Poste Italiane has established a Research Centre in order to introduce methodologies and innovative instruments supporting the corporate business, launching scientific research initiatives in collaboration with Universities, with specialised research centres and with local institutions, experimenting the studied solutions and putting them into production.
The Centre is divided into two specific areas:
Research Centre area that manages scientific and industrial research projects on ICT topics.
An area engaged with realising experimental prototypes for creating innovative products and services, followed by a pre-industrialisation phase where it is assessed whether the prototypes can be integrated into the company’s systems.
The activities carried out by the Research Centre are associated with the e-commerce, e-government, e-tourism and e-working areas:
Three projects are currently active in the field of research and development which entail the active participation of the Company:
HE MODULAR LOGISTICS UNITS IN SHARED CO-MODAL NETWORKS PROJECT
This project is the result of Poste Italiane’s intention to share the know-how acquired over the years regarding postal collection and delivery services with subsequent verification of the validity and applicability of the solutions, both through simulations and the gradual implementation of key functions of the so-called “Physical Internet”. The purpose of the project is to offer a real contribution to the development of the supply chain, with the ambition of developing interconnected logistics units functioning in a similar way to the transmission of data packages which takes place in the Network. The basic idea is to reduce shipments of partial loads, optimise costs and reduce CO2 air emissions, using techniques that are easily replicable on the current infrastructures.
CITIZEN REINFORCING OPEN SMART SYNERGIES (CROSS)
The CROSS digital platform – developed by Post Italiane in its role as coordinating partner of the project – aims to give value to the volunteer world, connecting Public Administrations, volunteer organisations and end users to each other. A common purpose of the three subjects is the economic, social and cultural development of the company through the innovative concept of “Growing without Money”. The project is divided into four areas of action: assistance service for senior citizens; social inclusion of immigrants; combating scholastic abandonment and low levels of schooling; assistance for the disabled. The experimental phase of the project shall begin in four metropolitan areas of the European Union: Rome, Turin, Manchester and Seville.
HORIZON 2020 – THE FRAMEWORK PROGRAMME FOR RESEARCH AND INNOVATION
Poste Italiane participates in Horizon 2020, an integrated Programme of the European Community for funding Research and Innovation activities. The purpose of the programme is to provide researchers with the tools needed to realise their projects, transforming them into concrete jobs, sustainable growth and social progress. The funded initiatives are organised according to three guidelines: excellence in research, with the objective of guaranteeing leadership in Europe within the sector; industrial leadership in order to support research and innovation in European industry with considerable attention paid to small companies, corporate challenges, to make new resources available in sectors such as health, climate, safety, transport and energy.
The Centre is divided into two specific areas:
Funded projects
Research Centre area that manages scientific and industrial research projects on ICT topics.
Prototype designs
An area engaged with realising experimental prototypes for creating innovative products and services, followed by a pre-industrialisation phase where it is assessed whether the prototypes can be integrated into the company’s systems.The activities carried out by the Research Centre are associated with the e-commerce, e-government, e-tourism and e-working areas:
- E-Commerce
The interest for the Network is due to the possibility to use it not only as another sales channel but also to comprehensively improve all the company’s activities. With e-commerce it is possible: to operate on the quality of the service to the Customer, improving pre and post-sales support; optimise the efficiency of corporate communication towards the outside by using the internet to circulate information and communicate with its stakeholders; internally redefine corporate processes to integrate workflows on one single support, such as automating orders and transactions or real time coordination of the customer’s requirements. - E-Government
Technological progress and people progressively adapting to technology in daily life have given the State the opportunity to improve the quality of its products. The term “e-Government” thereby means using ICT techniques in the provision of public services. Two of the greater benefits found are the reduction of times and costs for individuals and Public Entities and the development of a Public Administration aimed at individuals and result oriented, as well as built according to market rules. - E-Tourism
The phenomenon of digitalisation has also involved industries operating in the tourism sector and of processes governing the function thereof. With the great circulation of internet, a large part of the business in these sectors was transferred to the Network: blog and social networks favour the exchange of opinions and information including a wide range of material such as images and videos. In the era of Web 2.0, the key words are collaboration and sharing: in this context the user has become the main character, from time to time becoming a researcher, commentator or generator of content. - E-Working
"E-Working" describes the application of new organisational models in the world of work, based on widespread involvement, collaboration, knowledge sharing and the development of internal and external social networks to the organisation. To this end companies use tools typical of Web 2.0 (blogs, wiki, RSS, etc.) and technological approaches such as Business Process Management, aimed at optimising, monitoring and integrating corporate processes, Rich Internet Applications which ensure the same functions of desktop applications without the need for a hard disk and Service-Oriented Architecture, a software architecture which supports Web services, guaranteeing interoperability between various systems, so as to allow the use of single applications in an integrated and transparent manner.
Projects funded by Poste Italiane
Three projects are currently active in the field of research and development which entail the active participation of the Company:HE MODULAR LOGISTICS UNITS IN SHARED CO-MODAL NETWORKS PROJECT
This project is the result of Poste Italiane’s intention to share the know-how acquired over the years regarding postal collection and delivery services with subsequent verification of the validity and applicability of the solutions, both through simulations and the gradual implementation of key functions of the so-called “Physical Internet”. The purpose of the project is to offer a real contribution to the development of the supply chain, with the ambition of developing interconnected logistics units functioning in a similar way to the transmission of data packages which takes place in the Network. The basic idea is to reduce shipments of partial loads, optimise costs and reduce CO2 air emissions, using techniques that are easily replicable on the current infrastructures.
CITIZEN REINFORCING OPEN SMART SYNERGIES (CROSS)
The CROSS digital platform – developed by Post Italiane in its role as coordinating partner of the project – aims to give value to the volunteer world, connecting Public Administrations, volunteer organisations and end users to each other. A common purpose of the three subjects is the economic, social and cultural development of the company through the innovative concept of “Growing without Money”. The project is divided into four areas of action: assistance service for senior citizens; social inclusion of immigrants; combating scholastic abandonment and low levels of schooling; assistance for the disabled. The experimental phase of the project shall begin in four metropolitan areas of the European Union: Rome, Turin, Manchester and Seville.
HORIZON 2020 – THE FRAMEWORK PROGRAMME FOR RESEARCH AND INNOVATION
Poste Italiane participates in Horizon 2020, an integrated Programme of the European Community for funding Research and Innovation activities. The purpose of the programme is to provide researchers with the tools needed to realise their projects, transforming them into concrete jobs, sustainable growth and social progress. The funded initiatives are organised according to three guidelines: excellence in research, with the objective of guaranteeing leadership in Europe within the sector; industrial leadership in order to support research and innovation in European industry with considerable attention paid to small companies, corporate challenges, to make new resources available in sectors such as health, climate, safety, transport and energy.
For further information see the 
Innovation area.
