The Opex Center Group at Politecnico di Milano promotes the culture of Operational Excellence through activities of education, professional training, research, and industrial collaboration.
Our goal is to bridge the gap between academia and industry, generating knowledge, tools, and skills to drive innovation and continuous improvement across manufacturing and service systems.
Education
We train the next generation of Operations Managers through academic courses and laboratories that combine theory with practice.
Our teaching offer — including Operations Management, Industrial Management Lab and Toolbox, Industrial Plant Management, and Logistics and Production Services Management — provides students with the technical and managerial skills needed to design, manage, and improve complex processes with a focus on excellence, sustainability, and digital transformation.
Research and Dissemination
We conduct academic and applied research in the key domains of Operational Excellence, combining scientific rigor with industrial experimentation.
Our results are disseminated through scientific publications, international conferences, outreach events, and institutional collaborations, contributing to a shared culture of innovation and continuous improvement.
Our mission is to create real impact, connecting research, education, and managerial practice, to foster a more sustainable and competitive industrial ecosystem.
Collaboration with Industry
Collaboration with companies lies at the core of our mission and represents the main channel for knowledge transfer and real-world innovation.
To date, the group has established over 500 collaborations with companies and organizations in Italy and abroad, operating in the manufacturing, logistics, and service sectors.
All collaborations are developed in alignment with our research lines, Digital & Intelligent Operations, Environmental Sustainability, Lean Systems, and AI for Operations, and include applied research projects, industrial pilot initiatives, and organizational transformation programs.
Through these partnerships, we support companies in designing more efficient, digital, and sustainable processes, generating tangible and long-lasting value.
Professional Training
We design and deliver customized professional training programs for manufacturing and service companies, aimed at developing advanced competences in Lean Management, Continuous Improvement, Digital Transformation, and Sustainability.
In collaboration with MADE – Competence Center Industry 4.0, we organize experiential learning initiatives, workshops, and hands-on sessions integrating digital technologies, simulations, and real industrial cases.
These programs help companies to immediately apply Operational Excellence principles, fostering people development and spreading a culture of continuous improvement.