25
DALLARA AND ZANARDI,
HOW TO CREATE A SUCCESS
BY OVERCOMING EVERY OBSTACLE
T
HE NINTH EDITION OF
H
ANDIMATIC CONCLUDED WITH AN
EMOTIONAL
,
AND PROFITABLE
,
MEETING BETWEEN THE
FAMOUS DRIVER FROM
B
OLOGNA AND
E
NGINEER
P
ONTREMOLI
,
THE
M
ANAGING
D
IRECTOR OF THE COMPANY
FROM
V
ARANO
.
T
HE HAND
-
BIKE THAT
A
LEX RODE TO
VICTORY IN
L
ONDON
,
WHICH WAS DEVELOPED THANKS TO
THE PASSION OF
D
ALLARA
,
REPRESENTS AN EXAMPLE OF A
COLLABORATION THAT CAN BECOME A MODEL FOR EVERYONE
A
day spent together with Alex
Zanardi makes you realise
just how many uses
technology can be put to when it
is innovative and has a human
face, including applications that
no one would ever have thought
of. «The idea that, one day, they
would design a bicycle for a 45
year old paralymipian to win two
gold medals on was the last thing
that the friends of Dallara would
have imagined», said Alex, flashing
one of his dazzling smiles at the
beginning of the highly publicised
meeting that closed Handimatica
2012
in Bologna on 22nd
November. This was the ninth
edition of the expo-convention
organised by Asphi (an association
whose aim is to develop projects
intended to reduce handicap
through information technology)
in order to promote the
integration of handicapped people
into society, the education system
and the workplace through the
use of auxiliary equipment and
new technologies.
The event, which is sponsored by
the President of the Republic, the
Education Ministry, the region of
Emilia-Romagna and the Bologna
City and Provincial councils, is
held at the Aldini-Valeriani
industrial technical high school in
Bologna, one of the most highly
qualified educational institutions
in Italy, and receives strong
support from Dallara Automobili.
In fact, the Managing Director of
Dallara, Engineer Andrea
Pontremoli, took the stage
together with Zanardi on 22nd
November for an intense and
highly informal conversation, in
front of a rapt audience. Pride of
place went to the amazing hand-
bike developed by Dallara’s
technicians and engineers, which
helped Zanardi to win two gold
medals and, a silver, at the
London Paralymipics this summer.
This feat, which attracted world-
wide interest, was the result of a
longstanding collaboration.
«
When
Alex first came to talk to us about
his project
–
explained Engineer
Pontremoli –
he was almost afraid
to tell us that what he was after
was more than just simple advice.
We were a little perplexed to start
with: we make racing cars, not
bicycles. But gradually we got
caught up in the whole enterprise,
taking care not to tell Alex straight
out that we were using the most
advanced technology for his hand-
bike, including materials that are
so refined and expensive that we
barely even use them on our most
important projects
».
