of digital services for citizens, professionals and businesses will enable innovative tools to respond to community needs. Bari is building its digital future with a clear vision: to be a smart, sustainable city connected to citizens' needs. As an administration, we must also address safe access and accessibility for all and everyone, and we are doing so by creating the conditions for absolutely inclusive access with major investments in this direction”.