Nello Li Pira, Dr. General Physics, University of Torino, 2000. He obtained a PhD degree at the Polytechnic of Turin in 2010.
He currently works in Stellantis as Global Materials R&D and Roadmap manager in South Europe Material Sustainability Engineering and in parallel he is in charge of Electrics/Electronics and ePWT materials department in South Europe. He is the manager of Advanced Materials program managing within the internal Innovation Master plan the development of novel innovative materials solutions for different projects. Additionally, he is in charge for the new activities for the roadmap 2023-2030 related to new materials for Carbon footprint, energy storage, eDM and ePWT. The targets are the company brands including Alfa Romeo, Maserati, FIAT, and JEEP brands.
He has international experiences in European projects as project coordinator (PRIAM ICT FP7, NANOPRIM FP6 NMP), and he is the scientific responsible of more than 20 projects in the frame of Horizon Europe programs with targets on materials for ICT, ePWT, carbon footprint and sustainability. He is inventor of more than 10 industrial patents and author of more than 15 international publications.
Integration of electronics and functions in the materials is growing fast for automotive components. The capability to integration will bring improvement of functions, enhancement of quality but at the same time it will request an increase in competences and know-how of technologies by OEM and suppliers as well.
The “car of the future” will show elegant and ergonomic designs with embedded illumination, touch sensors, circuitry as well as aesthetical finishing surfaces. In the future, electronic products will be designed more freely, as electronic circuits could be printed on flexible foils instead of conventional rigid circuit boards. It will be possible to mass produce comparatively low-cost electronics using flexible plastic foils and continuously running printing technology. Organic Electronics technology enables disruptive functionalities which are expected to create innovative non existing applications, and therefore open new, large, and diversified opportunities for automotive sector.
The car's interiors will be made more functional with increased appeal: vehicle diagnostics and control, safety, assisted driving and emerging improved applications will be fulfilled directly integrated in the components.
