General Presentation
The PhD in Industrial Engineering at the University of Rome Tor Vergata is characterized by a strong multidisciplinary approach and a well-established network of collaborations with industrial companies and academic institutions, both national and international. This approach fosters the training of researchers who can integrate skills from diverse fields of engineering and applied sciences, promoting innovative solutions to complex problems.
The research program covers a wide range of topics, including advanced industrial design, new materials and emerging technologies, energy and environmental sustainability, biomedical and sports engineering, sensor and smart device development, robotics, automation, and diagnostic techniques for enhancing cultural heritage. The breadth of these areas allows PhD students to work on projects that require the integrated contributions of mechanical, electronic, IT, chemical, and biological skills.
Internationalization is another pillar of the Doctorate. The program boasts collaborations with European, American, and Asian universities, as well as with research centers of excellence. These partnerships enable PhD students to undertake periods of study and research abroad, facilitating participation in international projects, scientific exchanges, and co-tutorship activities. In addition, numerous public and private companies – many of which operate on a global scale – actively support the PhD, recognizing in its students the ability to address, with a systemic approach, issues related to the design, production, and characterization of innovative products and technologies.
The Doctorate hosts an average of about 80 doctoral students, with an international component of 40%, confirming an open, dynamic, and culturally heterogeneous research environment, ideal for the training of professional profiles with a global vision.
The PhD in Industrial Engineering at the University of Rome Tor Vergata is a third-cycle higher education program characterized by a multidisciplinary educational and scientific structure and significant international openness. The program integrates skills in mechanical, industrial, electronic, materials, energy, applied physics, chemistry, and the technological aspects of the life sciences, enabling highly innovative research in strategic areas for the production system and the scientific community.
The research lines include advanced industrial design, additive manufacturing, innovative materials, sustainable energy technologies, sensors, robotics, automation, advanced diagnostics, and engineering applications to cultural heritage. The transversal nature of the skills within the Academic Board fosters the implementation of interdisciplinary projects, in line with the need to update the technical-scientific skills required by high-tech industrial sectors.
Internationalization is one of the main indicators of the quality of the Doctorate. The program is supported by structured collaborations with European and non-European universities and research centers, resulting in outgoing and incoming mobility, periods of stay abroad, co-supervision activities, and joint participation in research projects. The stable presence of an international component comprising about 40% of doctoral students confirms the program's attractiveness and its alignment with high international standards.
The PhD activities are also integrated into the productive fabric through conventions and agreements with public and private companies active in advanced manufacturing, materials, energy, sensors, and biomedicine. These partnerships contribute to awarding doctoral scholarships, conducting joint research activities, and providing access to high-level laboratories and technological infrastructures, ensuring full compliance with the requirements for industrial pathways and the third mission.
The size and composition of the Academic Board, the availability of departmental and interdepartmental laboratories, the infrastructures made available by external affiliated bodies, and the consolidated participation in national and international competitive projects ensure an adequate training environment for carrying out original and high-quality research activities. The educational offer includes advanced courses, specialized seminars, laboratory activities, and transversal training, in line with the provisions of Ministerial Decree 226/2021 regarding training load, articulation of the offer, and Verification of skills.
Overall, the PhD in Industrial Engineering provides an educational and scientific path that complies with ministerial standards, promoting the development of advanced skills, interdisciplinary integration, the internationalization of human capital, and technology transfer to the production system and the national and international scientific community.
Main Objectives
To achieve the main objective of the doctoral programme—to train students to become "problem solvers'—academic and specialised courses, seminars, schools, and guided research activities are provided. The duration of this series of training activities is three years. Its aim is to equip students with certain skills in their specific area of interest, such as: theoretical knowledge, experimental abilities, technological skills, methods of calculation, modelling, and simulation. The hoped-for outcome of this process is to develop proactive professionals capable of 'tuning' their skills to meet the increasingly complex demands of the market, which is constantly seeking technological innovations that are challenging. The Doctorate in Industrial Engineering, in fact, besides its connections with Italian and international universities and research institutes, is also strongly linked to and supported by public and private companies, which value the abilities of doctoral students to engage in design, production, and characterisation within the field of technological applications. This is why many of our doctoral candidates often find career opportunities immediately after their final examination and the awarding of their doctorate. In fact, most of our former doctoral students are now employed in research and development departments of major companies, while others work in research institutes and universities.
Professional Opportunities
The Doctoral Program in Industrial Engineering exhibits a significant level of integration with the production system, facilitated by structured collaborations with numerous public and private entities engaged in advanced manufacturing, materials, energy, sensors, and biomedicine. These collaborations support the co-creation of research initiatives, the activation of doctoral scholarships funded by industry partners, and provide access to laboratories, technological infrastructures, and external specialized expertise, fully aligning with the provisions of Ministerial Decree 226/2021 concerning industrial pathways and technology transfer. The existence of agreements with both Italian and international universities and research centers—complemented by industrial partnerships—enables doctoral candidates to undertake training and research periods at esteemed external institutions, fostering the development of advanced competencies and integration into highly competitive professional environments. This network of collaborations enhances participation in joint projects and reinforces the applied nature of research activities. Industry partners highly value the skills of PhD students in analysis, design, development, and validation of innovative technologies. Such recognition is reflected in a notably high employment rate post-graduation: most alumni are employed in research and development roles within national and international enterprises, while others pursue careers in research centers and academic institutions. This affirms the program's capacity to cultivate highly qualified professionals readily deployable in both academic and industrial sectors.