Trieste, 24 September 2017 – Despite heavy rain, over 4,000 visitors attended the Wärtsilä Open Day at the company’s San Dorligo della Valle site. A continuous stream of people flowed through the “open doors” of Wärtsilä Italia to enjoy an event for employees’ families and local people, marking twenty years of Wärtsilä presence in Italy and a hundred years of Finnish independence.
The event was organised by the company's employees and management as a sociable and convivial occasion, and kicked off with the inauguration of the Propulsion Area, a completely refurbished facility for the manufacture of propellers and thrusters. This was followed by presentations from Wärtsilä Italia's President & Managing Director Guido Barbazza, Deputy Managing Director and Services President Pierpaolo Barbone, and Wärtsilä Group Vice President Atte Palomaki. The Finnish Honorary Consul, Michele Cattador, was among the many individual guests and institutions attending the event.
Visitors were able to follow the engine production lines, extending one kilometre through the heart of the factory, for a close-up view of the production process and the advanced technology and innovation that characterise the Group's operations in 70 countries, involving over 18 thousand employees. The Open Day included an enjoyable journey through the foods and wines of Trieste, Genoa, Naples and Taranto, the cities that host Wärtsilä Italia sites, and a review of Finnish design and products, as well as a series of activities for children, including workshops simulating factory operations and opportunities to experience augmented-reality devices.
As Guido Barbazza remarked, "Our Open Day is an occasion for celebration and conviviality, and has provided an opportunity to inaugurate the Propulsion area, a striking example of innovation in an area that has reached unprecedented levels of efficiency and optimisation. Competition is now global," he continued, "and to compete we must be the best. This facility is an example of renewed excellence."
The Open Day also welcomed local basketball team Alma Pallacanestro Trieste, who brought along the SuperCup trophy that it won on Saturday evening at the Alma Arena. Starting this year, Wärtsilä has been a supporter of the club.
Video Open Day 2017