The University of Trento was founded in 1962 and has always aimed at building alliance and reciprocal efficiency with Italian and foreign institutions and organizations. In 1982, the University (until then private) became public, with a statute that guaranteed self-government.The Department of industrial engineering performs research, training, and teaching  in the sectors of Industrial Engineering, in particular in Mechanics, Mechatronics, Materials Engineering, Electronic-and Micro-electronics systems, Managerial Information Systems, and  Optimization Methods and Models to support decision making. The research objectives of the Department regard the structure of materials; their features and applications; new materials and technologies; automation systems of processes and machineries; energy production and storage; the design and implementation of mechanical/electronic integrated devices, with specific functions in innovative applications; the optimization of products and processes. The Department cooperates with various national and international research institutions, and is engaged in basic and applied research projects, with a strong connection to the industrial world.